In dealing with college students two important words of caution must be sounded. A transitional period is, at best, critical, and easily lends itself to confusion as well as regression. For the purposes of this article the focus will be primarily on the developmental tasks of the traditional college students. However, there is, and will most assuredly continue to be, a rise in the number of non-traditional college students. For this reason the particular developmental tasks of other adult groups will be at least enumerated.
College students are, in most situations, referred to as adults.
However, the vast majority of traditional college students will begin their college careers still manifesting primarily the traits of late adolescence. Although lists of specific developmental tasks will differ somewhat from writer to writer, this list is fairly representative of what one may consider a consensus. In general terms Erikson describes adolescence as a time of struggle between identity and role confusion. The traditional college student is frequently referred to as a young adult. 2. establishing a beachhead in the adult world.