...First-generation college students go through great challenges as they navigate their way through secondary education. Although almost every college student encounters hardships during their social, cultural and academic transitions, first-generation college students confront even more challenges due to the several factors such as lack of quality high school preparation for college and little support for attending college. In addition to that, most first-generation college student come from low-income working class backgrounds (Capriccioso 2006). Their graduation and persistence rates are very low in comparison to those whose parents completed a bachelor’s degree. According to the United States Department of Education, approximately 28% of...
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...First-generation college students are defined as students who are from a family where no parent or guardian has earned a baccalaureate degree, a common definition used in most studies (Soria & Steepleton 2012; Choy 2001). Roughly, one third or 32% of undergraduate students are first-generation college students (National Postsecondary Student Aid Study [NPSAS] 2012). It is important we understand the needs of first-generation college students as the number of students entering college increases (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2009) and colleges push to increase retention and graduation rates (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). This essay will argue that retention rates of first-generation college students are much lower compared...
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...As a First Generation college student I believe it is very important to have more than one good trait with you to succeed but if I had to choose one I would say grit. Now, there are five main characteristics of grit which include: Courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals and endurance, resilience, and excellence. I believe I show courage every day especially as a first generation college student, from the day I moved out of the comfort of my home to live in a dormitory full of strangers to the day of my first midterm where I faced the fear of failure. I highly exemplify conscientiousness, being away from a supervising adult such as my parents obviously gave me a sense of freedom but I’m careful with it, I try to not abuse it too much that...
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...The Importance of Understanding the Dilemmas Faced by First-Generation College Students: How Their Perspectives Differ from Continuing-Generation Students The many obstacles faced by first-generation students are some that tend to be unnoticed. These obstacles usually pertain to social economic disadvantages and system faults in higher education institutions. Recent studies show how universities are accountable for selecting the best students based on a function of selection with a higher focus on high social class norms. These norms tend to leave out individuals whose backgrounds are different in the aspect of culture, social, and financial status. The values, ideas, and language use of high social class, inherently being promoted in America’s...
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...Being raised by parents who are first generation college graduates allowed me to recognize the distinction between success and happiness from a young age. They adopted the belief early on in their lives that in order to be successful you must be diligent when fulfilling your responsibilities and that leisure may be appreciated only after such responsibilities were satisfied. They are both educated and industrious, but growing up I often overheard them complaining about their careers and the challenges it imposed onto them. Both of them have been educators for both a public and private school system for more than twenty-five years. They always encouraged me to achieve my goals and pursue a career that I would enjoy just as they had, which seemed slightly hypocritical to me when I was younger because of how regularly I overheard them complaining to each other about their work. As I got older I learned that the source of their resentment came from all of the stressful elements of everyday life, as I had experienced more of these tribulations throughout the years. Despite...
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...Needs of First-Generation College Students Hank R. Austin Arkansas Tech University Examining the Needs of First-Generation College Students Choosing first-generation college students as my sub-population to focus on was an easy decision. I was a first-generation college student. My father never attended high school and my mother never attended school beyond graduation from high school. Considering some of my own personal struggles and experiences, my research, introduced here, will serve to assist me further in reaching out to those students with similar backgrounds. First-generation students are defined as students whose parents have not completed a bachelor’s or an associate degree (Glenn, 2008). Roughly 30% of entering freshmen in the USA are first-generation college students, and 24% (4.5 million) are both first-gens and low income. Nationally, 89% of low-income first-gens leave college within six years without a degree. More than a quarter leave after their first year; four times the dropout rate of higher-income second-generation students (Ramsey & Peale, 2010). Much research has been conducted in the last decade on the issues facing first-generation students. I found that the major issues which have prompted this research are retention and graduation rates. Among students who enrolled in four-year colleges, for example, the first-generation students had a graduation rate of 44.9%, while the rate for non-first-generation students was 59%. Among students who enrolled...
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...For many, going to college is seen as normal and unimportant. They just see it as a few more years of schooling. They don’t realize how great of an opportunity it is to be able to go to a college. For others, it is a privilege to get to go to a university. First generation students are defined as people who come from a family that has not been to college. They are brought up being constantly told the importance of attending college and receiving a degree. Some of the difficulties faced with being a first generation college student are the fact that no one in their family has any real background knowledge on it; the struggle of finances; trying to fit into the college life; and the overwhelming pressure to graduate. First generation college...
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...From my experience as a first-generation college student, I have deeply rooted respect for hard work, meritocracy, and perseverance. I met first hand the challenges of navigating academic bureaucracies, networking among faculty, integrating socially, and grappling with identity shifts from my home community. As a result, I grew self-sufficient and can better empathize and discern the needs of others who are not unaware of available resources and/or feel guilt towards using government-provided support services. More importantly, I feel obligated and humble towards those who have helped me along my path to higher education and in return, I seek to increase veteran health literacy by elevating health services knowledge, encouraging active communication...
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...2015 First-Generation Students Many of the first-generation students do not know the advantages they have about being a first-generation student and how to accomplish their goals but with all advantages there is always disadvantages. What exactly is a first generation student? According to the College Board “First-generation students can come from families with low incomes or from middle or higher-income families without a college education. Some have parents who support their plans for higher education while others are under family pressure to enter the workforce right after high school.” (College Board). Most of these students don’t know much about college and many only know the disadvantages. As a first-generation student one has the ultimate challenge being the first one to pursue a college education. Many of the students are older, married, have children, employed, attend college less than full time, and are less involved in college activities but these students are able to function and thrive in two opposite worlds which is a skill that most second-generation students do not have. There are many advantages of being a first-generation student it gives one more freedom than restrictions. Most second-generation students can’t choose their school or study a field they are truly interested in, because their parents are funding their education and want to make the decision for them but as a first-generation student one is the first to learn the ins and out of college, and...
