Freshman experiences at the university. An approach from the French sociology of education

Abstract

Based on research in the French sociology of education on the experience of students in the mass university, the article considers the way in which first-year students deal with their transition to a chilean public university. Through data reported from eight focus groups with 42 students from the University of Santiago de Chile, it showed that first-year experience constitutes a complex socialization process scarred by a series of discontinuities regarding the school: strong decline in previous academic evidence, deficit in academic preparation attributed to school education, and a readjustment of routines and habits to manage time and study. The conclusions highlight the contributions of the study and propose a research agenda for future studies in the area.