Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted more than 4,500 higher education institutions in Indonesia to the new era of digitalization. Higher students must adapt to the new life where learning and social interaction abruptly move to the virtual world. This sudden change could initiate unpleasant or counterproductive circumstances for students to perform well in their studies. This study analyzes the determinants of student resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also analyzed any self-leadership behaviours determining student resilience. Methods: We cross-sectionally surveyed sophomores of the Public Health Bachelor Program in Airlangga University about their experiences during this unprecedented time. Two hundred sixty-three students responded to the survey. We used the student’s characteristics and how this pandemic affected their life to predict their resilience. Brief Resilience Scale and Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire were applied to measure our two main variables in this study. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the determinants of students’ resilience. Results: Residing in dis- advantaged regions and experiencing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic did not determine the students’ resilience. Students’ age was the single determinant of resilience when self-leadership was not included in the analysis (p<0.1; β= -0.0714). Constructive thought pattern strategies were likely to determine their resilience (p<0.01; β= 0.225). Conclusion: Constructive thought pattern strategies determined students’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic must be seen as a beneficial developmental experience for students. Student support centres in higher education institutions are needed to assist students in reaching adulthood.