ABSTRACT
For many students the transition from further to higher education is an enormous leap. It occurs at a time when the student is developing as an individual, finding a new maturity in the adult world; it is often an unsettling and difficult social and academic transition. As the quotation above suggests, the experiences of this transition often lead to actions that have a profound effect on a student’s future career opportunities and decisions. This chapter investigates the extent to which the educational experiences in the post-16 and higher education sectors can be developed to provide greater support for the student and for those managing the transition by focusing on the contrast between the two learning environments and the pressures they share to widen participation and to retain students.
