SOLUTION: 7 Effects of the Transition to College for Students Annotated Bibliography Ricks,

Effects of the Transition to College for Students

Annotated Bibliography

Ricks, J., & Warren, J. (2021). Transitioning to College: Experiences of Successful First-Generation College Students. Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This research investigated the experiences of first-generation college students while transitioning to college. The researchers utilized a qualitative generic research design to uncover the meaning of participant experiences. Ricks and Warren noted that first-generation students who are transitioning to college are undoubtingly at a disadvantage. They are likely to face financial constraints and work part-time, which mostly leads to negative educational outcomes. Moreover, these students are likely to face self-esteem issues because they are not enough and lack the necessary academic capabilities because they are the first ones in their families to join college. There is also the confusion in policy and procedures struggles that the first-generation students face when transitioning into college. This mostly happens due to the lack of information from any other parties that have joined the college in their families. These factors are detrimental to the mental health and, eventually, academic outcomes of first-generation students. The following points obtained from the research are useful for further studying this topic;

The college experiences among the students were classified into thematic areas of; “questions and confusion during the first year of college, personal and social experiences, academic-related transition experiences, and support provided during the transition experience” (Ricks & Warren, 2021, p.6).

Most of the respondents indicated that their initial years of college were marred with discomfort. The students experienced depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, among other negative feelings (Ricks & Warren, 2021, p. 7)

Despite the appreciation for the responsibility and structure that college offered to the respondents, they noted a lack of sufficient skills to deal with the workload in college, threatening their peaceful transition. Notably, there was plenty of support for the students to transition successfully (Ricks & Warren, 2021, p.8).

McMillan, W. (2013). Transition to university: the role played by emotion. European Journal of Dental Education, 7(3): 169-176

McMillan (2013) acknowledges that most studies on this issue indicate that numerous challenges characterize the transition to college. Most students may suffer from homesickness; lack the adequate skill to take on the responsibility that comes with college, eventually leading to academic underperformance. The study also discusses the social theory and its relation to college transition. The theory asserts that transitions are not only about knowledge transfer, but they also revolve around the restructuring of what individual do and their perceptions of themselves. The study found that college transition is associated with both positive and negative emotions. The most common negative emotion in this particular study was the alienation of friends and families. There was the worry among students that they would be outsiders in the college without friends. The most common positive emotion revolved around developing a professional identity, which is an element that kept most students going. The following points are integral to the current research topic from McMillan’s study;

Anonymity is a significant emotional response for students transitioning to college. Since the students are in a new environment, they have to make new friends, whereas they are used to environments where they have other friends. The students also have to cope with lecturers who do not know them, transitioning from the other learning institutions where there was a relationship with the teacher. More specifically, the respondents noted that “The class was huge. I used to sit in the middle at the back and like, I’m a nobody, I’m a nothing’ (McMillan, 2013, p.9).

Social support was also an integral part of the transition to college. The presence of social support re-assured the respondents and enabled a better transition into college life (McMillan, 2013, p. 7).

Unfamiliar physical environments accelerated the stress levels of the students in their first days. This is because of the lack of familiarization with the buildings or the locations of the integral places, posing a risk to the mental health of the students (McMillan, 2013, p. 6).

Cage, E., Jones, E., Ryan, G., Hughes, G., & Spanner, L. (2021) Student mental health and transitions into, through and out of university: student and staff perspectives. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45:8, 1076-1089

In their study, cage et al. (2021) find that navigating transitions can be psychologically tormenting and demanding, posing a challenge to the transitioning individuals. Transition into university specifically has been classified over the years as an acute stressor. The initial days are the most challenging for the students transitioning as they have a heightened feeling of loss. This loss of feeling emanates from a perceived loss of former identity, social networks, and a sense of place. The students may feel challenged to develop a new identity to help them cope in the new environment. While this is possible and may eventually happen, it is mentally exhausting for this college student. Notably, the students experienced a lot of anxiety due to the unknowns within the colleges. Such anxieties came from the fact that the students did not understand the best strategies to manage unrealistic expectations when they joined the colleges. Some of the important points that will help the current study include:

Most students experience a level of culture shock once they transition to universities. On the other hand, the universities do not have enough strategies to reduce the impact of the culture shock on the students instead of focusing more on the course choices for the students. This exacerbates the risk of having the transitioning student experience stressful times, which is detrimental to their mental health (Cage et al., 2021, p. 1082).

