The Impact of Self-Determined Motivation and Stress Coping on Adaptation to College Life

This study aimed to examine the effects of self-determined motivation and stress coping on adaptation to college life.Data were collected in April 2025 from 249 students enrolled in a university located in region C. Using SPSS 23.0, correlation and regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships among self-determined motivation, stress coping, and adaptation to college life.The findings revealed that autonomy, competence, relatedness, problem-focused coping, social support, and wishful thinking were positively correlated with adaptation to college life, while emotion-focused coping was negatively correlated.Furthermore, the regression analysis indicated that higher levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, combined with lower reliance on emotion-focused coping, significantly predicted better adaptation to college life.These results underscore the importance of enhancing internal psychological motivation and encouraging more constructive stress coping strategies.Based on these findings, the study suggests the implementation of systematic educational and counseling programs aimed at strengthening students' autonomy, competence, and relatedness.Additionally, universities should develop integrated support systems that not only improve students' stress coping skills but also foster self-directed learning and positive interpersonal relationships.This study provides empirical evidence supporting the psychological and behavioral factors critical to successful college adjustment and offers practical implications for student support services in higher education.