Students are humans too: Psychosocial vulnerability of first-year students at the University of Johannesburg

Abstract

This article describes the life challenges university students experienced in their first year of study during the transition into academia, how these impacted on their studies at the time, and how these have impacted on their life satisfaction and academic progress over the next year or two.Data were collected using a quantitative survey instrument from 463 second and third year students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Results showed that prevalent and severe life challenges during the first year of study were the death of loved ones and poverty. Most of the life challenges impacted negatively on academic progress and well-being a year or two later, and in combination the pileup of vulnerability in first year has a sustained negative impact on student's academic progress a year or two later. Universities need to engage with the whole student as human within their social environment, with both academic and personal development needs.

‘Resilient when it comes to death’: Exploring the significance of bereavement for the well – being of social work students

“…Findings from the literature review highlight a space for further research which focusses specifically on the diverse bereavement experiences of social work students, and which considers the impacts of bereavement on academic, as well as professional work with service users ( McClatchey & King, 2017;Van Breda, 2017).…”

“…The lead author has previously documented her experience of supporting a bereaved social work student, in her first year of study whilst Fulton (2012) also incorporates personal experience to offer social work students advice on dealing with death and dying during their placements. Amongst other literature focussing on student experiences of bereavement, Vejar (2013) provides an overview of the different deaths which students may encounter during their studies, whilst van Breda (2017) cites loss as a significant challenge for first year undergraduates. A larger number of studies also evaluate the impact of death education on students (Cagle and Kovacs, 2009; Chan et al., 2017; Kramer, 1998; McClatchey and King, 2015; McIlwaine et al., 2007), whilst other studies focus on the attitude of health and social care students towards death and dying (Yang, 2012).…”

Aukštųjų Mokyklų Psichosocialinė Mokymosi Aplinka

“…Siekiant įgyti aukštąjį išsilavinimą prestižiniuose universitetuose, jaunuoliams tenka atsiskirti nuo šeimos, keisti gyvenamąją vietą ir persikelti į didmiesčius. Dėl to studentai dažniausiai patiria stresą [12]. Nustatyta, kad prisitaikyti prie naujos aplinkos padeda šeimos ir bendraamžių palaikymas.…”

Wellness Constraints Among International University Students Transitioning Through Covid 19

“…As a precarious group, international students generally encounter multiple stressors on a daily basis, which are both contemporary and historical in nature. Such multiple stressors may potentially drain students emotionally and mentally; exhaust their coping resources; and compromise resilience in their personal and academic lives (Van Breda, 2017).In particular, concerns have been raised about the extent to which virtual shifts in teaching and learning practices are contextually relevant and student-centered for international students from diverse cultural backgrounds (Naidoo & Cartwright, 2020). Thus, the plight of this vulnerable group is associated with pronounced challenges and needs.…”