The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore what college students' lived experiences were regarding the influence of outdoor orientation programs on their abilities to cope with transition-related stressors at one Arizona college. The study utilized two theoretical frameworks to understand the lived experience of participants: Schlossberg's transition theory with the 4S system for coping with transitions model and phenomenological theory. The original sample for this study was eight students that had participated in the outdoor orientation program in the past two years with one participant withdrawing from the study. This study used a qualitative methodology and a phenomenological design and presented an in-depth analysis of the transition-related stressors experienced by college students and how participation in an outdoor orientation program influenced the coping strategies used by college students to manage stress. Data collection consisted of an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis included the adoption of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify themes that described the phenomenon. The findings of the study identified thirteen key themes which highlighted the stressors that college students face as they transition to higher education, coping strategies used by this population, as well as how orientation programs can support that transition. The results of the study highlight the importance of the orientation programs offered by institutions in supporting student transition and stress coping. [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.]