College Transition Research Articles

An Intervention to Support Newly Admitted Students’ Transition to Pharmacy School

To provide pre-matriculation intervention in areas of basic need to newly admitted Doctor of Pharmacy students and to determine post-intervention changes made by students in the transition areas. Six transition areas were identified as basic needs that should be addressed by students prior to matriculation that are related to their potential for academic success. These areas included: housing, commute, non-school responsibilities and commitments (e.g., childcare, excessive extracurricular activities), work, finances, and study approach. A pre-matriculation survey was administered to 24 students enrolling in January 2024. Based on survey responses, members of the College's transition team contacted students to intervene in one or more of the six transition areas when plans had not been made or when plans were seen as a potential barrier to academic success. A post-matriculation survey was administered during New Student Orientation to identify changes students made based on interventions. Twenty-four students (100%) completed the pre- and post-surveys. Based on pre-survey data, 14 students were contacted (seven video conferences, seven email exchanges). Interventions made included: work (36.8%), study approach (31.6%), finances (15.8%), non-school related responsibilities (10.5%), and housing (5.3%). Students made a total of 54 changes in the transition areas. Thirty-three (61.1%) of the changes were made by students who received intervention, and 21 (38.9%) were made by students who had not been contacted for intervention. Pre-matriculation intervention for students in areas of basic need is one way to assist them in the transition to pharmacy school and proactively address academic success.

Trajectories of emotional disclosure with parents during the college transition among Asian first-year students.

The college transition is a time of great emotional lability, and sharing emotional experiences with parents can be beneficial for first-year students. Guided by the social sharing of emotions framework and the cultural theory on self-construal, this study investigated the developmental course of freshmen's emotional disclosure with parents during the first semester and the mediating role of independence-orientation in two Asian contexts-Beijing (China) and Singapore. Using experience sampling method (online diary), 205 Chinese freshmen (Mage = 19.43) and 291 Singapore freshmen (Mage = 19.44) reported on four facets of emotional disclosure with parents (frequency, intimacy, negativity, and positivity) across four timepoints and their independence-interdependence orientation (Time 1). Latent growth curve modeling comparing the two Asian samples revealed that frequency increased for Chinese students and decreased for Singapore students. Intimacy indicated upward trajectories for both Asian samples, whereas negativity and positivity showed downward trajectories but were less pronounced for Chinese students. Mediated latent growth curve modeling revealed that the cultures predicted independence-orientation, which in turn negatively predicted increase in frequency for the Singapore sample and positively predicted decrease for the Chinese sample. Independence-orientation negatively predicted increase in intimacy, positively predicted decline in negativity, and negatively predicted decline in positivity. In sum, we found complex and differentiated trajectories for the four facets of emotional disclosure in two Asian samples and the mediating role of independence-orientation in explaining cultural differences in the trajectories, which have implications for understanding emotional disclosure to parents during the developmental phase of the college transition in Asian contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Critical Rural Theory: A Decade of Influence on Rural Education Research☆

AbstractRural education researchers have long been interested in the impact of increasing urbanization, with its attendant shifts in policy, culture, and capital mobility, on rural people and communities, but their findings have existed largely to the side of “mainstream” research examining urban and suburban populations. With the publication in 2011 of Critical Rural Theory: Structure, Space, Culture, scholars acquired a new theoretical tool for inquiring into processes of place‐making, identity formation, curricular design, and policy implementation. This article establishes key elements of the theory as they have been applied in both K‐12 and higher education research, giving attention to current gaps in the literature as well as future directions for theoretical elaboration. Essential areas of focus include critical rural theory's applications in K‐12 curricula and policy studies as well as research on community capitals, college transitions, and intersectional identity in higher education contexts.

“Échale ganas, tú puedes”: Latinx/a/o Parents Supporting Students’ College Aspirations During COVID-19

ABSTRACT This paper demonstrates how Latinx/a/o parents drew on various forms of capital to support their children’s college application, choice, and transition during the pandemic. Latinx/a/o parents encouraged and supported their children by maintaining high college aspirations despite COVID-19 concerns, entrusting their children with their college choice decisions despite sometimes conflicting with their own, and supporting their children in their college transition through consejos and encouragement. This study contributes to the literature by centering Latinx/a/o parents’ counternarratives that highlight their ongoing commitment to supporting students’ college aspirations despite deficit notions exacerbated by the pandemic.

