Student Lifestyle, Stress, and Academic Performance

Data Visualization Project (Bokeh)

📌 Project Overview

This project explores how different lifestyle factors — study time, sleep, physical activity, and social activities — interact with stress levels and affect academic performance (GPA).

The visualizations were created using Bokeh and are accessible at:
👉 Interactive Dashboard

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📂 Dataset

We used the Student Lifestyle Dataset available on Kaggle.
It contains self-reported measures from students covering:

• Study hours
• Sleep hours
• Physical activity
• Social activity
• Stress levels
• GPA outcomes

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🔑 Key Findings from the Visualizations

1. Low Stress Students

• Students with low stress dedicate significantly more time to physical activity compared to social hours.
• Physical activity emerges as a protective factor, strongly associated with lower stress and healthier routines.

2. High GPA Students

• High GPA students show a balanced distribution of activities.
• Even under moderate or high stress, they maintain physical activity and avoid excessive social hours.
• This indicates that academic success is often linked to a structured lifestyle where exercise helps buffer stress.

3. Low GPA Students

• Low GPA students typically show higher social activity compared to physical activity.
• Especially under moderate stress, their physical activity levels drop sharply.
• This imbalance may contribute to both higher stress and poorer academic outcomes.

4. The Paradox Group (~20% of Students)

• A distinct subgroup with contradictory patterns:
  • Minimal study time + poor sleep
  • Excessive physical activity (> 5h/day)
  • Low GPA and extremely high stress
• This group shows that stress is multidimensional, not solely tied to study load or GPA.
• It highlights the importance of holistic student wellness programs that include sleep, physical activity, and social connection.

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📊 Visual Insights Included

• Bubble charts linking stress levels with activity type (study, sleep, physical, social).
• Comparative plots showing differences between high GPA vs. low GPA students.
• Focus on the Paradox Group to illustrate lifestyle imbalance and its consequences.

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💡 Critical Insight

High performance paired with well-being is achievable only through balanced lifestyle choices.
Institutions should promote this integrated approach, rather than valorizing academic intensity alone.

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👩‍💻 Contributors

• Federica Sfeir
• Fathnelle Mehouelley
• Glorie Metsa Wowo

Date: October 2025