FACILITATING THE TRANSITION FROM SECONDARY TO HIGHER EDUCATION - EMPIRICAL STUDY CONDUCTED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CRAIOVA

Abstract

The process of making the transition from secondary to higher education easier involves providing support and guidance to students while they navigate the challenges of entering a new academic environment. The transition from high school to university is a major event in a student's life. Not only the new responsibilities a student faces, such as living away from home, less direct support from the family environment, the responsibility for their own finances, can create difficulties or cause stress, but also the new academic culture to which they must adhere, can lead to adaptation difficulties or even to the abandonment of university studies. Specialized literature presents ways for the university environment to help students during this transition. In practice, each university tries to discover and implement various ways to facilitate the adaptation and integration of young people in the university academic environment. Orientation programs are held to familiarize students with the campus, academic resources, and available support services. This helps them feel more comfortable and connected to their new educational setting. Students need academic advising to understand the requirements and expectations of their chosen program, they need guidance on course selection, degree planning, and strategies for success in higher education. Young people need the training and development of study and also time management skills. The present study is a diagnostic one and aims to investigate the needs and expectations of first-year students, after their first month of academic activity, enrolled in the study programs of the University of Craiova, in order to be able to identify the programs that can help them, facilitating their transition from secondary to university education. We consider it important to facilitate the adaptation of the transition from secondary to higher education because the elements of novelty that come with the university period require a state of preparation of the young people who need support to discover and internalize the demands of the academic environment.

Keywords

• transition
• facilitation
• integration of students into the academic life
• academic advising