First-Generation Students Retention

Many colleges and universities throughout the United States and several other countries face a common problem. Student retention is a growing problem across the nation for all ethnic groups and all ages. Each individual who chooses to drop out of school has their own personal reasons as to why they do. However, many drops out can be completely avoided. When students drop out they are not clearly thinking about how it’s going to affect their future, the future of their children and even grandchildren. Although there are several reasons as to why students drop out of school, we will be exploring a few as it relates to why student retention is a growing problem.

First generation students are characterized as unprepared for college. The Latino first generation is so pervasive and over population that many Latino first generation do not have a affliction as those whose family has been in the United States for a while. A first generation student especially that is Latino, are usually from income are notoriously low compare those to all American family. Over the past decade, the latino population has grown from 35.3 million to 50.5 million , composing 16.3 percent of the total population. In fact, more than half of the growth in the total population in the U.S from 2000 to 2010 can be attributed to the increase in the Latino population. Latinos clearly constitute a vital population of the U.S population. Only 37% of Latino high school complete between the 18 and 24 are enrolled in college and one at of ten hold a college degree. Overall , there household plays a huge part into the minds of a first generation

Getting first-generation students to college is only half the battle; the other half is keeping them there (petty,2014) Understanding the barriers of first generations is important so college and universities can be more mindful the difficulties student face. Being aware of related issues regarding the access resources and obstacles on achieving a college degree, can allow institutions to provide support programs to help minorities with the resources needed to complete their education. Information provided in this article is a step in the right direction as it offers a starting point for research investigating barriers beyond the cost of college for first-generation college students.

First generation college students are those who are seeking to be the first in their family to earn a degree, according to UCLA. First- generation students can come from low, middle, or high income families without a history of going to college. Families of first generation students can either be supportive of the students plan for a high education or make them feel family pressure to enter the workforce right after high school like they did. First generation students often do not know their options regarding higher education and have fears about going to college and it’s cost. Currently, 42% of UC undergraduates are first generation.

First generation immigrants face many issues while they are in the public education system, but their issues are greater when they decide to continue their schooling. The access to higher education for first generation immigrants is limited. The biggest concern for them is the affordability of post secondary education. Immigrants

A first-generation college student is the first person in a family to attend college or any type of secondary education. This title “first-generation college student” has created a stigma for so many students making their time in college more difficult than someone who has come from a family of college graduates. First-generation college students often find themselves lost and without the edge of students who come from parents and/or siblings who went to college.

Being given the label "first-generation" by definition means that a student is the first in his or her family to attend and finish with a college degree.

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

Second, another big challenge first generations students face is the lack of guidence.In other words, the students need a helping hand in the new chapter they are about to encounter in their life.The student may not know the time frame to apply to college, the required steps into

Thus, in most cases, the cycle within the family is repeated and the first generation children to go to college are still unsuccessful due to the lack of support from parents who are considered to be a minority within their

In the article, there was comparison to those students whose parents attended college, first generation students are different in various ways. An observed frequency was that, they are less well prepared academically and psychologically for college (Inman & Mayes, 1999). They normally have lower high school GPAs, and have not been part of honors programs, but they are usually aware of their academic problems.

There are many challenges everyone faces as they are going into college. First- generation students tend to face more issues than other students. Many have to overcome more challenges and barriers that other students might not have to face. I believe that first- generation students have more obstacles to face than other students. There are many challenges that first- generation’s students have, whether it be finical aid or struggling with having two different cultures, one being your home life and the other being school. I read a couple articles regarding the subject one is What It’s Like to Be the First person in Your Family to Go to College by Liz Riggs and the other one is Q&A: Stanford 's Hazel Markus on how college culture may affect first-generation students by Brooke Donald. These two articles play a big role in explaining why it is extra difficult being a first- generation student verses not being.

Definitions of who constitutes a first-generation student vary along a continuum in the literature: ranging from students of which neither parent attended college (Ishitani, 2006), neither parent receiving a post-secondary degree (Hertel, 2002; Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004), to neither parent receiving a bachelor’s degree (Choy, 2001). Statistics indicate between 20-40% of each incoming class consists of first-generation students. Specifically, statistics on the prevalence of first-generation students entering at a four year postsecondary institution where neither parent received a bachelor’s degree are approximately 34% (Choy, 2001). With a large percentage of incoming students classifying as first-generation, the academic success or failure of this population has a significant impact on university retention and graduation rates.

On top of the academic adjustments, the shift from high school to college can be socially and emotionally stressful on the part of the students particularly among those who belong to low-income families or those individuals who are the eldest among the family and are most likely to be the first to enter college (Moschetti & Hudley, 2008). Often, transition from high school to college can create financial burden on the part of the parents. Due to inadequate knowledge on how to go about the shift from high school to college, both the students and their parents may need strong support, advice, and guidance from the educational staff (i.e. what the students would expect in taking specific degree, how to financially plan for their expenses, how to get proper funding, and the benefits they will receive after the student is ready to establish a career) (Pascarella et al., 2004). All these explain why a lot of students who enter college are underprepared for the challenges they have to face in college.