Abstract
The 1970s saw a significant increase in the volume of research on individuals’ subjective experience of well-being. The subjective well-being of university students has received less attention, however. Student well-being is important, given the widespread concern over the high dropout rates at institutions of higher learning in South Africa (Council of Higher Education, 2013; Van Zyl, 2010). The paper adds to the existing body of literature through an exposition on the possible influence of variables forthcoming from the literature, on the overall subjective well-being of first-year economics students at a comprehensive university. Variables that displayed a significant and positive contribution to subjective well-being were first-year and extended-degree students, the university being the institution of choice, feeling at home, knowing exactly how the university functions, and watching or participating in sport. Variables that were found to be significant with a negative contribution to subjective well-being levels were: worries about tests, studying less than 10 hours per week and, interestingly, living on campus.
Highlights
In theory, university students are young, dynamic, rank among the well-educated population of the society and are bound to be the adults, employees and parents of the future (Türkdoğan and Duru, 2012)
The results clearly indicate the importance of health and well-being in the lives of the youth, mental health, body image, sexual health, and the absence of drug and alcohol problems
Many of the variables expected to be significant according to the standard subjective well-being literature were insignificant in this study, such as age, race and gender
Summary
University students are young, dynamic, rank among the well-educated population of the society and are bound to be the adults, employees and parents of the future (Türkdoğan and Duru, 2012). The study of Scott, Yeld and Hendry (2007) was among the first to give prominence to this issue (Van Zyl, 2010:1) In their analysis of the 2000 cohort of students, they estimated that the national throughput rate after five years of students studying mostly three-year qualifications was as low as 30% (Scott et al, 2007). The loss of about half of the country’s small intake is unacceptable.’. The impact of this state of affairs is very destructive and costly in the long run, especially in the South African context of scarce skills (CHE, 2013:45). On a macro level the result is that South Africa is not attaining the set developmental goals and on a micro-level many students are not reaching their full potential (Letseka & Maile, 2008)
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