Academic Achievement and Life Satisfaction among Local and Migrant Undergraduates: Resilience as a Mediator

Academic Achievement and Life Satisfaction among Local and Migrant Undergraduates: Resilience as a Mediator
Erkin Sarı, Pelin Karakuş-Akalın, Melike Bağcı
In this study, we aimed to examine the mediating roles of resilience dimensions in perceived academic achievement and life satisfaction association among 99 local and 92 internal migrant undergraduates studying in Istanbul, Turkey. Mediation analysis revealed that perceiving higher academic achievement doesn’t directly predict life satisfaction in both samples. However, being optimistic about personal future mediated perceived academic achievement and life satisfaction relationship among migrants. For the locals, social resources (e.g., getting support from friends, feeling happy with family) were found to be significant mediators. The findings highlighted that the adaptation to the new cultural environment (e.g., establishing new friendships, lack of family support) is a major challenge for migrant students. Additionally, some risk factors (e.g., financial issues, perceived discrimination) might lead to a negative perception of self (e.g., tendency to view everything gloomy in difficult periods). Therefore, being hopeful and optimistic about the future in Turkey may play a protective factor for their life satisfaction, as our findings suggested.