In my thesis, I investigate the holistic well-being of undergraduate students at the Faculty of Social Work. I explore four aspects of well-being: physical health, emotional well-being, social interactions, and meaning of life. I want to know which two aspects of well-being students rate highly and what they do to maintain these high ratings. I am also interested which two aspects they rate lower and what challenges they face there.
In the theoretical part, I present the definitions of well-being and the different models of well-being that have evolved to the present day, including the notion of holistic well-being. I then describe how the concept of well-being relates to social work, how it can be further integrated into social work, and what role it plays in today's society. I also highlight how important it is for social workers to care for their own well-being. Finally, I present different definitions of student well-being and emphasize the importance of a holistic approach, giving examples of universities worldwide that follow such approaches.
In a combined quantitative and qualitative research, I first collect quantitative data using an online questionnaire on 1ka.arnes.si, which I then analyze in Microsoft Office Excel. Additionally, I collect qualitative data through interviews.
I find that students rate social interactions as the most important aspect of well-being, followed by emotional well-being. The key to quality social interactions is to make an effort to maintain meaningful relationships by scheduling regular meetings, conversations and staying in touch via phone calls or social networks. Quality relationships also have a positive impact on emotional well-being. Keeping a journal to express emotions and self-reflect proves to be an important method of maintaining emotional well-being. Physical health and the meaning of life are the least valued aspects. The biggest challenge in taking care of physical health is the lack of time, which affects the duration of physical activity, eating, and sleeping. The lack of a clear vision for the professional and personal future and the lack of fulfillment in current activities are the main biggest challenges related to the meaning of life.
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