This study investigated the process of transitioning to the first year of college from a single-family household. The topic of the transition to the first year of college has frequently been studied; however, it has not been studied from the perspective of the population of students coming from a single-parent home. A qualitative, grounded theory approach was utilized to address the research question, "How do first-year college students, from a single-parent household, experience the process of adjusting to college?" The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of this transition to develop a theory to identify the process of transitioning to college from the perspective of students from a single-parent home. The data generated a theory that identified this transitional experience as a process of adjusting to changes in support systems that occurs within the process of developing a sense of self and self-awareness. The emerging theory identified that there are multiple components that contribute to self-development and awareness, which is necessary for a successful transition to the first year of college. The results of this study provided support needed for risk identification for students that do not have adequate support systems, which contributes to self-development and awareness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]