Factors Influencing University Students’ Academic Experience: An International Study

Retention and attrition are issues of concern in universities worldwide. researchers have noted that students' satisfaction with academic experience and psychological adjustment on campus play an important role in student retention. The current study examined the mediating role that perceived social support and feeling of connectedness have on the relationship between psychological distress or satisfaction with academic experience among university students. A
sample of 211 university students aged from 18-59 years (M = 22.11, SD = 5.5) enrolled at universities from Australia, the United States of America, and Hong Kong voluntarily participated in the study. The results indicated that perceived social support and the feeling of connectedness on campus mediated the relationship between psychological distress and satisfaction with academic experience. These results support the idea that universities should
develop strategies to increase students social support and campus connectedneness in order to enhance psychological well-being and satisfaction with academic experience.