Using Fiction to Support Identity Development and Transition in Conditionally-Enrolled Students

Abstract

The transition to college can be difficult for many first-year students. Students who are conditionally enrolled may struggle more than their peers in terms of feeling comfortable in an academic setting. This case study explores how conditionally-enrolled students who participated in a summer bridge program read popular literature to explore their own struggles in the transition to college. Findings call for faculty and staff who work with conditionally-enrolled students to support and accept identity exploration in the classroom, particularly during the first semester.

Keywords

• identity
• first-year transition
• faculty
• fiction