Becoming a Student: Management of Transition to Higher Education among First-Generation Students’

Abstract

This study investigates the identity formation of first-generation students during their transition to university in the Czech Republic, while also reflecting the impact of COVID-19-related distance learning. Drawing upon qualitative interviews (N=25), the study explores their relationship with their studies. The findings, presented as identity trajectories,highlight how the formation of the student identity is based upon the interaction of multiple factors. The first trajectory represents students who resist the student identity, the significant reason is that they see being a student in opposition to being an adult. The second trajectory encompasses various student journeys: Some experienced significantshifts from their initial approach to studying, including those who overcommitted and burned out, some became distracted and found it hard to focus and still others found themselves unprepared for the demands of university scholarship. The final trajectory depicts students who smoothly adjusted, facilitated by disciplinary interest and lecturer support. Interestingly, the experience of COVID-19 played an unpredictable role, weakening learning engagement for some but providing time to focus on studies for others, shifting their identity trajectories. Overall, the study underscores the importance of tailored drop-out prevention interventions that acknowledge the diverse pathways through which students navigate their identity formation.