Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore self-reported growth areas during Fall 2020 in a sample of undergraduate juniors and seniors.
Participants and methods: Undergraduate students (N = 124, 65% female, 78% white) completed an online survey responding to the following question, “Reflecting back on Fall 2020, how have you grown during this semester?”
Results: A majority of students (94.4%) gave at least one positive area of growth during Fall 2020. 62.1% of students reported personal growth during the pandemic with leading areas of increased adaptability, increased self-awareness, increased ability to overcome adversity, and greater appreciation of life. 32.3% of students reported improvements as students with top areas of improved time management, improved motivation, improved responsibility, and improved organization.
Conclusions: With concerns about how to best help students transition from the COVID-19 pandemic, universities should consider providing simple, low-cost opportunities for students to engage in self-reflection in supportive campus environments.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Funding
No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.