This, the first of two chapters on the transition from school and home to university, addresses general principles of the nature of transitions. All significant transitions involve normal healthy grieving what is lost (‘homesickness’), alongside rebuilding helpful structures and finding new relationships. Concepts of ‘thresholders’ and ‘transition aged youth’ are discussed alongside growing evidence that dynamic changes in the adolescent brain and mind continue longer than previously thought. Other life transitions are considered from an interpersonal perspective, acknowledging that parents and other family members simultaneously experience disruptive role transitions when a student leaves the family. Individual differences and diverse backgrounds make it difficult to know how much adult capacity can be realistically expected of new students. A list of ‘readiness skills’ is provided for consideration, without the expectation that these will all be mastered before leaving home and school. The author suggests that university need not be the automatic immediate option for school leavers and discusses benefits of using wider criteria than the purely academic to choose a university. Finally induction courses, summer schools and other ways of preparing for university are discussed. These include the peer expectation of using alcohol to manage the inevitable social challenges.