AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE TRANSITION OF NEW UNIVERSITY FRESHMEN

This study describes and analyzes the communication perspectives of fr eshmen as they adjust to the new environment and their role as univers ity students during the first academic term of their first year. Our i nterest in the freshman year lies in the transition experiences of new students, examined here through a series of focus group interviews wi th students living on and off campus. This study;Is grounded in an eco logical approach to communication, and focuses on the students' perspe ctives about their experiences vis-a-vis the various levels of their e nvironment during the first academic term. The focal points of analysi s are the immediate setting or microsystem (i.e., the place of residen ce) and the intermediate setting or mesosystem (i.e., relationships am ong family, friends, and school). The implication of these students' p erspectives about the importance of communication is that competent in terpersonal and group communication are as important for them if not m ore important, as the public speaking skills typically taught in funda mental oral communication courses.