Building and Patching a Pipeline: Establishing Viable Pathways from 2-Year Institutions to Graduate School for Aspiring Mental Health Professionals

Students at 2-year colleges who wish to enter the mental health professions, particularly students of color in urban community college environments, often lack opportunities for internships and experience-building programming relevant to their field. Some programs targeting such students do exist, but little research has been performed on these models. In addition, while pipeline programs in 2-year college settings often focus on successful transitions to senior colleges, many students in such programs also seek to eventually enter graduate school. The purpose of this case study is to bridge this research gap by focusing on a community college-based peer support and psychoeducational outreach program in the northeastern United States, serving as a career development internship for aspiring mental health professionals. Qualitative data in the form of student participant feedback was analyzed to determine the impact of the program on their experiences later in their educational careers. Results from this qualitative analysis indicate the substantial importance of such a program to the successful academic progress of its student participants, providing insights into how pipeline programs can accommodate student preparation and support, not only toward successful senior college transition, but also specific to graduate school program entry.

How Students Make Sense of Mentorship Experiences During the Transition from High School to College: A Positioning Analysis

<i>Mentorship in higher education is widely acknowledged for its positive impact on students. Many institutions have implemented one-on-one guidance systems, such as faculty advising programs and faculty/peer mentorship initiatives. Yet, there remains a gap in understanding how students perceive mentoring, particularly during the transitional period before and early in their time in college. In light of the increasing focus on emerging adulthood within the field of developmental psychology, understanding students’ academic development during their transitioning years, particularly the role of mentorship becomes increasingly essential. This qualitative study employs positioning analysis to explore students’ evolving sense-making of mentoring relationships during two distinct phases: the final year of high school and the first year of college. This research conducts a comparative analysis to investigate how two students’ perceptions of mentorship change during their transition into college and differ from one another. The study aims to illuminate students’ sense-making of mentors and mentorship experiences throughout their high school and college transition and explores the unique ways students discuss mentorship as they transition. The findings unveil the contrasting experiences and evolving roles of mentors of each participant through the lens of their lived experiences, providing an insight into students’ individual developing conceptions of mentors and mentorship experience. This study offers a nuanced understanding of first-year college students’ sense-making activities as they navigate the complexities and academic demands of college. The insights gained from this study not only illuminate how qualitative methods provide yet-to-be-understood processes but also can further contribute to designing mentorship programs in higher education settings tailored to meet students’ needs from the moment they step onto campus. As the research landscape continues to evolve, qualitative studies like this contribute to the ever-advancing knowledge and practice of mentorship in higher education, supporting the diverse developmental needs of today’s college students.</i>

Paradoxes, uncertainty, and resistance: A psychology of meaning‐making at the margins

AbstractThe college transition is a multifaceted experience. Navigating the unfamiliar terrain of college allows for tremendous growth and self‐discovery while simultaneously evoking fear and uncertainty as students encounter new struggles. How students come to make sense of their transition experiences, especially moments of struggle, informs how they come to define who they are, who they can become, and where they belong. Robust psychological investigation has advanced three motivations for making sense of struggle: the need to understand, the need for self‐integrity, and the need to belong. Scholars target these motivations to design educational interventions and improve outcomes for students from marginalized backgrounds. What is missing is an exploration of how the uncertainty and marginalization arising from negotiating multiple social worlds can incite paradoxical expectations, messages, and cues that shape these three motivations for meaning‐making. In this paper, we aim to nuance these three motivations by attending to paradoxes. Unearthing the paradoxes lurking within each motivation advances a better understanding of what it means to make meaning from the margins and, consequently, offers new directions and possibilities for psychological research.

