College Life Adjustment, Life Stress, Career Barriers, and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy of College Students Who Have Experienced COVID-19 in South Korea

Abstract

University life is challenging for students, given the college life adjustment, life stress, career barriers, and career decision-making self-efficacy required. COVID-19 has made this even more complex. This study investigated the relationships among these factors in college students who experienced COVID-19. Data were collected using an online cross-sectional structured survey of 1242 university students from December 2020 to January 2021. Data were analyzed via independent-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multiple regression, and logistic regression, using SPSS. College life adjustment was significantly correlated with life stress (r = −0.255, p < 0.001), career barriers (r = −0.429, p < 0.001), and career decision-making self-efficacy (r = 0.531, p < 0.001). The regression analysis showed that career barriers, career decision-making self-efficacy, and grade level had a total explanatory power of 33.7% for college life adaptation. The logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio (OR) of career barriers being low in the group with a high college life adaptation score was 2.045 (p < 0.001), and the OR of career decision-making self-efficacy being high was 4.107 (p < 0.001), as compared to the group with a low score. To increase college students’ adaptation to college life, career support programs that improve career barriers and career decision-making self-efficacy should be developed.

Could Intern Health Care Students Control Their Emotions and Make a Career Plan During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…The results of our study and other studies in the literature demonstrated that young adults were more worried about their careers, which adversely affected their future career plans. 39 - 41…”

“…The results of our study and other studies in the literature demonstrated that young adults were more worried about their careers, which adversely affected their future career plans. [39][40][41] Were Healthcare Senior Students' Career Adaptability and Ability to Manage Their Emotions Affected by Some of Their Sociodemographic Characteristics During the COVID-9 Pandemic?…”

Improving the Quality of Career Decision-making of Students in Chinese Higher Vocational Colleges

“…Also, individuals with strong goals are those who can react according to their abilities and evaluate themselves, therefore, they are more resilient in the face of setbacks and will develop different plans and strategies to overcome obstacles, thus increasing the likelihood of success (Madrazo & Mariano, 2021). Based on the SCCT, it is believed that CDMSE is an important factor that influences individuals' career goals and career choices (J. H. Park & Kang, 2022;Thompson et al, 2017), and it can effectively predict career-related activity goals and related performance (Xing & Rojewski, 2018). Also, CDMSE has many effects on individuals' career behaviors, and people with high CDMSE have a clearer orientation in their CDM and achievement through their career goals (Monteiro et al, 2021).…”

Career decision profiles and characteristics of nursing students

“…The economic downturn caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had substantial repercussions on the job market, with the number of jobs lost reported to be more than four-fold that in the 2009 financial crisis [3]. Consequently, anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic and employment adversely impacted overall college life [4], and increased perceptions of career barriers hinder students' career preparation behaviors [5].…”

“…They include internal psychological and external environmental barriers [9]. Park and Kang [5] reported that career preparation behaviors declined with increased perceptions of barriers. Lee and Jung [10] found a relationship between low level of career preparation and perceived barriers among students.…”