Experiences Of University Life Research Articles

Experience of university life by disabled undergraduate students: the need to consider extra-curricular opportunities

Many undergraduate students attending UK universities have a chronic illness or disability. Support for disabled students has increased in recent years through government funding and university disability services. This research examined experiences of disabled undergraduate students in academic and extra-curricular areas of student life and experience of university disability support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 undergraduate students. Thematic analysis identified four main themes: symptoms impacting on university life, academic issues, extra-curricular activities and experience of university support. Extensive and varied challenges were experienced in relation to all areas of student life. Some disabled students felt well supported but others felt much more support was needed. Some students had limited or no engagement in extra-curricular activities. Some progress appears to have been made in the last twenty years in supporting disabled undergraduate students but more support is needed. Disability support should be extended beyond academic work to include extra-curricular activities.

‘We all sort of struggled through it together’: students’ lived experiences of university life during the pandemic

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes to the student experience. Thus, there is a need to centre students’ lived experiences in pedagogical research which explores the effects of the pandemic on student life. The current study aimed to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted undergraduate students, with a focus on students’ educational experiences, social interactions, and mental wellbeing. Open-ended questionnaires were disseminated to undergraduate students across the UK (N = 53). A student-centred reflexive thematic analysis identified four dominant themes that each relate to students’ lived experiences of Higher Education during COVID-19. These were: variations in motivation during the pandemic, the importance of personal connection, a disconnect between university and the student, and students’ development through adversity. These themes broadly demonstrate the variability in student experiences during the pandemic and, crucially, highlight the need for future education provision to centre personal connections, including between students and their institutions. Lack of interaction with staff and peers, as well as barriers to support, led to feelings of detachment from university. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Accessing the phenomenon of incompatibility in working students’ experience of university life

University students in paid employment have less time for studying, report more stress, and participate in fewer extracurricular activities than non-employed students. These negative outcomes that result from combining work and study can cause employed students to experience the domains of work, study, and social life as practically incompatible, but also to experience a sense of identity incompatibility. Therefore, we used insights from previous quantitative and qualitative data on employed students and previous work on identity incompatibility to generate two research questions (RQs): RQ1. What type(s) of incompatibility (practical, identity or other) do employed students experience? and RQ2. What strategies have they adopted to reduce the experienced incompatibility? In order to answer these questions, we performed a thematic analysis with a deductive approach on transcripts from 21 UK university students who we interviewed. The students reported two types of incompatibilities: practical incompatibility, which stems from the lack of time, lack of energy, and lack of social contact associated with combining work and study; and identity incompatibility, which emanates from status differences and differences between one’s own and others’ perception of oneself. In order to reduce or resolve these incompatibilities, the students also developed practical (e.g. taking paid leave) and cognitive (e.g. compartmentalising contexts) strategies. Finally, the students also noted how the experience of practical incompatibility can reaffirm their values of hard work and productivity and make them resilient learners.

장애 고등학생 대학생활 체험 프로그램 실태와 개선 방안에 관한 질적연구

This study is a study to investigate the actual Situation of the experience program and ways to improve it for parents, teachers, participating high school students and university students who participated in the university life experience program for high school students with disabilities. To this end, in this study, a qualiative content analysis method was used for various documents and the contents of an open questionnaire targeting participants. The results of study are as follows. Participating students recognized the university as one of the transitional education courses to go out into society and as a space for leisure activities and culture. It gave an opportunity to gain confidence. Through the experience program, the educational support personnel learned how to communicate with the participating students and formed a relationship. Through this, it was an opportunity to understand disability, find their own growth and the meaning of life, and strengthen their future vocational competency. Parents and teachers expected students to have experiences that could help them adapt to university life, and it was found that these expectations were met to some extent in the experience program. As improvements, it was hoped that diversification of sustainable experience programs and prepared programs related to disability types would be provided.

