Skip to content

Branksome Hall

The First Year Story Snapshot #2: Well-Being and the Post-Secondary Transition

Published On:

Written By:

The Road After:
A Longitudinal Study of the Lives and Early Careers of Alums

Overview

The transition from high school to post-secondary education is often a time of self-discovery and exploration for young adults. At the same time, it may also be a period of increased vulnerability and stress as they undergo a double transition (Marcotte et al., 2018) — a developmental transition as well as an institutional transition that reflects a change in the level of their education as determined by the structure of the schooling system (Anderson et al., 2000).

Introduction

Among young people in industrialized countries, the developmental transition from late adolescence to emerging adulthood is characterized by significant physiological, intellectual, and emotional changes (Arnett, 2000). Emerging adults learn to accept responsibility for themselves, make independent decisions, acquire financial independence, and develop a more egalitarian relationship with their parents (Arnett, 2001). This transition comes with increased freedom and autonomy, which many young adults enjoy, but which also requires the greater exercise of executive self-regulatory processes such as self-control and discipline.

For many young adults, this developmental transition coincides with an institutional transition as they graduate from high school and begin university, with the latter often involving separation from family and social support networks, an increased academic burden, and the need to define academic and professional goals. This double transition therefore has the potential to expose them to significant life stress, anxiety, and uncertainty (Tusaie & Dyer, 2004). This snapshot is the second in a three-part series reporting on key findings from The Road After study about Branksome Hall graduates’ experiences in their first year of university. Branksome Hall is an all-girls’ K-12 International Baccalaureate school* in Toronto, Canada. The study focuses on alums’ well-being during their first year, the changes they experienced at the time, and how they coped with them.

.

References

American College Health Association. (2013). National College Health Assessment II: Reference group executive summary spring 2013. American College Health Association.

Anderson, L.W., Jacobs, J., Schramm, S., & Splittgerber, F. (2000). School transitions: Beginning of the end or a new beginning? International Journal of Educational Research, 33, 325–339.

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood. A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469–480.

Arnett, J. J. (2001). Conceptions of the transition to adulthood: Perspectives from adolescence through midlife. Journal of Adult Development, 8(8), 133–143.

Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1992). Modeling cognitive adaptation: A longitudinal investigation of the impact of individual differences and coping on college adjustment and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 755–765.

Baldwin, D. R., Chambliss, L. N., & Towler, K. T. (2003). Optimism and stress: An African– American college student perspective. College Student Journal, 37(2), 276-285.

Bayram, N., & Bilgel, N. (2008). The prevalence and socio–demographic correlations of depression, anxiety, and stress. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43, 667-672. doi:10.1007/s00127-008-0345-x

Beeber, L. S. (1999). Testing an explanatory model of the development of depressive symptoms in young women during a life transition. Journal of American College Health, 47, 227–235

Brissette, I., Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (2002). The role of optimism in social network development, coping and psychological adjustment during a life transition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(1), 102-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.82.1.102

Boujut et al. (2009). La santé mentale chez les étudiants: Suivi d’une cohorte en première année d’université. In Annales Médicopsychologiques, revue psychiatrique. 167(9), 662–668. doi:10.1016/j.amp.2008.05.020

Chemers, M. M., Hu, L. T., & Garcia, B. F. (2001). Academic self-efficacy and first year college student performance and adjustment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 55.

Conley, D., McGaughy, C., Davis-Molin, W., Farkas, R., & Fukuda, E. (2014). International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: Examining college readiness [Report prepared for the IBO]. International Baccalaureate Organization.

Dawson, M., & Pooley, J. A. (2013). Resilience: The role of optimism, perceived parental autonomy support and perceived social support in first year university students. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 1(2), 38–49.

Hiester, M., Nordstrom, A., & Swenson, L. M. (2009). Stability and change in parental attachment and adjustment outcomes during the first semester transition to college life. Journal of College Student Development, 50(5), 521–538.

Ibrahim, A. K., Kelly, S. J., Adams, C. E., & Glazebrook, C. (2013). A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47, 391–400.

Leary, K. A., & DeRosier, M. E. (2012). Factors promoting positive adaptation and resilience during the transition to college. Psychology, 3(12), 1215.

Marcotte, D., Villatte, A., & Potvin, A. (2014). Resilience factors in students presenting depressive symptoms during the postsecondary school transition. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 159, 91–95.

Marcotte, D., Diallo, T. M., & Paré, M. L. (2018). Adjustment to college and prediction of depression during post-secondary transition. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 33(4), 727–748.

Noel, L., Levitz, R., & Saluri, D. (1985). Increasing student retention: Effective programs and practices for reducing dropout rate. Jossey-Bass.

Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1992). Effects of optimism on psychological and physical well-being: Theoretical overview and empirical update. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 201–228.

Taylor, M. L., & Porath, M. (2006). Reflections on the International Baccalaureate program: Graduates’ perspectives. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 17(3), 21–30.

Tinto, V. (1982). Defining dropout: A matter of perspective. In E.T. Pascarella (Ed.), Studying student attrition (pp. 3–16). Jossey-Bass.

Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

Tusaie, K., & Dyer, J. (2004). Resilience: A historical review of the construct. Holistic Nursing Practice, 18(1), 3–10.

Tusaie, K., Puskar, K., & Sereika, S. M. (2007). A predictive and moderating model of psychosocial resilience in adolescents. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 39(1), 54–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2007.00143.x

Share this post

Keywords / Tags
  • Well-Being

Address

Branksome Hall
10 Elm Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada
M4W 1N4

Contact

1-416-920-9741
admissions@branksome.on.ca

Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Wendat, the Seneca and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.*


*The Land Acknowledgement may evolve as we honour our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous communities.

© 2025 Branksome Hall. All rights reserved.