Exploring Subjective Well-Being between Local and International University Students

The internationalization policy of the higher education system has led to an increasing number of international students enrolling in public universities in Malaysia over the past few years. At the same time, the lifelong learning policy is seen as an attraction for both local and international students to opt for continuing their studies at the tertiary education level. However, the well-being of students at the university cannot be overlooked to enable them to continue studying well until the completion of their studies. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the factors that influence the well-being of local and international students who are continuing their studies at public universities. The study uses a quantitative approach through the distribution of questionnaires to students at public universities. Based on the findings from the logistic regression analysis, in general, the findings show that social support and quality of life can significantly enhance students' well-being. This implies that emotional support from family members and friends allows respondents to study in a happy environment. Moreover, factors such as good quality of life, including sleep and good living conditions, as well as satisfaction with access to healthcare and transportation facilities, can further enhance students' well-being. But, weak mental health factors such as being easily nervous and panicking can lead to poor mental health, which may undermine students' well-being. In conjunction with this situation, university management and other related organizations must provide better facilities for social and psychological support services, financial assistance, accommodation, and health services that meet the needs of local and international students so that they continue to excel in the higher education system.

Well-being; social support, quality of life, mental health, higher education

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