Differences in resilience between ‘traditional’ and ‘non-traditional’ university students

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethel Chung ◽  
Deborah Turnbull ◽  
Anna Chur-Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Traditional Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Students First ◽  
Non Traditional Students

Resilience is related to students’ well-being and academic success. While challenges associated with students who are from historically underrepresented backgrounds (i.e. ‘non-traditional students’) have been frequently reported, their resilience has received lesser attention. The primary purpose of this study was to compare levels of resilience between ‘traditional’ and ‘non-traditional’ students. First year students participated in an online mental health survey which included a standardised measure of resilience, demographic questions and an item exploring students’ own perception of being ‘non-traditional’. The results showed that students who considered themselves to be ‘non-traditional’ in life aspects, including age, employment and parenting responsibility, had significantly higher resilience compared to self-identified ‘traditional students’. However, resilience levels of students who deemed themselves to be ‘non-traditional’ in other domains (e.g. household income, cultural background) did not differ significantly from ‘traditional’ students. The findings show that life experiences commonly affiliated with being a mature-aged student, including work and being a carer, may contribute to higher resilience. Implications in relation to practice and future research were discussed.

scholarly journals U-Flourish university students well-being and academic success longitudinal study: a study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e029854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Margaret Goodday ◽  
Daniel Rivera ◽  
Hannah Foran ◽  
Nathan King ◽  
Melissa Milanovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Oxford University ◽  
Queen's University

IntroductionOver 30% of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 24 years attend university. This period of life coincides with the onset of common mental illnesses. Yet, data to inform university-based mental health prevention and early intervention initiatives are limited. The U-Flourish longitudinal study based out of Queen’s University, Canada and involving Oxford University in the UK, is a student informed study funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (CIHR-SPOR). The primary goal of U-Flourish research is to examine the contribution of risk and resiliency factors to outcomes of well-being and academic success in first year students transitioning to university.Methods and analysisThe study is a longitudinal survey of all first-year undergraduate students entering Queen’s University in the fall term of 2018 (and will launch at Oxford University in fall of 2019). In accordance with the CIHR-SPOR definitions, students represent the target population (ie, patient equivalent). Student peer health educators were recruited to inform the design, content and implementation of the study. Baseline surveys of Queen’s first year students were completed in the fall of 2018, and follow-up surveys at the end of first year in the spring of 2019. Extensive student-led engagement campaigns were used to maximise participation rates. The baseline survey included measures of personal factors, family factors, environmental factors, psychological and emotional health, and lifestyle factors. Main outcomes include self-reported indicators of mental health at follow-up and mental health service access, as well as objective measures of academic success through linkage to university administrative and academic databases. A combination of mixed effects regression techniques will be employed to determine associations between baseline predictive factors and mental health and academic outcomes.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained by the Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board (HSREB) (#6023126) at Queen’s University. Findings will be disseminated through international and national peer-reviewed scientific articles and other channels including student-driven support and advocacy groups, newsletters and social media.

scholarly journals Study and Life: How first year university students use their time

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Richardson ◽  
Sharron King ◽  
Tim Olds ◽  
Gaynor Parfitt ◽  
Belinda Chiera
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
First Year University

Starting university changes the way students must structure their day. This study describes the patterns of time use of 444 Australian first year students and explores differences between gender and age groups. Overall, students were studying on average four hours per day (h/day), sleeping eight h/day and meeting Australian physical activity guidelines. A sizable portion of students’ days were spent engaging in ‘non-modifiable’ activities including self-care, chores and travel. Stereotypical gender and age differences were observed, with males accumulating significantly more screen-time (+68 minutes per day [min/d]) and physical activity (+21 min/d), while females did more chores (+18 min/d) and self-care (+26 min/d). Younger students slept more (+42 min/d), and did fewer chores (-43 min/d). Given there are strong associations between how students use their time and health, well-being and academic success, a better understanding of how students allocate their time on a day-to-day basis will enable more effective support for students in making these changes.

scholarly journals The Parent First-Year Experience on a Community College Campus

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Hale ◽  
Cristina Buzas
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Students First ◽  
Parent Orientation ◽  
The Relationship

This study explores the effects of a Parent First-Year Experience (PFYE) program at Washtenaw Community College. Specifically, the study addresses attitudes and perceptions of parents who participated in the PFYE program over the course of two years and the relationship between parent participation and students’ academic success and retention. A total of 71 (year 1 n=37; year 2 n=34) parents responded to the online survey. Researchers learned that parents who participated in the PFYE understood the milestones of their students’ first year and felt prepared to support their student through transition. Results indicated that the combination of parent orientation, e-newsletters, workshops, webinars, and online communication comprise an acceptable PFYE format. Beyond practical implications, this study serves as a launching point for future research and theories related to parental connectivity to the community college and further studies assessing the effects of PFYE programs.

