Factors Promoting Positive Adaptation and Resilience during the Transition to College

Abstract

The transition to college can be a difficult time as students adjust to new social and academic demands while adapting to new living circumstances in a collegiate environment. The ability of students to cope with the stress of such a transition and display positive outcomes despite challenges has important implications for psychosocial well-being as well as academic success. The present study examined the relative impact of four domains that have been shown to promote resilience in the face of stress in order to determine the extent to which each factor predicted student stress independent of all other factors. First-year college students from four universities completed measures assessing their perceived level of stress as well as their social connectedness, self-care behaviors, cognitive style, and life skills. Results revealed that social support and cognitive styles characterized by optimism significantly and uniquely predicted lower stress among students. Findings are discussed in relation to the development of university-based programs to promote the skills and characteristics that are most likely to result in positive outcomes for students during the transition to college.

Psychosocial Moderators of Perceived Stress, Anxiety and Depression in University Students: An International Study

“…These findings demonstrate campus connectedness does not interact with perceived stress to provide a protective effect on anxiety. Although previous research supports associations among these variables, the results of the current study did not support a buffering model and only demonstrate support for a main effect model of campus connectedness on anxiety [29]. The findings from the current study suggest campus connectedness appears to make a beneficial contribution in reducing anxiety regardless of perceived stress levels.…”

“…According to Lee and Robbins [28] social connectedness is a person's subjective awareness of closeness with their social world. Social connectedness has been found to be negatively associated with perceived stress, anxiety, and depression [29] [30]. Therefore, connectedness within a university context is an important psychosocial variable to examine, as many university students experience maladjustment issues in adapting to a new social environment upon transitioning into university [31].…”

Personal development, resilience theory and transition to university for 1st year students

“…Initial feelings of apprehension were described by students regarding the OOP experience. These feelings mirror the feelings of many incoming 1 st year university students (Leary & DeRosier, 2012). Overcoming this apprehension and challenges to selfconfidence and self-worth are therefore important in this transitional period.…”

“…A lack of confidence, personal difficulties can lead to poor adaptation to university (Leary & DeRosier, 2012). The emotional, social and academic adjustments that accompany this transition can cause individuals to question their self-worth (Carr, Colthurst, Coyle & Elliott, 2013).…”

Perfiles de Resiliencia y Estrategias de Afrontamiento en la Universidad: Variables Contextuales y Demográficas

“…En el marco de la creciente literatura que destaca el rol de los factores no cognitivos en el rendimiento académico y la persistencia (Leary y DeRosier, 2012), los estudios sobre la resiliencia en la universidad tienen un claro interés (Munro y Pooley, 2009). Este trabajo es una pequeña aportación a la escasez de estudios sobre resiliencia y afrontamiento en un contexto de estrés como es el universitario.…”