‘My biggest fear was whether or not I would make friends’: working-class students’ reflections on their transition to university in Ireland

Perceived Social Support and Stress: a Study of 1st Year Students in Ireland

“…Crucially, the effectiveness of social support is dependent on the match between the source, type, timing and the needs of the individual (Cohen & McKay, 1984 ; Cutrona & Russell, 1990 ; Jacobson, 1986 ). The relationship between social support and positive outcomes has been demonstrated in both quantitative research (e.g., Brailovskaia et al, 2020 ; Poots & Cassidy, 2020 ; Reeve et al, 2013 ) and qualitative studies (Charalambous, 2019 ; Scanlon et al, 2020 ), with students across various disciplines and countries (e.g. Cornelius et al, 2016 ; Pluut et al, 2015 ; Walton et al, 2015 ).…”

“…Cornelius et al, 2016 ; Pluut et al, 2015 ; Walton et al, 2015 ). The range of social supports that students receive from their families, friends and the academic community can directly influence their ability to deal with the challenges associated with university life (Cage et al, 2021 ; Mishra, 2020 ) and is associated with more successful experiences during their education (Maymon et al, 2019 ; McCoy et al, 2014 ; Scanlon et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Social relationships and support have been identified as one of the main predictors of increased success for students during the transition to university (Cage et al, 2021 ; Denny, 2015 ; Leary & DeRosier, 2012 ; Meehan & Howells, 2017 ; Van der Zandan et al, 2018 ). In an Irish context, Scanlon et al ( 2020 ) identified students’ positive experiences of university life often centred on peer relationships and shared interests and aspirations. This is in line with findings from a report by Denny ( 2015 ), where students in Ireland highlighted the benefits of mentoring and relationships during the transition to university, and mirrors findings from other longitudinal research conducted with school leavers in Ireland (McCoy et al, 2014 ).…”

“…Social support is recognised as an element of the student experience that is easily adaptable during the early stage of student life (Cage et al, 2021 ; Denny, 2015 ; Leary & DeRosier, 2012 ; Scarapicchia et al, 2017 ; Scanlon et al, 2020 ). The structure of universities, comprising of residence halls and student organisations, can facilitate the building of such friendships and networks (Mishra, 2020 ).…”

“…Social support, derived from families, friends and the academic community, can directly impact student experiences during education, with positive impacts on both wellbeing and academic success (Brailovskaia et al, 2018 ; Maymon et al, 2019 ; McCoy et al, 2014 ; Scanlon et al, 2020 ; Maymon et al, 2019 ). In contrast, the experience of stress, while recognised as part of the academic experience, can have a detrimental impact on academic outcomes, wellbeing (Berwick & Finkelstein, 2010 ; Conley et al, 2020 ; Poots & Cassidy, 2020 ) and mental health (Liu et al, 2019 ; Wu et al, 2021 ).…”