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...Re: Recognizing Challenges and Predicting Success in First-Generation University Students. First-generation university students are typically defined as those whose parents have not earned bachelor's degrees, in contrast with continuing-generation students, who have at least one parent with a bachelor's degree (Stebleton & Soria, 2012). The number of first-generation university students in the US has steadily increased (Engle & Tinto, 2008), comprising about 21% of the student population (Pryor, Hurtado, DeAngelo, Blake, & Tran, 2010). Low-income and ethnic minority students are frequently the first members of their families to attend a university (Bui, 2002; Engle & Tinto, 2008; Hertel, 1992;...
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...The Concern of College Dropout rates in The United States RES/351 October 31, 2013 Dr. Albert Smothers The Concern of College Dropout rates in The United States The United States is known for spending a great deal of funds on higher education. However in recent years statistics have revealed a high rate of college students fail to obtain their bachelor’s degrees. Currently 42% of college enrolled students fail to complete their education for bachelor’s degrees. Both educators and economists see this as an issue that can impact the country economically and the overall quality of life (Dunn, W. 2013). Purpose of the Research The purpose of our organizations study is to determine the correlation between a student’s level of preparation for higher education and the national dropout rate of colleges in the United States. Specifically, this study will focus on students that attended four year universities with intentions of obtaining their bachelor’s degree, however, they ended up leaving school without this degree. Many people pursue college degrees to obtain specific disciplines and higher education in order to become successful and contributing members of society. However, many of these students are exposed for the first time to environments or challenges that college may present with no preparation or ability to adapt and complete their degree programs. Dropping out of college could potentially impact ones future income earnings and quality of life (Dunn, W. 2013). The...
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...opportunity summit, policy makers and higher education leaders announced over 100 new initiatives designed to bolster first-generation and low-income students’ college success. While students who overcome the odds to gain access to college bring with them significant grit and resilience, the road through college is often a rocky one. First Lady Michelle Obama described the obstacles that first-generation and low-income students commonly confront. No stranger to these challenges, she said: You’re in a whole new world. You might have trouble making friends because you don’t see any peers who come from a background like yours. You might be worried about paying for classes, and food, and room and board because you have never had to set your own budget before. You might be feeling guilty when you call home because Mom and Dad are wondering why you didn’t get a job so you could help support their family. Those are the kinds of obstacles these kids are facing right from day one. Even among the select group that make it to college, first-generation and low-income students, on average, find it harder to fit in, receive lower grades, and drop out at higher rates than do students from higher income backgrounds with college-educated parents (i.e., continuing-generation students). Study after study demonstrates that the financial, academic, and psychological barriers that these students encounter can significantly undermine their performance. The summit shined the national policy spotlight on...
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...The Affects of Family Support on College Students Missouri State University The Affects of Family Support on College Students Attending College is often a huge step to many students, but having an involved parent can be key to a student’s success in college. Having an involved parent can be a helpful source of insight, a shoulder to lean on when they stumble, a cheerleader to encourage and praise their successes, and a place of safety and rest. But researchers have found that first-generation college students receive far less emotional, informational and financial support from their parents than continuing-generation students (Rhoades, G. K., & Wood, L. F, 2014). Rationale As the number of students attending college rises every year, it is important for students of the future to have a positive support system behind them. Attending college is the start to achieving a higher social class and becoming part of the thirty percent of people with a college degree in the United State. For the future of education and employment, it has concerned researchers and practitioners about the amount of families not supporting their children of their education choices. The purpose of conducting further research on the lack of family support of college students is to expand on the research by Piorkowski, G. K. (1983), Rhoades, G. K., & Wood, L. F. (2014), Wei, M., Yeh, C. J., Chao, R. C., Carrera, S., & Su, J. C. (2013) and Oshikawa, S. (1968) to use their findings to add...
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...In Kenneth Oldfield's article "Humble and Hopeful: Welcoming First Generation Poor and Working Class Students to College," he discusses the situation he faced when he had no role models who have experienced college. He argues that there should be more done for first generation students. He wished he had known more about college. Oldfield discusses six specific lessons that he wishes he knew before he started college as a first generation student. I relate most to the second lesson—“I wish I had known the real purpose of college before I started.” I relate most to the second lesson because I am a first generation student and I didn’t have anyone to tell me what the real purpose of college is. Like the author, I assumed that the purpose of...
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...November 19, 2012 Final Project: First-Generation College Students First for Everything No two people have the same experiences due to the fact that every person is different, whether it be a difference in background, education, or skin color, something separates everyone. When attending college, you become exposed to to even more differences between everyone. Students come from various backgrounds, including some students being the first in their family to attend college. These particular students are also known as first-generation college students. The hard-work and dedication of these students should not go unnoticed because they struggle differently due to them going into college blind in a sense. They do not know what to expect when going into college because proper guidance is lacked which leaves them at a disadvantage opposed to their counterparts who have family that are experiencing or have experienced the college life. However, a negativity or positivity of a person background does not determine their future, but rather the hardworking ethic and dedication it takes to succeed. “Fischer (2007) reported that black and Hispanic students are more often FGS than their white or Asian counterparts, and they also tend to have lower socioeconomic status backgrounds. Fischer added that the students also experience another disadvantage of being minorities on predominantly white campuses.” (Confronting First-Generation College Students) Researchers argue that family...
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