The age of the students transitioning into university may determine their levels of stress and coping mechanisms. Cage et al. (2021, p. 1079) notes that younger students have little experience in being independent. This may affect their coping abilities without the proper coping mechanisms and training extended by universities, eventually harming their mental health.

Lee, D., & Wilkinson, R. (2018). Students’ Mental Health during University Transition across the Cultures: An Attachment Perspective. The Sixth International Conference on School Psychology

The article is aware that the transition to university is usually quite challenging, especially for young adults, where this is their first major transition. This sensitive time could trigger the psychological problems of the transitioning students necessitating proper interventions to ensure effective transitions. The researchers then take on an attachment theory perspective on mental health issues to understand the impact of college transition on the mental health of college students. According to the attachment theory, people have attachment figures who serve three functions; proximity, haven, and secure base. The attachment figures change with the developmental stages of an individual. At the college level, some of the attachment responsibilities and figures will have shifted from the primary caregivers to peers and educators. Notably, when students transition to college, it may trigger their attachment insecurity. There is always the need to provide supportive environments to avoid triggering attachment insecurity, which may lead to the emergence or re-emergence of psychological problems for the transitioning student. The following valid points from the study will affect the direction of the current research.

The lack of proximity with attachment figures is one of the most important causative elements in mental health problems associated with transitions. When the students lack proximity and the necessary support to transition, it is likely to heighten their insecurity causing mental health problems (Lee & Wilkinson, 2018, p.68).

The attachment styles of an individual affect their transition phases into college. The students are experiencing significant life changes, especially if traveling away from their home countries. These changes may trigger their attachment insecurities depending on the attachment styles, closely associated with mental health issues (Lee & Wilkinson, 2018, p. 69).

Olson, K. (2014). The Impact of Depression and Anxiety on College Transition Stress. Journal of Student Research

This study takes a different approach from the ones above. The study seeks to identify whether the students with a former diagnosis of depression and anxiety had more adverse effects during their college transition than the students who did not have a former diagnosis. Olson (2014) notes that the college transition experience is undoubtingly challenging, especially because of the different expectations from various quarters. The student’s stress levels may heighten when they try to cope with the new environments while still managing these expectations from the different quarters. This leads to most students experiencing emotional and physical distress in the transition. The study found that having a pre-existing diagnosis of depression and anxiety accelerated the possibility of an individual having a more stressful time in their college transition process. The following valid points are integral to the current research study;

There are many stressors in the transition to college life. The individuals with a previous diagnosis may then have the symptoms re-ignited due to the presence of stressors, increasing their possibilities of having more stressful transitions (Olson, 2014, p. 144).

Finding a place to belong in college can often be challenging. Previously depressed students may worry about their risk of rejection and finding a place to belong during the transition period, influencing their depressive and anxiety symptoms (Olson, 2014, p.144).

An increase in social interactions, which is common in college life, may also accelerate the stress levels of individuals previously diagnosed with depression and anxiety. However, this serves as a place of solace and social support for those getting into college without a previous diagnosis (Olson, 2014, p.147).

References

Ricks, J., & Warren, J. (2021). Transitioning to College: Experiences of Successful First-Generation College Students. Journal of Educational Research and Practice

McMillan, W. (2013). Transition to university: the role played by emotion. European Journal of Dental Education, 7(3): 169-176

Lee, D., & Wilkinson, R. (2018). Students’ Mental Health during University Transition across the Cultures: An Attachment Perspective. The Sixth International Conference on School Psychology

Olson, K. (2014). The Impact of Depression and Anxiety on College Transition Stress. Journal of Student Research

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