First Generation College Students

Being a first-generation student has had a big impact on my life in many ways. Learning from my parent's lack of higher education, I realized that attending college is invaluable in moving past the working class and seeking a higher level career. By using their failure as an example, I have become highly motivated to pursue my education further and have maintained a 3.8 GPA throughout my first year at this institution-- I plan to maintain the highest possible GPA I can.

Tanjula Petty addresses challenges that first-generation college students face during their college career. Petty states that forty-three percent of first-generation students who attend post-secondary institutions leave college without completing a degree. The author examines two motivation theories explaining how each increases first-generation student academic success.

Across universities throughout the United States, the presence of first-generation college students is on the rise (Stephens 1). Students whose parents do not have a degree of higher education, are being given the opportunity to shape their future for the better as they embark on a journey to receiving a four year degree unlike their parents who were not given such an opportunity. With the number of first-generation college students on the rise from the past, I became interested in seeing how the views, relationships, and ideas of these students was unique, and how they differed from the average student attending a university; an average student coming from at least a

Inspiring and encouraging Chicano students to attend college, especially first generation students, has been a movement lead by many clubs, organizations, and by teachers who are passionate about their careers. Thus, “first generation students” is a term that states that a student does not have a record of previous generations attending college. Usually, students classified as such come from low income families as well as from poor neighborhood communities. That is to say, many of these individuals are also minorities such as African Americans and Chicano students. Also, public schools in low income areas tend to have poorly taught material in school. Consequently, there exists a direct correlation between race and poverty that portrays a

It is a new chapter in my life being a first generation college student in which I'm having mix emotions of nervousness and excitement. I have this amazing opportunity to become independent and focus on my goals. San Francisco State has many organizations, clubs, and activities that I can involve in and wonderful people on campus. I imagine college to be an amazing experience in which I can learn who I am and I expect to meet wonderful people.

Research of first -generation students started to increase in the in the early 1970s. During this same time, universities began to solidify the classification of these students by developing guidelines for the first-generation classification and outreach programs for the disadvantaged students (not your typical). This classification and outreach programming took place due to a scarcity of college first-generation student enrollment. Currently, 50% of all college students are first-generation students and 4-year institutions have a first-generation student rate of 34%

Molly Bang’s article “Nine Ways Colleges Should Support Underrepresented Students”, advised “remind students they are not alone.” If first-generation college students have a support system or a mentor, then they are more likely to be comfortable in high school to college transition rather than they feel overwhelmed and stress. However, there is a high chance that they will need financial assistance to pay school, housing, and expenses.

The shift from high school to college involves a change in identity from a simple high school student to a professional college undergraduate. According to Stephen et al (2012) the school system focuses on “independent” variables, while first generation students need a more “interdependent” environment to thrive. These two variables will be explained in more depth further in the paper. Also, other research articles found that first-generation college student (FGCS) cannot benefit from their parents’ experiences in preparing for and applying to college (Sanez et al, 2007). As a result, FGCS are less exposed to the support and other contributing aspects that provide preparation to their peers, continuing-generation student (CGS), as they go through college (Mehta et al, 2011).

As a first generation college student, I found it quite difficult navigating through a four year institution during years I attended Northwestern State University. From the struggles of financial stability to the challenge of balancing school and personal life with little to no guidance, the journey through my collegiate career was quite troublesome to say the least. As an African American male with a father who was incarcerated, I already felt as if a stigma had been placed on me that I would succumb to the typical stereotype of multiple children out of wedlock and the distribution of narcotics as a primary source of income. With that in my mind and the hopes of my family on my shoulders, I set out and accomplished my goal of graduating from

First generation college students have a difficult time from the start. They may not have the guidance, backing and understanding given by families with primary understanding of secondary education. (Dynarski n. page) These students without this experienced support at home, have an increased drop-out rate.

While parental support is essential for prospective first-generation college students as they apply to college, researchers have consistently found that parents of prospective first-generation college students lack the knowledge necessary to help their children through what can be a challenging process (Bell, Rowan-Kenyon & Perna, 2009; Bui & Rush, 2016; Gibbons et al., 2006; Roderick et al, 2011). As a result, prospective first-generation college students and their parents must heavily rely upon their high school counseling offices to assist them with the college application process. However, the role of high school counseling offices in regards to helping students prepare for college remains quite vague. For instance, less advantaged

There are many challenges that first generation students face in pursuit of a college degree:

I have always been my own motivator and it has not always been easy. Being a first-generation college student meant going it on my own, making mistakes and learning from them. At the start of my college adventure I met Professor Michelle Field who introduced me to more than my love of Anthropology, but looking back she is now my inspiration to want to teach Anthropology. This was not something I knew coming into college, but some of the greatest things in life come together when you least expect them, you just have to be flexible. Moving to Bellingham to finish my undergraduate degree came at the most difficult time in my life only days after losing a parent, but Western Washington University became my new home and offered the fresh start I needed and the opportunity to continue to develop as a student that I so deeply craved.

The article “Motivating Firs-Generation Students For Academic Success and College Completion” by Tanjula Petty describes the additional challenges first generation students have to overcome while attending college. A well-heeled diversity and world of opportunities are a few of the positive outcomes of attending college. According to Tanjula Petty (2014), “Yet, the most cited and widely used definition for first- generation students is someone whose parents has not completed a college degree”. Students whose parents did not acquire a college degree, have a lack of support at home. Their family members are not equipped to provide information required for college difficulties students may have. They lack knowledge and resources that students that students with college-educated parents have. The article states that these students are less psychologically prepared for college. Many low-income families do not understand the benefits of graduating from college. First generation students spend more time working and less time studying unlike their classmates. (Petty 2014) Coming from low-income families, many of these students have to divide their time between college and working. Leading students to prioritize money before school. Many work full time while going to school. Working more hours than studying can potentially harm students ' success.

Being a first generation college student is a heavy load to carry due to the constant reminder of having to be a good role model for my siblings. Children of immigrants are often highly expected to excel in their academics and to be involved in extracurricular activities. His/her parent immigrated to the “Land of The Free” in order to receive a better life and to give their children a place to call home. They work from one to two jobs a week just so that we can dig through the pantry, and raid the refrigerator. We sometimes take our parents for granted unknowingly, and constantly fill our heads with a question that we all seem to ask. “How do I please my parents?”, “What do I have to do to make them happy?”. As students we should all be voicing “College!”. Yes, maybe our folks’s dreams have faded away, however that should be our motivation to aim higher; to achieve our American Dream. Throughout our years of education, our very own relatives and teachers have emphasized on the importance of receiving a higher education. I have come to realize that I should not be asking myself “How do I please my parents?”. Instead, “How do I please myself?”, “What will my lifetime goals be?”, “Will it leave my parents hard work in vain?”. Obtaining a higher education will not impact their lives, but will affect yours drastically. My American Dream has always been to become an immigration lawyer that deals with international relations or to become a professor teaching my true passion for