The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore full-time university students from the western region of the United States perception of their resilience. Within the study, resilience was defined as per Taormina's adult personal resilience theory as a multi-dimensional construct with four separate and independent dimensions; determination, endurance, adaptability, and recuperability. Four research questions grounded in one of these dimensions guided this study's exploration. A convenience sample of 70 full-time university students from the western region of the United States first completed a survey. 20 participants from this sample were invited to complete semistructured interviews, ten of whom participated in two focus groups. The data was then analyzed according to thematic analysis procedures. Findings indicated that the multidimensional constructs of resilience assist students in achieving academic success despite challenges and obstacles faced during their studies. While students shared a goal-oriented understanding of determination, they saw endurance as a merit, and added flexibility as a characteristic that aids in adaptability. Additionally, students defined recuperability as often leading to not just recovery but also an improvement in their state of being. This adds nuance to APR theory, providing examples of moments that illustrate the importance of understanding the factors of resilience. This data holds implications for academic and organizational planning for student success going forwards. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]