Transition and attrition: a sociological investigation

Student transition to university is a milestone for most people seeking a higher education. The range of environments from which prospective students emerge to engage in study at university is as diverse as the student population. Yet the ideal of a ‘seamless ’ transition to higher education is conditioned by mediating social, cultural, and political factors, in addition to those of an individual psychological and personal nature. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the sociological aspects of attrition, incorporating a social circumstance perspective that positions attrition as a response to particular political and social contexts and circumstances