Abstract
This study aimed to verify the predictive relationships between the variables social skills and coping strategies in adaptation to the university in situations considered difficult to manage in the university context. The five situations listed were: “Ask classmates to turn off their cell phone in class”, “Present class work”, “Ask classmates to avoid lunch in the classroom”, “Mobilize classmates to claim rights”, “Receive teacher criticism”. 400 university students participated in this study, 61.5% women (N = 246), aged between 18 and 60 years (M = 25.78 and SD = 7.99). The following instruments were used: Social Skills Inventory, Reduced Academic Experience Questionnaire and Modes of Confronting Problems Scale. The results showed that the student who uses strategies of coping focused on the problem and on the search for social support better deals with issues of difficult management at university. The coping strategy focused on the problem and the social skill of self-affirmation in the expression of positive feeling presented greater impact in the academic adjustment scores. The results contribute to a better understanding of the use of cognitive and behavioral processes associated with adaptation to Higher Education, which allows the creation of resources by the universities to support students in this process.
Keywords
Academic Adaptation; Social Skills; Coping Strategies