Abstract
One of the key factors of interest in the research culminating in this book was the impact studying at university has on FiF students’ health and wellbeing. Our understandings of health and wellbeing used within our projects incorporated not only physical and mental health but also the social and emotional dimensions of wellbeing. Based on the (World Health Organisation in Mental health: A state of well-being, 2011) definition, health and wellbeing is taken to mean more than just the mere absence of disease and infirmity, rather it refers to a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing that enables each individual to realise their full potential, to cope with the normal stresses of life, to be able to work productively and fruitfully, and finally, to be able to make a contribution to their community.
Balancing the pressures of work, study, family life, socialising and other factors. Also, ensuring good health and sleeping patterns will be important for me to be successful. (18-year-old male, commencing survey)
I think physically, I haven’t been doing as much exercise as I’d like in the year, but I think I kept managing my mental wellbeing … Just maintaining some social relationships has helped me maintain happiness and those sorts of things. (Brendon)
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alfano, C. A., Zakem, A. H., Costa, N. M., Taylor, L. K., & Weems, C. F. (2009). Sleep problems and their relation to cognitive factors, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. Depression and Anxiety, 26(6), 503–512.
Allom, V., Mullan, B., Cowie, E., & Hamilton, K. (2016). Physical activity and transitioning to college: The importance of intentions and habits. American Journal of Health Behavior, 40(2), 280–290.
Baik, C., Arkoudis, S., & Naylor, R. (2015). The first year experience in Australian universities: Findings from two decades, 1994–2014 (M. G. S. o. Education, Trans.). Melbourne: The University of Melbourne.
Baik, C. & Larcombe, W. (2016). Enhancing Student Wellbeing: Resources for Educators. http://unistudentwellbeing.edu.au/. Accessed February 25, 2018.
Bell, A., & Santamaria, L. J. (2018). Understanding experiences of first generation university students: Culturally responsive and sustaining methodologies (Understanding student experiences of higher education). London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Bewick, B., Koutsopoulou, G., Miles, J., Slaa, E., & Barkham, M. (2010). Changes in undergraduate students’ psychological well-being as they progress through university. Studies in Higher Education, 35(6), 633–645. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070903216643.
Bitsika, V., Sharpley, C. F., & Rubenstein, V. (2010). What stresses university students: An interview investigation of the demands of tertiary studies. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 20(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1375/ajgc.20.1.41.
Blackmore, J. (2009). Academic pedagogies, quality logics and performative universities: Evaluating teaching and what students want. Studies in Higher Education, 34(8), 857–872. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070902898664.
Bray, S. R. & Born, H. A. (2004). Transition to university and vigorous physical activity: Implications for health and psychological well-being. Journal of American College Health, 52(4), 181–188. https://doi.org/10.3200/jach.52.4.181-188.
Brinkworth, R., McCann, B., Burke da Silva, K., King, S., Luzeckyj, A., McCann, J., et al. (2013). Student and staff expectations and experiences, Final Report. Canberra: Office for Learning and Teaching Final Report. https://ltr.edu.au/resources/CG9-1158_Brinkworth_report_2013.pdf. Accessed February 7, 2019.
Brouwer, J., Jansen, E., Flache, A., & Hofman, A. (2016). The impact of social capital on self-efficacy and study success among first-year university students. Learning and Individual Differences, 52, 109.
Chow, H. P. H. (2007). Psychological well-being and scholastic achievement among university students in a Canadian prairie city. Social Psychology of Education, 10(4), 483–493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-007-9026-y.
Corwin, J. R., & Cintrón, R. (2011). Social networking phenomena in the first-year experience. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 8(1), 25–37.
Curcio, G., Ferrara, M., & De Gennaro, L. (2006). Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic performance. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 10(5), 323–337.
Czyzewska, M., & McKenzie, J. A. (2016). Alcohol binge drinking in first-generation college students. North American Journal of Psychology, 18(2), 345–358.
Davis, J. (2010). The first generation student experience implications for campus practice, and strategies for improving persistence and success (An ACPA Publication). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Eisenberg, D., Golberstein, E., & Hunt Justin, B. (2009). Mental health and academic success in college. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, 9(1), Article 40. https://doi.org/10.2202/1935-1682.2191.
Garriott, P. O., & Nisle, S. (2017). Stress, coping, and perceived academic goal progress in first-generation college students: The role of institutional supports. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 11(4), 436–450. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000068.
Guiney, H., & Machado, L. (2013). Benefits of regular aerobic exercise for executive functioning in healthy populations. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 20(1), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-012-0345-4.
Hallett, J. D., Howat, P. M., Maycock, B. R., McManus, A., Kypri, K., & Dhaliwal, S. S. (2012). Undergraduate student drinking and related harms at an Australian university: Web-based survey of a large random sample. BMC Public Health, 12(37). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-37.
