Pandemic rollercoaster: University students’ trajectories of emotional exhaustion, satisfaction, enthusiasm, and dropout intentions pre-, during, and post-COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic might have lasting effects on university students' well-being and motivation. However, existing studies examining students’ well-being and motivation have not covered the entire pre, during and post-pandemic period. This study investigated German university students' well-being (emotional exhaustion, study satisfaction) and motivation (dropout intentions, enthusiasm) from 2020 to 2023. Latent Change Score Models from 1967 students indicated increased emotional exhaustion and dropout intentions in 2021–2023 compared to 2020. Study satisfaction initially rose during the 2021 lockdown but declined subsequently, while enthusiasm remained stable. These findings emphasize the need for ongoing university support to mitigate pandemic-related student distress.