It’s like getting thrown into the deep end of life … without a life jacket! (First-year university student, 2009)
Abstract
Under-preparedness of students entering university has become increasingly challenging as South African universities struggle to ensure student success where schooling no longer provides sufficient preparation for university. Understanding the gap between being eligible and being ready for university study is of critical importance. Using Conley’s multidimensional module of college readiness, the perspectives of first-year students regarding their transition from school to university are explored. The paper argues that greatest difficulty is faced in the facets of academic behaviours and “university knowledge”, and that one worrying coping mechanism is a growing acceptance of mediocrity or failure.
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Wilson-Strydom, M. Traversing the Chasm from School to University in South Africa: A student perspective. Tert Educ Manag 16, 313–325 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2010.532565
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2010.532565