Generation Z undergraduate students’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Resilience has been documented as an essential component in managing stress. However, understanding how undergraduate students with different sociodemographic characteristics perceive resilience remains understudied. This study aimed to explore how undergraduate students in one university define and build resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students’ perception and preferences for receiving resilience training were additionally solicited. A descriptive qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted. Twenty-seven students were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide via Skype instant messaging. The thematic analysis generated five themes: resilience as enduring and withstanding; the building blocks of resilience; resilience: learning or earning; pedagogical considerations for resilience training; and a blended platform for resilience training. Participants described resilience as an enduring and withstanding trait essential for university students. Resilience can be built from intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors that enhanced resilience included desire to succeed and motivation. Extrinsic factors were relational in nature, and friends, family, teachers, and religion were found to boost resilience. Students had several recommendations in designing resilience training, and they recommended the use of a blended platform. Further, students suggested the use of videos, narratives from resilient individuals, and using reflective practice as a pedagogy in resilience training. Future resilience training should consist of personal and interpersonal factors and should be introduced early during the academic term of students’ university life. As the COVID-19 pandemic compounds an already challenging academic climate, this study lends it findings to expand the resilience literature and develop future resilience training.