Life Satisfaction of Inter Regional Migrant Students in Relation to Perceived Stress Personal Growth Initiatives and Coping Strategies

India is emerging as a global hub of higher education providing varied opportunities. Each state of the country has several public and private educational institutions for providing a general and specializededucation. For fulfilling the aforesaid purpose, the Educational Institutions provided various programs in different streams, where students are studying far away from their native places for their educational and professional growth. India is the multicultural country which is divided into four main regions, on the basis of their identically different socio-cultural environment (North, South, West, and East India). Each region is entirely different from one another; when we move to another region it seems like a different country. The migration process of students involves many changes in their identity, values, behavior, cognitions, and attitudes while their efforts to rise to adjustment/development as well as their academic progress.The universities of all regions have a different environment, norms and policies and those also influence the student’s life. The classroom faces a unique demographic situation (students from different states) and effects the educational and social goals of students. Most of the students have the capacity to grow up in the new environment but the situations of new surroundings rupture them due to the discriminative and disrespectful behavior of others, which leads to stress. Some students adjust smoothly to the stress while others develop physical, psychological and/or emotional problems. The review of literature clearly shows the multiple challenges faces by migrant students.The interaction experienced by students with a variety of peers, people influence them either be positive, negative or neutrally. The experience of mobility for students helps them to personal development. Dealing everything by them could be a pressure but also encouraging for them, they become responsible, realize the importance of being independent, understanding about the cultural differences, the personality of different people, and the realities of host place which all is considered as a journey of self-development. The complexities while adjusting to the different environment become the causes of constant worry and affect their internal-external satisfaction and goals of life. Extensive evidences also proved that the perceived discrimination became causes of depressive symptoms which are associated with conflict among students because of cultural values, practices and beliefs, culturally and linguistically difference, backgrounds experience, poorer educational results than their peers belong to native culture or region increase the stress among students. Unlike native students, the review of literature also indicated that migrant students need to develop bicultural competence, as the process of adjusting, emotional and inter/intra-personal challenges that encountered them in the host country. The developmental challenges such as identity exploration and relationship revaluation combined with the stress of the university environment can create a storm of pressures which effect their growth, career aspiration and goal orientations, life satisfaction and skills. Review of literature confirms that inter-regional migration of students in India has been a relatively neglected area for research. The researches related to the migration of students within the country are limited in India and outside the country. Additionally, most of these researches explored the acculturative stress among migrant students. Research studies also to endorse that degree of migration experience and the level of acculturation influenced the favorable or unfavorable attitude towards the dominance of native or host culture. Thus, there was a dire need to explore this area as a way of advancing the same.So, the present study attempts to study the interrelationship, comparison along with the effects of various demographical variables on life satisfaction, perceived stress, personal growth initiative and coping strategies of inter regional migrant students. In present study,Inter-Regional Migrant Studentswas described as the students that are those who belongto a particular region of the country, are studying in other region of country (e.g. students studying in North India, belonging to South India, West India and East India). Whereas, the Life satisfaction is defined as multi-dimensional criteria to contentment of life which is set by an individuals’ positive appraisal of his/her complete life (positive outcomes and absence of negative effects of past and present experiences). Students’ life satisfaction depends upon their basic living standard and fulfilment of needs and expectations.Perceived Stressdefined as a psycho-cognitive process and active state of mind, which enables an individual to realize, understand and interpret any strenuous situations. Personal Growth Initiativesare demarcated as the efforts of individual to develop, grow and improve himself as a person. Coping Strategiesare named as the techniques and efforts of individual to reduce and/or manage stress according to their internal and external demands. The objectives of present study were (1) to identify the levels life satisfaction, perceived stress and personal growth initiatives of inter regional migrant students; (2) to identify the types of coping strategies of inter regional migrant students; (3) to study the interrelationship among life satisfaction, perceived stress, personal growth initiatives and coping strategies of inter regional migrant students of India; (4) to compare the life satisfaction, perceived stress, personal growth initiatives and coping strategies of inter regional migrant students with respect to gender, region streams, and universities; and (5) to study the affect of perceived stress, personal growth initiative and coping strategies on life satisfaction of inter regional migrant students. A sample of 1201 inter regional migrant students were selected from 15 NAAC Accredited universities of North India (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Delhi and Chandigarh). The sample demographic characteristics were: male (55.7%), female (44.3%); UG (58.36%), PG (41.63%); Rural (43.4%), Urban (56.5%); present accommodation Hostel (56.2%), Rented Room/PG (36.6%), Relative’s House (3.58%), Own Home (3.49%); Region: South (26.14%), East (48.9%), West (24.89%); Streams: Arts & Humanities (11.07%), Commerce & Management (18.06%), Sciences & Engineering (70.85%) of inter regional migrant students. The data was collected in the academic year (Jan-May, 2017), through administered four standardized scales: Students’ Life Satisfaction scale (Self-standardized), Students’ Perceived Stress Scale (Self-Standardized), Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGI-II) by Robitschek (2012) and Coping Strategies Scale by A.K. Srivastava (2000) on targeted sample. The data was analyzed by applying both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques i.e. mean, SD, percentage, Bivariate Pearson’s Correlation, ANOVA, t-test, and Regression analysis. ‘SPSS-21’statistical software was used to analyse the data for the present research tostudy. The mean and SD of age of inter regional migrant students were 21.26 ± 1.70 as well as age range of students was 17 to 26 years. Results highlighted that the highest percentage of inter-regional migrant students have moderate level of life satisfaction, and personal growth initiatives followed by high and low levels. The highest percentage of inter-regional migrant students followed in low level of perceived stress. Further, result showed that the highest percentage of inter regional migrant students generally preferred to use AB coping strategies followed by AvB, ACB, AvC, and AC coping strategies. Correlation analysis revealed a significant interrelationship between life satisfaction, perceived stress, personal growth initiatives and coping strategies (AB, AC, ACB, and AvB) of interregional migrant students.Perceived stress has been found negative significantlycorrelated with life satisfaction, whereas the personal growth initiatives and coping strategies are positive significantly correlated with life satisfaction of inter regional migrant students.While, the comparative analysis illustrated that a significant difference and interaction effect have been foundon the basis of gender, region and streams of inter-regional migrant students on the scores of life satisfaction, perceived stress, personal growth initiatives and coping strategies, but no difference and interaction effect have been foundon the basis of age of universities. Further regression analysis shows that perceived stress (negative), personal growth initiatives and coping strategies i.e. approach behavior, and approach cognitive behavior coping strategies (positive) are significant predictors of life satisfaction of inter regional migrant students. The findings of the study may play a crucial role to provide timely help to dissatisfied university students through student services and career counselling programs for their psycho-educational adjustments. These findings can be useful for educators and university administrators to know how much attention is needed in such areas, where students are the most dissatisfied and/or stressed to provide training for coping skills. It would be helpful for university administrators and the higher education professionals that coordinate or provide facilities to university students if they need to improve students’ services and academic support in advance. It may be suggested thatframing academic curriculum diligently so that students no longer feel the workload of study and make it more interesting. The findings of the present studysuggested that universities should organize intervention programs to enhance life satisfaction and personal growth initiatives as well as stress management