College Student Coping and Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

• Trinka Peer Pape, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

First Advisor

Donahoo, Saran

Abstract

The isolation experienced by college students during the COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous issues and increased stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the coping mechanisms that college students utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the impact of the pandemic on how these students coped and their overall lived experiences. Participants were juniors and seniors graduating between May 2023 and May 2024 from a university in the southern Midwest. The researcher employed a mixed methodology approach, consisting of a quantitative survey, followed by qualitative interviews with students who completed the survey. Based on the results of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, most participants were medium or high resilient copers. I calculated the frequencies from the survey and interview data, and the most common coping strategies were using social media, playing video games, and exercising. Nearly half of the participants reported difficulties in completing assignments and tests, but overall, online course completion was not overly burdensome. I found that students in this study would like to see better communication and increased visibility from university leadership. They believed professors should receive more training in delivering online courses as well as be more accessible, empathetic, less demanding, and respond to emails more promptly. Finally, participants strongly suggested implementing social programs and support in a safe, accessible format.