Hope and Positive Development in the Third Decade of Life. A Theoretical Perspective on Tertiary Education Students in Cameroon
- December 21, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: IJRISS, Psychology
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue XII, December 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Akom Delbert Afumbom
Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Buea, Cameroon
University of Buea, P.O.Box 63 Buea, Cameroon
Abstract:-University is relatively considered a stressful moment in the life of students due to numerous academic workloads and academic activities. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that some university students are in emerging adulthood, a developmental period which is psychologically fraught with uncertainty, instability and identity issues among others. Added to these, the context of most universities like Cameroon which is marred with political, economic and social turbulence common to other developing societies in the sub Saharan region makes life unbearable. Looking at the challenges that confront tertiary education students in the third decade of life, increases possibilities of fears that they will founder thus narrowing the route to a blossomed transition into adulthood and through the university from home into the world of work. However, observations reveal that some have remained hopeful as they continuously believe in themselves and their worth. As such, they have resiliently shrugged off the vast burden placed on them by the adult society as they struggle intentionally with continuous efforts to succeed.Being hopeful and self-efficacy beliefsare observed to be some of the effective drivers that pull emerging adults through the storms of university transition thus facilitating positive development into subsequent life stages. Unfortunately just a paucity of literature albeit theoretically actually narrates via scholarly corridors the monumental successes recorded by students as they sail flourishingly through university in the midst ofstorms an in the third decade of life. This paper examines and addresses the foregoing through the lenses of some theories.
Keywords: Emerging adulthood, resilience, self-efficacy, hope, positive development
I. INTRODUCTION
Transitioning from home to university and into the world of work is generally considered to be problematic due to multiple challenges emerging adult students have to grapple with such as sudden independence from home and parental control, peer pressure and influence in the university neighbourhood as well as anxiety about getting a job after graduation.
