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We used a mixed method survey to assess strategies used by undergraduates to adapt to COVID-19 disruptions. Results revealed that despite challenges, the majority of students continued toward their academic goals. Face-to-face classes yielded the greatest student satisfaction, and students reported great dissatisfaction with separation from peers and instructors. These insights will be especially helpful to educators and administrators in responding to future challenges and planning future approaches. This overview of students\u2019 attitudes associated with moving from in-person to online coursework may also be useful for advising students considering which of these instructional paradigms to pursue.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0324832","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,2]],"date-time":"2025-06-02T17:38:32Z","timestamp":1748885912000},"page":"e0324832","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Student perceptions of COVID-19 challenges affecting student motivation, well-being, and success in undergraduate education"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5996-8399","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jonathan F.","family":"Prather","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4463-2355","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dan","family":"McCoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"April","family":"Heaney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Laurie A.","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eirin","family":"Grimes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Natalie A.","family":"Bloomston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nycole","family":"Courtney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,2]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0324832.ref001","first-page":"189","article-title":"E-learning during a global pandemic","volume":"15","author":"M Lynch","year":"2020","journal-title":"Asian J Distance Educ"},{"key":"pone.0324832.ref002","volume-title":"Education in a pandemic: The disparate impact on America\u2019s students","author":"Department of Education","year":"2021"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0324832.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198120969372","article-title":"More than inconvenienced: the unique needs of U.S. college students during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"48","author":"AM Lederer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Health Educ Behav"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0324832.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1356","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2020.1803882","article-title":"Priorities for addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health","volume":"70","author":"CH Liu","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Am Coll Health"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0324832.ref005","article-title":"Effects of COVID-19 on college students\u2019 mental health in the United States: interview survey study","volume":"22","author":"C Son","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"pone.0324832.ref006","volume-title":"Acha guidelines: considerations for reopening institutions of higher education for the spring 2021 semester","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0324832.ref007","volume-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on college student well-being","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0324832.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106160","DOI":"10.1016\/j.childyouth.2021.106160","article-title":"Evaluation online learning of undergraduate students under lockdown amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: The online learning experience and students\u2019 satisfaction","volume":"128","author":"M Maqableh","year":"2021","journal-title":"Child Youth Serv Rev"},{"key":"pone.0324832.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112934","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2020.112934","article-title":"The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China","volume":"287","author":"W Cao","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"pone.0324832.ref010","first-page":"1","article-title":"COVID-19 quarantine stressors and management among Lebanese students: a qualitative study","volume":"1","author":"M Fawaz","year":"2021","journal-title":"Curr Psychol"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0324832.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0273187","article-title":"What do university students say about online learning and the COVID-19 pandemic in central Fiji? 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