International Association for University Health and Wellbeing. (2016). https://www.healthyuniversities.org/. Accessed May 12, 2017.
Kift, S., Nelson, K., & Clarke, J. (2010). Transition pedagogy: A third generation approach to FYE: A case study of policy and practice for the higher education sector. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 1(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.5204/intjfyhe.v1i1.13.
King, S., Garrett, R., Wrench, A., & Lewis, N. (2011). The loneliness of relocating: Does the transition to university pose a significant health risk for rural and isolated students? First Year in Higher Education Conference, Brisbane.
Kitzrow, M. A. (2003). The mental health needs of today’s college students: Challenges and recommendations. National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 41(1), 165–179.
Kypri, K. Y. P., Cronin, M., & Wright, C. S. (2005). Do university students drink more hazardously than their non-student peers? Addiction, 100(5), 713–714. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01116.x.
Leslie, E., Owen, N., Salmon, J., Bauman, A., Sallis, J. F., & Lo, S. K. (1999). Insufficiently active Australian college students: Perceived personal, social, and environmental influences. Preventive Medicine, 28(1), 20–27 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.1998.0375.
Lewis, C., Dickson-Swift, V., Talbot, L., & Snow, P. (2007). Regional tertiary students and living away from home: A priceless experience that costs too much? The Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(4), 531–547.
Lund, H. G., Reider, B. D., Whiting, A. B., & Prichard, J. R. (2010). Sleep patterns and predictors of disturbed sleep in a large population of college students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(2), 124–132.
Luzeckyj, A., McCann, B., Graham, C., King, S., & McCann, J. (2017). Being first in family: Motivations and metaphors. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(6), 1237–1250. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1300138.
McInnis, C., James, R., & McNaught, C. (1995). First year on campus: Diversity in the initial experiences of Australian undergraduates. Canberra: AGPS.
Meuleman, A.-M., Garrett, R., Wrench, A., & King, S. (2014). Some people might say I’m thriving but …: Non-traditional students’ experiences of university. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 19(5), 503–517.
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health. (2017). Under the radar. The mental health of Australian university students. Melbourne: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
O’Shea, S. (2016). Avoiding the manufacture of “sameness”: First-in-Family students, cultural capital and the higher education environment. Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education Research, 72(1), 59–78.
Palmer, S., & Puri, A. (2006). Coping with stress at university: A survival guide. London: Sage.
Shushok, F. (2008). Learning friendship: The “indispensable basis of a good society”. About Campus, 13(3), 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/abc.254.
Scanlon, L., Rowling, L., & Weber, Z. (2007). You don’t have like an identity. You are just lost in a crowd: Forming a student identity in the first-year transition to university. Journal of Youth Studies, 10(2), 223–241.
Stallman, H. M. (2010). Psychological distress in university students: A comparison with general population data. Australian Psychologist, 45(4), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2010.482109.
Stallman, H. M., Ohan, J. L., & Chiera, B. (2019). Reducing distress in university students: A randomised control trial of two online interventions. Australian Psychologist, 54(2), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12375.
Stone, C., & O’Shea, S. (2012). Transformations and self-discovery: Stories of women returning to education. Illinois: Common Ground Publishing.
Thomas, L. (2002). Student retention in higher education: The role of institutional habitus. Journal of Education Policy, 17(4), 423–442. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680930210140257.
Tinto, V. (1997). Classrooms as communities: Exploring the educational character of student persistence. Journal of Higher Education, 68(6), 599–623.
Trockel, M. T., Barnes, M. D., & Egget, D. L. (2000). Health-related variables and academic performance among first-year college students: Implications for sleep and other behaviors. Journal of American College Health, 49(3), 125–131.
Tucker, J. (1999). Tinto’s model and successful college transitions. Journal of College Student Retention, 1(2), 163–175.
Twenge, J. M., Gentile, B., DeWall, C. N., Ma, D., Lacefield, K., & Schurtz, D. R. (2010). Birth cohort increases in psychopathology among young Americans, 1938–2007: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the MMPI. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 145–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.10.005.
Verplanken, B., & Melkevik, O. (2008). Predicting habit: The case of physical exercise. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 9(1), 15–26.
Von, A. H. D., Ebert, S., Ngamvitroj, A., Park, N., & Kang, D. H. (2004). Predictors of health behaviours in college students. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48(5), 463–474. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03229.x.
Wood, D., McLeod, M., Bailey, R., Gray-Ganter, G., Downing, L., Barnhouse, A., et al. (2018). Improving the transition and retention of regional students from low socio-economic backgrounds: A ‘5 Ps’ approach. Perth, WA: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.
World Health Organisation. (2011). Mental health: A state of well-being. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/index.html. Accessed January 23, 2015.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
King, S., McCann, B., Luzeckyj, A. (2019). Health and Wellbeing. In: The Experience of Being First in Family at University. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0921-6_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0921-6_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-0920-9
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-0921-6
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)