AS students enter a workplace shaped by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, developing resilience is crucial for moving forward after setbacks.
However, resilience must not be mistaken for silently enduring difficulties or coping without help, says Taylor’s University Centre for Counselling Services and Student Welfare head Ng Shan Na.
“Resilience involves recognising a challenge, understanding one’s emotional response, seeking appropriate support and identifying constructive ways forward,” she told StarEdu.
She said universities can help students develop resilience by gradually giving them greater responsibility while providing the guidance and support needed to navigate challenges.
“For example, independent learning should come with appropriate scaffolding rather than leaving students to struggle on their own.
“Students are more likely to seek guidance when they feel heard, respected and safe enough to acknowledge when they are struggling,” she said, adding that educators and advisers should build relationships before offering solutions or expecting behavioural change.
Agreeing, Sunway University School of Education dean Prof Malissa Maria Mahmud said students should be given structured opportunities to experience “productive difficulty” – situations where they can encounter setbacks in a safe environment and learn how to respond.
“These may include low-stakes challenges, opportunities to revise work following feedback, simulations involving incomplete information and projects that do not proceed according to plan,” she explained.
She, however, stressed that the setback itself is only part of the learning process.
“The reflection following the setback is crucial,” she said, adding that students should be guided to examine what happened, what was within their control, what support they sought and what they might do differently.
This, she pointed out, helps students develop adaptive judgement, rather than simply learning to tolerate pressure.
