Incoming freshman at a university are often faced with challenges of the unknown which can make the transition from home life difficult. Many universities offer transition programs to aid in the ease and feelings of belonging. One of those is an outdoor orientation program made available to incoming freshman at UWL. Often acknowledged in helping student transition is increased self-resilience and self-reliance. Self-resilience discusses how students rely on themselves to handle problems or a view of their own power versus another person’s. Self-reliance is how comfortable students feel depending on themselves versus another person. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine student’s self-reliance and self-resilience enrolled in an outdoor orientation program during their first semester at a university. Specifically, our research question is, do students who attend an outdoor orientation program have an increase in self-resilience and self-reliance? This study is timely due to COVID regulations and the need to help students transition successfully.

KEYWORDS: outdoor orientation programs; self-resilience, self-reliance, college transition programs, challenge by choice

The writer argues that high self-resilience is associated with characteristics such as self-efficacy, optimism, mindfulness, and the ability to overcome adversity. By exposing students to outdoor programs like rappelling or rock climbing, it helps build these traits. The author acknowledges the impact of COVID-19 on traditional face-to-face interactions during orientation programs. However, the author argues that such programs, even if adjusted, remain crucial in helping students make friendships, adapt to campus life, and gain confidence.

“Students who represent high self-reliance are confident in themselves, feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone, and have high self-esteem that helps them depend on themselves to overcome challenges.” (Page 5)

Quote 2:

“However, with low self-reliance, people tend to lack trust in themselves or their peers and struggle to escape their comfort zone.” (Page 5)

Quote 3:

“The negative effects of low self-reliance would be students who drop out of college, have low retention rates, struggle to find friends, or lack skills to overcome challenges they face.” (Page 5)

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Keywords: anxiety, depression, college students, parent relations, self-reliance

1.     “The hypothesis that self-reliance would make a larger contribution to the prediction of anxiety and depression than perceived relations with parents was supported.” (page 26)

2.     Specifically, the prevalence of anxiety among college students has more than doubled from 6.7% in 2000 to 15.8% in 2015 [2,3] and the rates of depression for this age group have steadily risen as well from 10% in 2000 to 13.1% of college students being diagnosed and/or treated for depression in 2015 [2,3]. (page 24)

3.     Self-reliance and college students’ psychosocial adjustment has not been investigated. The transition to college may lead to new experiences and challenges for many young adults. (page 25)

Mahmoud, J. S. R., Staten, R., Lennie, T. A., & Hall, L. A. “The relationships of coping, negative thinking, life satisfaction, social support, and selected demographics with anxiety of young adult college students” Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 28, 97-108. 2015

Wartman, K.L., & Savage, M. “Parental involvement in higher education: Understanding the relationship among students, parents, and the institution.” ASHE Higher Education Report, 33(6), 1-125. 2008.

Wright, S.L. & Perrone, K. M. An Examination of the Role of Attachment and Efficacy in Life Satisfaction The Counseling Psychologist August 2010 38: 796-823, first published on March 11, 2010.

“However, while self-reliance can be an effective strategy to cope with minor challenges, it may prevent individuals from seeking as well as accessing appropriate supports when required” (page 3)

“The relationship between self-reliance and resilience, which is the ability to bounce back following adversity [34], is complex and largely linked to social influences. (page 3)”

van Zoonen K, Kleiboer A, Cuijpers P, Smit J, Penninx B, Verhaak P, Beekman A. Determinants of attitudes towards professional mental health care, informal help and self-reliance in people with subclinical depression. Int J Soc Psychiat. 2016;62(1):84–93. doi: 10.1177/0020764015597014.

Quick JC, Joplin JR, Nelson DL, Quick JD. Behavioral responses to anxiety: self-reliance, counterdependence, and overdependence. Anxiety Stress Coping. 1992;5(1):41–54. doi: 10.1080/10615809208250486.

“Learning style bears the positive correlation with self reliance which means that the specific learning style which is adopted by the individual instils the self-reliance  in him regarding the understanding of information and instructions and his retention power. The world is likely to believe in man who believes in himself, provided he shows that his self reliance is grounded upon a true appraisal and is well managed. “(page 2)

“Self reliance is the first essentiality if a person wants to succeed. Learning style which if managed and motivated correctly can inspire an individual excel with confidence in anything he tries to do. “(page 2)

Coman and Heaver, J. (1998) Knowing Learning Style Can Improve Self Confidence Of Developmental Writers. Educational Journal,Vol 5, (pp 212- 215).

Kaur, G. (2009) Self reliance as related to Achievement Motivation, Unpublished M.ed. Dissertation, Panjab University

“But another aspect of my joy came from being self-reliant and seeing the results of the hard work and willpower required to achieve my goals of weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.”

“Instead, I learned to persevere and become self-reliant, which resulted in figuring out how to eat properly and take care of my health, manage my time, succeed in my classes, fulfill personal obligations, and do whatever I had to in order to survive.”

While no sources were mentioned, there was a few references from Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882. Self-Reliance. White Plains, N.Y. :Peter Pauper Press, 1967