Differences in resilience between ‘traditional’ and ‘non-traditional’ university students

Abstract

Resilience is related to students’ well-being and academic success. While challenges associated with students who are from historically underrepresented backgrounds (i.e. ‘non-traditional students’) have been frequently reported, their resilience has received lesser attention. The primary purpose of this study was to compare levels of resilience between ‘traditional’ and ‘non-traditional’ students. First year students participated in an online mental health survey which included a standardised measure of resilience, demographic questions and an item exploring students’ own perception of being ‘non-traditional’. The results showed that students who considered themselves to be ‘non-traditional’ in life aspects, including age, employment and parenting responsibility, had significantly higher resilience compared to self-identified ‘traditional students’. However, resilience levels of students who deemed themselves to be ‘non-traditional’ in other domains (e.g. household income, cultural background) did not differ significantly from ‘traditional’ students. The findings show that life experiences commonly affiliated with being a mature-aged student, including work and being a carer, may contribute to higher resilience. Implications in relation to practice and future research were discussed.