The Development and Impact of an Agile First‐Year Seminar Course and Its Impact on Student Stress and Resilience: The Mindful College Student

ABSTRACT Objective This research assessed the impact of a first‐year seminar course, The Mindful College Student (MCS), on students' perceptions of stress and resilience, in addition to investigating outcome differences based on MCS delivery mode. Methods This was a mixed method, non‐randomised, single‐arm study with pre/post intervention design. Fifty‐three first year college students at a large public university in the mid‐United States completed the MCS course over 8 weeks during the autumn 2017 to 2021 semesters. Participants completed measures of perceived stress and resilience prior to the start of and immediately following completion of the course. Weekly qualitative reflections assessed the impact of mindfulness on participants' college experiences. Analysis of major outcomes of perceived stress and resilience was performed using a paired sample t ‐test comparing pre‐ and post‐course scores. An independent sample t ‐test was used to compare pre and post intervention results of cohorts pre‐COVID‐19 (in‐person delivery) and 2 cohorts post‐COVID‐19 (virtual delivery). Results Post course, perceived stress significantly decreased, and resilience significantly increased ( n = 53). Qualitative responses reflected constructive student learning across themes of the mindfulness seminar. There were no significant differences in pre/post intervention changes between pre‐COVID (in‐person delivery, n = 32) and COVID (virtual delivery, n = 21) cohorts. Conclusions A seminar‐style first‐year mindfulness course, MCS, effectively decreased students' stress and significantly enhanced resilience for both in‐person and virtual delivery modes. Virtual adaptation yielded strong and similar results, exhibiting the course's scalability. The study suggests curricular mindfulness‐based interventions can be a viable tool implemented early in one's college career to help students manage stress.