Coping Strategies among International Postgraduate Students at One South African University

Abstract

This paper’s purpose was to explore coping strategies employed by international postgraduate students at one South African university amid challenges faced during their studies. The study was a qualitative case-study where data was collected through telephonic semi-structured interviews with 14 international postgraduates, with the prime objective of examining the nature of departure intentions and coping strategies of the international students and then present an analysis of the coping strategies adopted through the process of thematic coding. The findings indicate that while students had high departure intentions, they managed to complete their studies by relying on various coping strategies. Within this positive trend there were variations within individual experiences and coping strategies. The recommendation was that institutions should talk about international student support services before and at arrival, and during the study, to link students to relevant support structures such as counselling and support groups.