Supplemental Material for Trajectories of Emotional Disclosure With Parents During the College Transition Among Asian First-Year Students

Supplemental Material for Trajectories of Emotional Disclosure With Parents During the College Transition Among Asian First-Year Students

Fostering Social Connectedness in First Year Seminar Students: A Pilot Study

University First Year Seminar (FYS) programs are diverse in their content and pedagogy. Yet all seek to assist first-year students in the difficult college transition. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate if grouping similar academic majors into the existing First Year Seminar (FYS) courses would improve social connectedness, use of academic resources, and engagement on campus. A subset of first year students were assigned to either the control group (CON) of normal mixed major sections, or to the experimental course (EXP) with only related majors. Thirteen EXP and 36 CON students completed the data collection, including an 18-question social support survey administered at the beginning and end of the course. Additionally, two open-ended qualitative analysis questions were asked related to student expectations and perceived course outcomes. Lastly, the three instructors of the EXP and CON courses studied were interviewed using phenomenological methods approximately one week after the end of the semester. Between-groups analysis of the 18 quantitative survey questions identified that the CON group reported more personal conversations with peers and attendance of campus activities while the EXP group reported more faculty interactions. At the beginning of the course, 77% of the EXP group expected to create social connections as a primary course outcome, while only 19% of the CON group did. Academic skills were a higher expectation among the CON group than the EXP group. When asked more directly, both groups expected to make social connections in the class (86%). However, by the end of the study, the reported outcomes were equivocal. Interviews with FYS professors uncovered their own valuable perceptions of connectedness to the university and recommendations for instructor support were made.

On your mark, get set, go: The athletic recruitment and postsecondary experiences of Black male college athletes formerly in foster care

This counter-narrative qualitative study examined the athletic recruitment and postsecondary experiences (i.e., college transition and navigation) of three Black male college track and field athletes formerly in foster care. This article uses Schlossberg’s transition theory to deliver a dashing story of endurance. Three significant themes arose from participants’ experiences:1) their athletic recruitment process was complex and isolating; 2) their postsecondary transition and navigation was challenging; and 3) their participation in athletics helped them focus their attention away from their adverse experiences, gain access to postsecondary education, and find a chosen family. The study offers implications for future research and immediate practice that could enhance the scholarship on and experiences of college-going Black students with foster care backgrounds coming out of the starter blocks and accelerating toward postsecondary degrees.

Navigating Bereavement in College: Insights From Student Experiences

This study, involving 16 students, examines college bereavement support, revealing five key themes: (1) the impact of the college transition on support; (2) deficiencies in staff support; (3) the significance of visibility to college staff; (4) student challenges during college bereavement; and (5) student expectations for support. The transition from elementary to college, compounded by bereavement, poses unique challenges. College support often prioritizes attendance management, neglecting emotional needs and fostering isolation. Recommendations include: (1) establishing clear support frameworks in a comprehensive bereavement response policy; (2) assigning a dedicated staff member with bereavement expertise; and (3) providing training for all staff to create an empathetic and supportive college environment for grieving students. These enhancements aim to address the identified deficiencies and ensure holistic support throughout the college experience.

Self-formation across borders: transnational students’ identity reconstruction while transitioning from international schools to higher education

ABSTRACT Almost six million students study at international schools, constituting a rapidly expanding faction within the demographic of globally mobile students. Research has centered around the educational endeavors of these students within the sphere of secondary education. However, there has been a dearth of investigation concerning their pivotal period of transition to higher education institutions (HEIs). To address this research gap, this longitudinal qualitative research utilized a self-formation framework by delving into the interplay of factors characterizing the transition to HEIs and the dynamics of identity and agency among 19 transnational students from 10 different international schools in three countries. Findings unveil that the formative experiences of transnational students preceding their collegiate pursuits profoundly shaped their college transitions in sync with their transnational sense of belonging. Moreover, they viewed HEIs as instrumental in fostering a multifaceted comprehension of diversity, providing experiential learning experiences, and promoting the cultivation of students’ self-formation.

Fostering equitable engagement: A mixed-methods exploration of the engagement of racially diverse students in a comprehensive college transition program.

Fostering equitable engagement: A mixed-methods exploration of the engagement of racially diverse students in a comprehensive college transition program.

Changes in Parent-Student Text Message and Phone Call Communication During the Transition to College as Predictors of Cannabis and Simultaneous Use During the First Year.

