A new study has found a significant correlation between the grade point average (GPA) of students and their level of emotional-social intelligence (ESI), especially in relation to adaptability and stress management.

This suggests that students who are more emotionally and socially intelligent - or aware of themselves and others - are better able to adapt to circumstances and to manage stress, and as a result, these students have a higher level of academic achievement.

The study, conducted by Andel Bailey, doctoral candidate at Northern Caribbean University's College of Graduate Education and Leadership, is titled Emotional-Social Intelligence of Students at a Jamaican University and its Relationship to Their Academic Achievement (2007).

Mr. Bailey's findings are sub-stantiated by many other researchers in this area. Over the years, many studies have found that there is a significant relationship between stress and academic achievement.

Dr. Kathie Nunley, noted author, researcher and consultant on education, in her study Stress and Memory (2006), said stress was like a land mine for the brain.

She found that a high level of stress was likely to increase health problems, retard memory, and so have a negative impact on the academic achievement of students.