Adaptation and resilience of rural students in South African universities: an indigenous knowledge perspective.

Abstract

Using secondary data sourced from scholarly articles, the study focuses on rural students who are from indigenous communities who do not get equipped with urban life and adaptation strategies and culture in higher education. The results of the study demonstrate that students from rural areas have difficulties making friends, keeping to themselves, interacting, using technology, and comprehending metropolitan society because they are used to living in smaller villages with fewer resources. The majority struggle to adjust to the higher education culture, which is different from what they are accustomed to. Many students choose to leave their education and go home due to the challenging environment, but the few that stay develop resilience and are compelled to adapt. In higher education, rural students face more transitional challenges than urban students, which makes them feel alone. Students in rural areas do not receive a quality education that effectively prepares them for life in the modern world. This study further argues that these students find it difficult to integrate themselves into the higher education culture, which is by itself unwelcoming and challenging for rural students who don't have any prior experience with urban areas or higher education.