Introduction: Undergraduate studies represent a transitional phase in students’ lives, and the challenges involved require adaptation to university routines and time management; Objective: to understand how undergraduate students cope with daily academic life and care for their mental health from their own perspective; Method: this is a qualitative study, based on Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism, involving 35 undergraduate students; Results: the findings highlight coping strategies for the difficulties experienced and adaptation to academic life, stemming from students’ proactivity, prioritization, self-demand, support from peers, some faculty members and course coordinators, family, and spirituality; Final considerations: it is considered that the challenges faced by undergraduates in their daily lives should be acknowledged within the institutional environment, paying a...