Parent communication can be protective against cannabis use among young adults. However, changes in parent-student communication frequency naturally occur during the transition from high school to college. Recent research suggests declines in parent-student communication frequency predict increased drinking and consequences during the first year of college, yet these effects on other risky behaviors are unknown. The current study investigated whether post-matriculation changes in frequency of texting/calling with parents predict cannabis use and simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol, and whether pre-matriculation cannabis and simultaneous use predict changes in communication. First-year students (N = 287, 61.3% female, 50.9% White) reported cannabis and simultaneous use pre- and post-matriculation (T1 & T3) and changes in frequency of texting/calling their mother/father per day (T2). Negative binomial hurdle models examined whether T2 changes in communication frequency predicted T3 cannabis and simultaneous use, and logistic regression models examined whether T1 cannabis and simultaneous use predicted T2 changes in communication frequency. Results revealed that increasing (vs. decreasing) frequency of calling with mothers and texting with fathers was protective against cannabis use, whereas increasing frequency of calling with fathers was associated with greater risk of use. Changes in communication did not significantly predict simultaneous use, nor did pre-matriculation cannabis or simultaneous use predict changes in either mode of communication with parents during the college transition. These findings highlight that changes in mother and father communication may be both beneficial and detrimental to cannabis use depending on the parent and mode of communication. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Disrupting neoliberal diversity discourse with critical race college transition stories

AbstractThe college transition can challenge students’ sense‐making of diversity, race, and oppression. Yet prevailing neoliberal discourses touting the market value of diversity can thwart this potential by promoting color‐evasive messaging that avoids reckoning with racism. Guided by Critical Race Theory, we explored incoming students’ sense‐making of diversity (n = 421) after being exposed to either color‐evasive transition stories or more critical stories that discussed intersecting experiences with oppression. Using discourse analysis, we observed that Black, Latinx, and Native students and their Asian and white counterparts reproduced common neoliberal logics emphasizing the educational benefits of diversity. However, critical stories reminded Black, Latinx, and Native students of the limits of diversity to change structures. For Asian and white students, critical stories elicited more aversive reactions and more endorsements of how diversity broadens equal access. Understanding students’ diversity discourses can inform how universities engage conversations about difference to counteract neoliberal talk that undermines racial justice.

A Strength-based Approach to Achieving Academic Success for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Qualitative research enabled us to explore the personal perceptions and institutional factors that facilitated academic success, as well as challenges, of a sample of 40 academically talented students with autism spectrum disorder (2e/ASD) who were enrolled in highly competitive colleges and universities in the United States. We explored their high school academic and social experiences, their college transition, parental views of their talents and disabilities, as well as college service providers’ opinions about their academic progress and needs. We identified some specific strength-based teaching and instructional strategies and academic experiences that students reported as contributing to their academic success during high school including challenging and advanced classes, use of strengths-based learning strategies (like independent study, and positive relationships with teachers and counselors. We also found that the level of disability support offered by the college was an important consideration for the academic success of this population, as was an understanding of the laws and regulations that apply and don’t apply when students with disabilities attend college.

Unleashing Academic Excellence through Self-Efficacy among New Global Scholars

This study explores how self-efficacy influences academic self-adjustment among new students in the Faculty of Psychology and Education at the University of Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo. Using quantitative correlational research, we analyzed data from 354 students, with a sample size of 181 determined through the Krejcie-Morgan table. The self-efficacy and academic self-adjustment scales showed high reliability (Cronbach's alpha scores of 0.830 and 0.825, respectively). Results from simple linear regression indicated a positive relationship between self-efficacy and academic self-adjustment, with self-efficacy contributing significantly to 8.2% of the variance. This highlights the importance of bolstering self-efficacy beliefs to aid new students in their academic adaptation during the college transition, particularly in psychology and education faculties. Hilghlight: 1. Self-efficacy influences new college students' academic adaptation.2. Positive correlation between self-efficacy and academic self-adjustment.3. Enhancing self-efficacy beliefs aids academic success in psychology and education. Keywords: Self-efficacy, Academic self-adjustment, New college students, Psychology and Education, Quantitative correlational research

The role of hope in college transition: Its cross-lagged relationships with psychosocial resources and emotional well-being in first-year college students.

