A study examined rural Australian student experiences of the transition to high school. Data were gathered from interviews, questionnaires, and student journals of 10 rural students during the last 5 weeks of primary school and during the first three terms of Year 7 in high school. Findings indicate that students had many anxieties related to the physical environment and organizational culture of high school. The social culture of the high school was also a concern for rural students, particularly the possibility of not having friends and being vulnerable to older students. A third area of concern, personal reactions and adaptations, highlighted the many emotional challenges that students faced during the transition. Students felt scared and nervous about adapting to secondary school but also expressed excitement and anticipation of the forthcoming transition. High schools and their rural feeder schools should develop strategies to lessen the anxiety students experience upon entering high school. Recommendations include using the Internet for meeting future schoolmates and teachers, showing the layout of high schools, and coordinating orientation programs between primary and high school staff. (TD)