Master and PhD students are extremely important for South African universities and the economy. Yet, student drop-out rates in South African are among the highest worldwide. Research has shown that almost half of the PhD students suffer from depression. Yet we know little about what contributes to postgraduate student’s well-being.
On three campuses of one of the largest South African universities, we conducted two focus groups and 25 in-depth interviews. Participants were Master and PhD students, as well as postgraduate supervisors. We found that facing academic, financial, personal and practical challenges and social and work demands can lead to a diminished well-being. To deal with those challenges, they use study resources, e.g. librarians, and personal resources, such as grit, a positive attitude, resilience, love of learning and being able to ask for support from family and friends. If students described themselves as flourishing or languishing also depended for a great deal on the relationship with their supervisors.
Students state that they need supporting supervisors, peer support, and interventions to support their well-being. To conclude, universities can and should play a role in creating an environment that enables all students to flourish. Only then they can reach their full academic potential.