College transition is often regarded as the most stressful phase of life by college students. Hence, it is necessary to find ways to help them adjust more smoothly to this transition. Hope, as conceptualized by C. R. Snyder, has been widely studied as a predictor of optimal functioning and has been shown to be associated with better adjustment among college students. This study aimed to shed light on the role of hope in college transition by examining its unique reciprocal relationships with an array of important psychosocial resources and emotional well-being among first-year college students. Data were collected from a sample of Hong Kong college freshmen (N = 433, Medianage = 18 years old, 63.7% female) at two time points. At each time point, participants completed self-reported measures tapping into their levels of hope, psychosocial resources, and emotional well-being. Psychological resources included general and academic self-efficacy, meaning in life, and optimism. Social resources included secure attachment, perceived school environment, and social support. Emotional well-being was operationalized as positive and negative emotions. Cross-lagged panel models were constructed and tested by path analyses. When autoregression and the effects of other variables were controlled, a greater sense of hope uniquely predicted higher levels of general and academic self-efficacy, greater presence of life meanings, more secure attachment, and more positive and fewer negative emotions. On the other hand, higher levels of meaning in life (both presence and search) and social support uniquely predicted greater hope. Academic hope and presence of life meanings reciprocally predicted one another, whereas other significant cross-lagged relationships were unidirectional. The findings suggest interventions that promote hope can be useful in helping college freshmen adjust to the new college environment by enhancing their psychosocial resources and emotional well-being. Such interventions would be more effective if they included elements that boost meaning in life and social support, which are expected to further enhance the perceptions of hope.

Why do people go to college? The institutional environment and the educational dispositions of community college students

Empirical educational research nearly universally tacitly assumes that people attend college only in order to improve their likely earnings. Thus, it ignores the immense cultural importance ascribed to education (and particularly higher education) in modern culture, or at least proceeds as if this cultural valorization is irrelevant to individuals’ educational decision-making. I first review how an economistic model of action informs all dominant theories of educational decision-making, and then suggest how institutional theory can provide a richer account of the college transition. Drawing on in-depth interviews with first-time, first-year community college students, I illustrate this approach through a ‘thick description’ of individuals’ emerging educational orientations. I find that attending college reflects both instrumental goals and moralized conceptions of educational attainment. The decision to attend community college was informed by conceptions of college costs, a limited understanding of grant aid, and loan aversion. And I identify three educational dispositions among entering community college students which map onto institutionalized organizational pathways through the community college itself.

Reciprocal associations of perceived discrimination, internalizing symptoms, and academic achievement in Latino students across the college transition.

Despite growing evidence that perceived discrimination negatively impacts underrepresented ethnic-racial college students, there is a lack of longitudinal studies with multiple sources of discrimination as Latinos transition from high school (HS) to college. This study examined changes in peer, adult, and everyday discrimination across the college transition and tested concurrent, prospective, and reciprocal associations between these sources of discrimination, internalizing symptoms, and grade point average (GPA). Latino adolescents (N = 209; Mage at Time 1 = 18.10; 64.4% female; 85.1% Mexican descent) reported on discrimination experiences and internalizing symptoms during their final year of high school and first college semester. Participants' GPA was obtained from institutional records. Longitudinal data were analyzed using cross-lagged panel models. Adult discrimination remained stable while peer and everyday discrimination decreased from high school to college. All sources of discrimination were concurrently associated with internalizing symptoms, but not GPA, in high school and college. There were positive bidirectional associations between everyday discrimination and internalizing symptoms across the college transition. Adult discrimination during high school predicted increased discrimination from adults and peers in college. First-generation college students reported higher everyday and peer discrimination in college. Latino students' experiences of everyday and ethnic-racial discrimination in school may be more closely tied to psychological rather than academic adjustment in the first semester of college. First-generation college students and those who experienced higher adult discrimination or internalizing symptoms in high school appear to be more susceptible to increased perceptions of discrimination during the college transition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).