Whereas many college freshmen succeed during their first year, some struggle with transitioning. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive generic study was to examine the difficulties some high school graduates experience adapting to the college social environment. First-year college students often have feelings of homesickness, isolation,…

College students with disabilities continue to experience various challenges in their transition into postsecondary education. However, limited research has focused on their initial transition, despite the significance of its impact on college students with disabilities. This qualitative study examined first-semester transition experiences among…

This qualitative study reports on an on-entry orientation intervention designed to support and retain students transitioning to higher education at an Irish private higher education institution. Following the intervention, a qualitative study was conducted with the aim of exploring new undergraduate student experiences of transitioning to higher…

Background: Smartphones provide limitless opportunity for communication and access to the world through social media, texting, and numerous applications. As their popularity continues to grow among college students, it is important to understand the various advantages and disadvantages of their use on and off campus. Purpose: We explored the…

Over the last few decades there has been increased recognition that the concept of 'access' encompasses not only entry to higher education (HE) but also participation and successful completion. Despite this, very little research has been carried out in Ireland on non-traditional students' experience of university. This article explores the…

Themes of security and opportunity are readily apparent in descriptions of programs designed to assist new students with their college transition; yet it seems that anxiety and, to some extent, fear are even more prevalent in the messages communicated to new students as they embark on their collegiate career. All college and university students…

This article discusses the response of at-risk students to their initial library orientation. By presenting an entertaining yet informative session, students will be quickly put at ease. The goal of this type of orientation is to promote the library's resources and services, address basic queries, and encourage students' return in a…

The first of two articles on the psychological dimensions of the school-to-college transition looks at the rising anxiety of high school seniors applying to and selecting colleges, at the importance of rituals in the transition process, the stress of decision-making about the future, and the changes occurring during the senior year in high school.…