scholarly journals The first-year experience of non-traditional students in Danish science and engineering university programmes

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Ulriksen ◽  
Lene Møller Madsen ◽  
Henriette Tolstrup Holmegaard
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Students ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
First Year Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Students First ◽  
Non Traditional Students ◽  
Danish Science ◽  
Prior Experiences ◽  
First Year Experiences

To understand student drop-out from university, research must explore students’ first-year experiences and the challenges they encounter. This article analyses the first-year experiences of non-traditional students in Danish science and engineering university programmes. Focusing on identity theory and the framework of integration processes provided by Tinto, the article presents the challenges experienced by students from non-academic backgrounds and by students with ethnic minority backgrounds. The analysis presents four themes that are experienced as particularly challenging for the students: (1) a strong career focus which is hard for the students to maintain in their transition into university; (2) how the students from some non-academic backgrounds encounter the challenges they meet with limited resources; (3) how they spend time and resources on their family and how this affects their integration in the programme; and (4) the process of academic and social integration are particularly challenging as they require students to submit themselves to the cultural expectations of their studies, which can be hard to understand for students from families with no prior experiences of academia. The article discusses how these experiences can be understood within an identity framework.

Thriving Through Relationship Building

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-98
Author(s):  
Tréon D. McClendon ◽  
Taurean M. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Centers ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
College Setting

The United States of America is facing a global crisis (COVID-19) that has forced a significant strain on the academic structure and learning environments. From an institutional perspective, this requires more innovation in the approach and well-being of students, especially first-year students. This chapter addresses how living learning centers aided in the support and academic success of students during a global pandemic. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of how LLCs can impact the success of students as they transition and acclimate to the college setting as first year students. This chapter will also discuss how LLCs can enhance student success efforts in all capacities at institutions across the country.

Variables affecting first-year student commitment during the transition to college in Ireland

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 741-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Daniels ◽  
Jerome Sheahan ◽  
Pádraig MacNeela
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transition To College ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Retention Models

Abstract Third-level student attrition rates internationally are a cause for concern. Thus, student retention and academic success are top priorities for colleges, and students alike. In addition to this, student well-being is a growing public health concern. This study explores the need to incorporate well-being as a predictor in traditionally academically focused models of student persistence during the transition to college. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted with 574 first-year students aged 17–22 years attending a university in Ireland to examine the effect of student persistence and well-being variables on student commitment during the transition to college. This study highlights the connection between student academic, social and well-being variables during the transition to college within the fitted models that emerged from the data. Student well-being plays a key role ensuring student persistence during the transition to college. The results support our hypothesis that many student variables have the potential to substantially impact student commitment during the first-year transition to college. These variables include student depression, self-rated health, academic environment, peer connections and perceiving the academic programme to be an appropriate personal choice. It is therefore important for education institutions to acknowledge and address student persistence and student well-being in an integrative way and for traditionally academically focused student retention models to orientate to incorporate student well-being.

scholarly journals Bridging the gap: blending spatial skills instruction into a technology teacher preparation programme

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diarmaid Lane ◽  
Sheryl Sorby
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Spatial Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Base Level ◽  
Technology Teacher ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn recent years, there has been a surge in research in spatial thinking across the international community. We now know that spatial skills are malleable and that they are linked to success across multiple disciplines, most notably Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). While spatial skills have been examined by cognitive scientists in laboratory environments for decades, current research is examining how these skills can be developed in field-based environments. In this paper, we present findings from a study within a Technology Teacher preparation programme where we examined first-year students’ spatial skills on entry to university. We explain why it was necessary to embed a spatial skills intervention into Year 1 of the programme and we describe the impact that this had on students’ spatial scores and on academic performance. The findings from our study highlight a consistent gender gap in spatial scores at the start of the first-year with female students entering the Technology Teacher preparation programme at a lower base level than male students. We describe how we integrated spatial development activities into an existing course and how an improvement in spatial scores and overall course performance was observed. The paper concludes by discussing the long-term sustainability of integrating spatial interventions within teacher preparation programmes while also highlighting the importance of future research to examine spatial skills as a fundamental component of technological capability.

scholarly journals Application of Cannabis Use Intention Questionnaire (CUIQ) to First Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Inês Teodoro ◽  
Hugo Torres ◽  
Nuno Venâncio ◽  
Guilhermina Moutinho ◽  
Maria Deolinda Auxtero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Self Control ◽  
First Year ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
First Year University

Cannabis is the illegal drug most used worldwide. Its long-term use increases the risk of depression and schizophrenia, causing a major public health problem. A validated questionnaire was applied to first year students of Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz to assess their intention regarding cannabis use. They do not consider cannabis to be much associated with well-being, they slightly consider the opinion of relatives, and they show a low intent to use the drug, believing themselves to have strong self-control. Scores are above average for 18-y.o. Portuguese students, except for belief in self-control.

