GMAT Verbal Section | With university lecture halls rivaling small-concert venues in terms

With university lecture halls rivaling small-concert venues in terms of the number of those in attendance, it is incumbent upo incoming freshmen--most long coddled in an intimate learning environment--to become adept at navigating the treacherous waters of anonymity.

what is the meaning of this sentence. i know all the meaning of the words but did not come up a sense.

---