Adjustment to School as the Predictor of School Burnout in University Students

Abstract Introduction: Burnout emerges as a common problem during the university period when social competition and expectations from the individual increase, and daily life becomes increasingly complicated due to augmenting stress factors. The aim of this study was to examine whether the school burnout of university students can be predicted significantly by adjustment to school. Methods: This study used a correlational survey model to investigate the burnout levels of university students in terms of their adjustment to university life. The sample of the study comprised a total of 334 students, enrolled in four different faculties of a university in Turkey. The data of this research were collected by using the “Adjustment to University Life Scale (AULS)”, “The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Form (MBI-SF)” and personal information form. Results: The findings obtained in this study showed that academic, social, and personal adjustment to university life among university students negatively and significantly correlated with school burnout that students experienced. In addition, personal, social and academic adjustment variables together significantly predict each of the exhaustion, cynicism and efficacy variables. Discussion: According to these results, academic, social, and personal adjustment to university life among university students negatively and significantly correlated with school burnout that students experienced. This situation indicates that as students’ academic, social, and personal adaptation to university life increases, they will experience less emotional burnout, become less cynical of their environment, and feel less personal inefficacy. In this context, it is thought that interventions that support adaptation to university life are an important factor that will protect students from the negative effects of burnout. Limitations: The sample of this study is limited to 334 participants. In addition, the findings of the study are limited to the sincere response of the participants to the instruments of the study and the qualifications of the measurement tools. In other words, this research has no claim of generalizability. Conclusions: According to the findings of the study, students with high adjustment to university life experience less academic burnout. In this context, both individual and group work to be conducted by the guidance and psychological counseling units of universities gain importance. It will be particularly beneficial to conduct studies for adjustment to university life, such as psycho-education, group psychological counseling, or peer guidance.

An Analysis of Factors Influencing Students’ Choice of Multiple Majors and Their University Life Experience

이 연구는 다전공 선택 요인 및 다전공자의 대학생활 실태를 분석한 연구이다. 분석을 위해 한국고용정보원의 대졸자직업이동경로조사 중 가장 최근 자료인 2019년 자료를 분석에 주로 활용하고 지난 10년간의 GOMS 자료를 활용하여 다전공 추이를 확인하였다. 분석 결과, 지난 10년간 4년제 대학생의 20%에 해당하는 학생들이 부침 없이 다전공을 선택하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 다전공을 선택하는 비율이 가장 높은 전공은 인문, 사회, 자연계열 순이고 다전공으로 가장 많은 선택을 받은 전공은 경상, 인문, 사회, 공학계열 순이었다. 동일계열 내 다전공 비율은 34.3%였고 다전공의 선택에 있어서 소위 문, 이과를 넘나드는 선택을 가장 많이 한 경우는 자연계열이 주전공인 경우였다. 10년 전에 비해 공학계열에 대한 선호도가 높아졌고 경상계열에 대한 선호도는 지속적으로 가장 높았다. 다전공 선택 요인을 분석한 결과, 여학생일수록, 서울소재 대학에 재학 중일수록 다전공 선택 비율이 유의하게 높았다. 인문계열 학생들이 타 전공계열 보다 다전공을 선택할 가능성이 높았고 본인의 주전공을 다시 선택하지 않겠다고 응답할 경우 다전공을 선택할 가능성이 높았으며 부모 학력이 높을수록 다전공을 선택할 가능성이 높았다. 다음으로 다전공을 선택한 학생들의 대학생활 실태를 분석한 결과, 다전공을 이수한 학생들은 단일전공 학생들에 비해 초과학기 선택의 비율이 높았고 졸업평점이 높았으며 대학에 대한 만족도와 대학프로그램 참여도도 높았다. 학비 마련을 장학금으로 충당하는 비율이 높았고 학자금 대출액은 낮았다. 이상의 분석 결과를 토대로 최근 들어 대학혁신의 일환으로 대학에서 더욱 강조되고 있는 다전공 제도를 이수하는 학생들을 이해할 수 있는 기초 자료를 제공하였다는 점에 이 연구의 시사점이 있다.

