First-Year College Student Life Experiences during COVID-19 in South Korea

Mikyung Jun, Songyi Lee and Taeeun Shim
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Mikyung Jun: Department of Home Economics Education, College of Education, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Korea
Songyi Lee: Dharma College, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Korea
Taeeun Shim: Competency Development Center, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-18

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the first-year students’ experience in college during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a better understanding of their daily life. Using inductive content analysis, this study examined the characteristics and experiences of students who started college during the COVID-19 period in South Korea. We analyzed 623 pieces of content, using data presented by a total of 81 study subjects. From this analysis, we derived 22 primary keywords, which we divided into eight categories, and then reclassified into three general topics: self-awareness (i.e., self-reflection), activities (i.e., engagement in activities), and resources (i.e., creating relationships or producing results). The results showed that, although first-year college students experienced difficulties in adapting to the COVID-19 situation, they tried to cope with them. Our findings shed light on the experiences of college students who experienced psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and overcame related challenges.

Keywords: COVID-19; first-year college students; experience; adaptation; growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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