Resilience Amongst Students at a University that Promotes Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Students, particularly those that are classified as disadvantaged, face many struggles in higher education. These are students from low-income backgrounds and often rely on the campus facilities to enrich their university experience and to make up for some of their disadvantage. Since the Covid-19 pandemic research in higher education has been following the trends in student life experiences and development. Most of this research suggests that Covid-19 has created new challenges for students and the university. While this is true most of the challenges were already present but only amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper argues that Covid-19 has only been a season of hard “reboot” into resilience. Qualitative data from thirteen (13) semi-structured interviews with South African university students is used to demonstrate the Covid-19's re-awakening of resilience amongst disadvantaged students. This data is also analysed to understand the effects of resilience in the broader student experience in higher education. The data shows that students have concerns about on and off-campus experiences, turbulent online learning, and limited funding as well as the livelihood strategies they have had to adopt. The findings show the lived experience of performing against all odds amongst disadvantaged students. It is also evident that while this is embraced by society and some research it normalises student hardship and campus inequities. In conclusion the blind-spots in student hardship and as exacerbated by Covid-19 are highlighted. This paper assists researchers, university management and student development officers to meet halfway the student resilient efforts in a meaningful way. In practice this research provides university entrepreneurship mentors and student development practioners with tangible student needs to consider when dealing with students amidst a crisis, but also when mentoring students to become entrepreneurs in a difficult period.