Modern academic libraries regulation: The case study in the emerging country

The modern world of libraries must be accessible, responsive, and reliable. This means that the libraries need to be user-sensitive and establish themselves as knowledge-creating hubs for academics, researchers, and students; supply-side to deliver customized products and services to add value to the users’ experience of university life. The report of the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training (2017) addressed student’s demands in a higher education sector in all South African universities, which resulted in multiple waves of protest. Amongst other things transformation, restructuring, and strengthening the higher education system. The objective of the article is to establish the extent of the balance between the demand and supply of tangible and intangible library materials in existing library systems and processes that meet daily library users’ needs. The agile response to the library demand of the ever-changing higher education landscape has enhanced new ideas in innovative learning spaces and aligned to new services, such as virtual reference, digitizing archival material, and collection (Raju & Schoombee, 2013). Quantitative data was collected from 380 sample questionnaires, spread among the University of KwaZulu-Natal library users. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and multiple regression, respectively. The results suggest a user-centered approach to library plans and services. It recommends collaborations of operations.

Back to the campus: lifelong experience of older learners in a university setting

ABSTRACT This study focuses on older participants’ experiences of and views on a lifelong learning program at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong. As many third age adults tend not to have the opportunity to receive tertiary education when they were young, this program aims to fulfil their dream of studying at a university and boost their self-esteem and self-confidence. Using qualitative research methods, this research was conducted after the MiniU program (supported by the Institute of Active Aging of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 participants after the program. While participants had acquired knowledge and experience of university life from the Mini-U program, they also reported concerns and difficulties with participation including difficulties in memorizing course content and financial difficulties. The program has offered a unique opportunity for enhancing participants’ interpersonal relationships and wellbeing. The research also further informs the development of creative lifelong learning programs aimed at improving the well-being of older people.

A Study on Online Residential College Education under the Covid-19 Pandemic

본 연구에서는 코로나19 사태로 인해 비대면으로 진행된 연세대학교 2020년 레지덴셜칼리지(Residential College) 교육의 효과와 의미를 분석하였다. 이를 위해 RC 교육에 참여한 학생들의 RC교육과 대학생활에 대한기대, RC교육 효과와 만족도, 역량변화에 관한 설문조사를 실시하여 기술통계분석, 빈도분석, 집단간 차이분석을하였다. 연구결과, RC교육은 학생들에게 동료 학생들과의 소통, 대학에 대한 소속감 형성, 대학생활 체험, 심리적지지, 새로운 배움의 경험을 제공했고, 비대면 RC교육을 통해 교우관계가 형성된 집단은 RC교육 참여도와 효과, 역량 향상도, 만족도가 상대적으로 더 높게 나타났다. 이러한 연구 결과를 바탕으로 온라인 비대면 상황에서도 학생의 교육참여를 이끌 수 있는 대학교육의 방향을 제시하였다.This study investigated the effects and meanings of Residential College (RC) education, which Yonsei University conducted online in 2020 under the Covid-19 pandemic. The year-end survey was conducted on the expectations of RC education and university life, the effects of RC education, satisfaction, and competency change of students who participated in RC education. As a result of the study, RC education is a new learning opportunity for communication with fellow students, forming a sense of belonging at the university, experience of university life, and psychological support. The group where friendship was formed through online RC education was relatively higher in RC education participation, competency change, and satisfaction. Based on these results, even colleges and universities where it is difficult to have an RC education system can seek out and apply active educational programs to promote student engagement in college education.

Exploring indicators of subjective well-being for first-year university students

This study aimed to explore indicators of subjective well-being among first-year university students attending a South African university (N = 11; female = 6, black = 6, age range = 19 to 22). Participants shared their experiences of university life by participating in group sessions using the Mmogo method® and semi-structured interviews. Following thematic analysis, findings showed subjective well-being in the student population to be indicated by: (i) emotional well-being states of positive and negative affect and satisfaction with life and the university; (ii) psychological well-being of meaning and purpose in their studies, mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance, and independence; (iii) social well-being qualities of opportunities for social engagement, positive relations with others, and inclusivity through exposure to diversity, acceptance of others, and a sense of belonging; (iv) spiritual indicators, especially opportunities to engage in spiritual practices; and (v) physical well-being, indicated by sleeping patterns, dietary habits, and physical activity. Factors influencing students’ experience of well-being included structural resources provided by the university, information and communication, motivation to graduate, choice of academic course, lecturers and facilitators, and uncertainties. Student’s self-perceptions of well-being are important for improving their quality of life of attending university.

