An exploratory study on college student pandemic recovery

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023) disrupted typical college experiences and was related to declines in enrollment and student persistence. The current mixed-methods study focused on understanding college student’s experiences recovering from the pandemic. In March 2023, students (n = 143) at one university completed online surveys, and some (n = 8) completed in-depth interviews. Students self-reported that they were recovered (63.64%), nearly recovered (23.78%), or still recovering (12.59%) from the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery status was associated with loneliness (p =.009), pandemic concern (p