Coping Styles, Social Support, Relational Self-Construal, and Resilience in Predicting Students' Adjustment to University Life

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate how well coping styles, social support, relational self-construal, and resilience characteristics predict first year university students' ability to adjust to university life. Participants consisted of 527 at-risk students attending a state university in Turkey. The Personal Information Form, Risk Factors Defining List, Relational Interdependent Self-Construal Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Coping Styles Scale-Brief Form, and Resiliency Scale were used to collect data for the current study. In order to test the data, several hierarchical multiple regression analysis composed of seven different steps was conducted, the results of which indicate that relational self-construal, perceived social support, coping styles, and resilience in college students with certain risk characteristics have a significant predicting role on adjustment to university life. Among all independent variables, resilience characteristics were the most effective at predicting adjustment to university life and its sub-dimensions. Results were discussed in the light of the literature and various suggestions for future studies were included.