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

ABSTRACT Over the last few decades there has been increased recognition that the concept of ‘access’ encompasses not only entry to higher education (HE) but also participation and successful completion. Despite this, very little research has been carried out in Ireland on non-traditional students’ experience of university. This article explores the experiences of 16 students from lower socio-economic backgrounds at one Irish university, with particular reference to peer relationships and their sense of ‘belonging’. The research identified the challenges which these students faced in the first few months, including feelings of isolation and ‘class–cultural discontinuities’. For one student, from the Traveller community, the transition to university was particularly complex, leading to the ‘compartmentalisation’ of different elements of her life. The research also, however, highlights these students’ positive experiences of university life, which often centred on peer relationships and shared interests and aspirations. Overall, the research points to a diverse range of working-class experiences of university life, and the importance of targeted supports in actively encouraging friendship development in the early stages.

Deborah J Kennett, Maureen J Reed, Tasmine R VandenBerg

The University Life Experience (ULE) scale was created to determine how students utilize their time between academic (class and preparatory) and non-academic (work, social, leisure, and health) activities. In addition to the ULE, 239 undergraduate students completed inventories assessing academic resourcefulness, academic self-efficacy, and university adaptation and satisfaction, along with single item questions asking about perceived academic and non-academic balance and commitment to completing one’s degree. Results indicated that total number of hours spent per week in various non-academic activities was unrelated to most of the variables including academic hours, whereas the number of hours spent per week in academic activities was positively associated with the psychosocial variables and a unique predictor of academic resourcefulness and cumulative grades. Moreover, academic resourcefulness was observed to moderate the relationship between perceived balance and academic hours, such that the average number of hours spent engaged in academic activities per week was greater for students scoring high in academic resourcefulness regardless of whether they had low or high perceptions of balance, especially compared to those students who scored low in both academic resourcefulness and perceived balance. The results suggest that teaching students requisite academic resourcefulness skills to deal with academic challenges assists them in increasing focus on their academic studies as opposed to non-academic activities.

University life experience of nursing student transfer student

University life experience of nursing student transfer student

Tactics and strategies to survive ‘student engagement’, or joining the Soil Society and other stories

In the U.K., ‘student engagement’, and the related ‘student experience’, are increasingly measured, interpreted and then marketed to students as a basis on which to choose the ‘best’ place for their higher education. This article summarises and reflects on presentations from five panel members at a conference on their experience of university life after that choice had been made. The panel included non-traditional students who embodied some of the characteristics (such as age, social class and ethnicity) that have become performance indicators in relation to widening participation and engagement in higher education. This article captures how students themselves understand a concept that occupies such a prominent, if contested, position in contemporary higher education. This analysis invites one to take a closer look at the identity work necessary for students to thrive (and for some just to survive) at university against a backdrop that tends to homogenise both ‘experience’ and ‘student’.

Being First in Family: motivations and metaphors

ABSTRACTFirst in Family (FiF) is an under-recognised equity grouping which may encompass low-SES, mature-aged, regional and remote, and Indigenous students. FiF tertiary students are more likely to be in a position of educational disadvantage over students who have other family members available to share the experience of university life and discuss aspirations. Building on previous research, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 FiF university students from a range of disciplines across three South Australian institutions. We analysed the interview data based on themes derived through readings of FiF literature, adding new ones as they emerged as part of the process of analysis. In this paper, we specifically focus on the interview responses which included metaphors or analogies. Metaphors provide a conceptual framework for thinking about a particular problem and drawing comparisons between unlike situations. Our experience as educators told us that students often subtly and unintentionally utilise metaphors when articulating lived experiences. We both specifically asked the FiF students to identify a metaphor that reflected their experience of being at university and also considered their use of metaphors in response to other questions. In exploring these metaphors, we have gained insight into students’ day-to-day experience of attending university and have gained information about their motivations and their struggles. When considered by university staff and policy-makers, this information could be used to guide the development of strategies that may help future FiF students.

Vocation, Belongingness, and Balance: A Qualitative Study of Veterinary Student Well-Being.

