A preliminary investigation into the adjustment to university of first-year students at the University of Cape Town, with particular emphasis on the relative adjustment of black students
The change from school to university is a major life transition to which many students experience considerable difficulty in adjusting. This process of adjustment is multidimensional requiring that students develop effective strategies for adapting to a host of new demands (Baker &amp; Siryk, 1989) including those found in the academic, social and emotional spheres of development. Yet, in addition to factors relating to individual developmental or background variables, the interactive effects of student demographics and institutional environment may also influence a student's ability to cope effectively with adjustment to university. This may be the case particularly for students of disadvantaged or minority backgrounds, of which, the literature suggests, black African students in South Africa are a likely instance.
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