FUNCTIONING OF MEDICAL TERMS IN CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE FIRST-YEAR FRENCH-SPEAKING STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-43
Author(s):  
TATIANA V. LUKOYANOVA ◽  
◽  
LYUBOV M. KASIMTSEVA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Modern World ◽  
First Year ◽  
Medical Terminology ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Personal Meanings ◽  
Medical Terms ◽  
Students First ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
Ordinary Consciousness

He problem of interaction between language and society is more and more relevant in the modern world. Changes of the world have influenced the discourse in various spheres of communication. Moreover the progress of medicine has led to changes in the system of medical terms, and, consequently, to difficulties in understanding of terms in the ordinary consciousness. A person always wants to understand other people and to be understood by them. So it is the main goal of communication. The article deals with the issue of the functioning of medical terms in the minds of first-year French-speaking students. First-year stu- dents have the ordinary consciousness. Medical terms, which are studied by them (first-year students), function in the ordinary consciousness in incorrect form. It's because they are based on associations, feelings which the person has during the process of cognition, and, therefore, they must be interpreted. During the process of learning, there is a need to clarify the personal meanings that medical students have in regarding to special terms. In this article the author gives the results of the research concerning the French-speaking students' knowledge of medical terminology. The author gives examples of the perception and rethinking of medical terms based on common knowledge and examines the formation of scientific knowledge to develop the language of medicine in the consciousness of students and its competent use in the future.

scholarly journals Coping-Strategies and Pedagogical University Students’ Mental and Psychological Stability

2020 ◽  
pp. 123-133
Author(s):  
Е.А. Волгуснова ◽  
Е.А. Шерешкова
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Female Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
State Pedagogical

В статье рассмотрена проблема нервно-психических перегрузок и способов совладания с ними у студентов первых курсов педагогического вуза в период их первой сессии. Актуальность ее решения связана с необходимостью повышения нервно-психической устойчивости студентов для успешного освоения ими выбранной профессии и снижения трудностей в учебно-воспитательном процессе вуза. Цель исследования заключалась в изучении корреляций копинг-стратегий и нервно-психической устойчивости у студентов-бакалавров Шадринского государственного педагогического университета с учетом полового диморфизма. В исследовании применялись стандартизированные опросники: «Решение трудных жизненных ситуаций» (Я. Боукал, модификация О. Ю. Михайловой), «Способы совладающего поведения» (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, стандартизированный под руководством Л. И. Вассермана), многоуровневый личностный опросник «Адаптивность» (А. Г. Маклакова, С. В. Чермянина). Выдвинута гипотеза о том, что между показателями копинг-стратегий и нервно-психической устойчивостью студентов разного пола существуют прямые и обратные связи. В статье представлены обнаруженные авторами гендерные различия в копинг-стратегиях и уровнях нервно-психической устойчивости, а также прямые и обратные связи между ними. Эмпирически доказано предположение о том, что у юношей связи копинг-стратегий в нервно-психической устойчивости более вариативны, чем у девушек. Полученные в исследовании и описанные в статье эмпирические данные, сделанные на их основе выводы могут быть использованы при определении траектории психолого-педагогического сопровождения студентов-первокурсников в сессионный период при их психологической подготовке к другим стрессовым ситуациям. The article treats the issue of mental and psychological overstrain experienced by first year students of pedagogical universities during their first examination session and strategies that can be used to deal with it. The relevance of the research is accounted for by the necessity to improve students’ mental and psychological stability to ensure their academic success and to reduce challenges they face during the learning process. The aim of the research is to investigate the correlation between coping strategies and mental and psychological stability in students of Shadrin State Pedagogical University taking into consideration students’ gender differences. The research employed standardized questionnaires: “Overcoming Difficult Life Situations” (J. Boukal, O. Yu. Mikhaylova’s modification), “Coping Strategies” (R. Lazarus, S. Folkman, standardized under the supervision of L. I. Wassermann), multilevel personality questionnaire “Adaptability” (A. G. Maklakova, S. V. Chermyanina). The authors put forward a hypothesis that there is a direct and response-based correlation between the indices of coping strategies and mental and psychological stability of male and female students. The article presents some gender-related differences of coping strategies and mental and psychological stability discovered by the authors of the article and some direct and response-based correlation between them. It has been empirically proved that trying to achieve mental and psychological stability, boys employ more variable coping strategies than girls. The empirical data acquired in the research are described in the present article. The conclusion made on their basis can be used to define some trajectories of psychological and pedagogical support for first-year students during their first examination session, provided they are psychologically ready to cope with other stressful situations.

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