An elevated risk for suicide among veterinarians has stimulated research into the mental health of the veterinary profession, and more recently attention has turned to the veterinary student population. This qualitative study sought to explore UK veterinary students' perceptions and experiences of university life, and to consider how these may affect well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students from a single UK school who were purposively selected to include perspectives from male, female, graduate-entry, standard-entry (straight from high school), and widening participation students across all 5 years of the program. Three main themes were identified: a deep-rooted vocation, navigating belongingness, and finding balance. Participants described a long-standing goal of becoming a veterinarian, with a determination reflected by often circuitous routes to veterinary school and little or no consideration of alternatives. Although some had been motivated by a love of animals, others were intrinsically interested in the scientific and problem-solving challenges of veterinary medicine. Most expressed strong feelings of empathy with animal owners. The issue of belongingness was central to participants' experiences, with accounts reflecting their efforts to negotiate a sense of belongingness both in student and professional communities. Participants also frequently expressed a degree of acceptance of poor balance between work and relaxation, with indications of a belief that this imbalance could be rectified later. This study helps highlight future avenues for research and supports initiatives aiming to nurture a sense of collegiality among veterinary students as they progress through training and into the profession.

Becoming and Being a Student: A Heideggerian Analysis of Physiotherapy Students’ Experiences

This three-year, longitudinal, narrative study sought to explore physiotherapy students’ stories of their undergraduate experiences to gain an insight into the process of being a student, with an interpretation of the philosophy of Heidegger as a possible horizon for understanding. The central aim was to listen to students’ stories told in their own words over a series of narrative interviews throughout their degree programme. The first author [CH] interviewed six students a minimum of five occasions and at each interview they were encouraged with a narrative prompt to tell the stories of their experiences as a series of episodes beginning and finishing wherever and however they felt was most appropriate. Framework analysis of the stories revealed that each individual’s experience of university life was multi-layered, and the use of Heideggerian philosophical tenets to inform our interpretation allowed a more insightful exploration of the students’ experiences; providing a greater understanding of what being a student meant for these particular students. This study underlines the importance of listening to students to understand their being so that we might understand individual needs and tailor support accordingly.

Experiences of university life for students with Asperger’s Syndrome: a comparative study between Spain and England

ABSTRACTResearch has consistently shown that young people with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) are likely to experience increased anxiety during new social situations; yet, studies have been regionally and culturally bound. The aim of this study was to explore how higher education students with AS experienced attending university in two European countries: the UK and Spain. The objective was to find out if experiences differed between the two countries in relation to contrasting support arrangements and what kinds of interventions might aid students’ social well-being at university, an important learning outcome for future practice. This small-scale comparative exploratory study incorporated life-history interviews with nine students with AS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes significant to both groups of students in Spain and the UK emerged from the data: social relationships, ‘special interests’, ‘environment’ and ‘support mechanisms’. Students with AS need and want clear, unambiguous and structured information from academics; support to get to know others in ‘small special interest groups’; more designated ‘quiet zones’ across campuses; and above all, a move away from ableist notions of AS. To our knowledge, this is the only Spanish–UK comparative study of university students with AS.

On the borders: adjusting to academic, social and cultural practices at an Australian university

Adjustment to university is challenging for students as they navigate a path through new academic, social and cultural practices. Some may feel on the borders, marginalised by their background. Issues such as adjustment to university life, independence, performance expectations, establishing friendships, technological competence, cultural capital, engaging with others and financial difficulties are addressed. Widening participation and the establishment of equitable access are worthy goals for higher education. This paper investigates cultural characteristics typical of universities, and of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and, implicitly, influences such as the schools, communities and families that have shaped these students. The paper reports on perceptions of first-year teacher education students at a university in Sydney, Australia, and explores ways of responding to potential cultural mismatches. It reveals their experiences of university life and sheds light on resources, services and cultural changes that could help in their adjustment and success.

Working the Yucatán in the neoliberal landscape: household management, consumption and the lives of intellectual elite women

This article examines the lives of academic women in Mérida, the state capital of the Yucatán in southern Mexico. In particular, I consider the relationship between work – including household management – and consumer practices in light of Mérida's changing socioeconomic climate. I address how women's lives have been impacted by the neoliberal restructuring of Mexico's political economy and what these changes mean to their experience of university life, household management styles and consumption practices. I point out how labor and consumption are deeply interrelated cultural practices, which have acquired new meanings in the neoliberal landscape. Accordingly, consumption practices must be understood in connection with women's social and professional identities.