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Transition – what does the literature say?
“While change is typically driven by external events or circumstances, transition is an internal process; it is a
personal reorientation that some making a change must go through…while the change of being in high school one
year and university the next year happens quickly, the personal transition from being a school learner to being a
university student might take much longer” (Wilson-Strydom, 2015: 28)
A point at which students move from one phase of the education process to the next (Montgomery & Hirth, 2011)
Transition programmes are of particular importance in supporting students who are minorities or disadvantaged,
students with disabilities, and first-generation students, and provide services that include academic enrichment
such as tutoring or supplemental instruction, as well as academic advising, information sharing, mentoring, career
guidance, and social enrichment (United States Department of Education, 2007)
Although transition programmes are considered add-ons in some colleges or universities, they need to form part of
the curriculum to function optimally, which would require buy-in not only from faculties, but from all student
support related departments and divisions (Tobolowsky, 2008: 66)