My Motivation To Become A First-Generation College Student

A desire for higher education is continuously increasing within the Hispanic community. The obstacles sometimes are because of tradition but many wish to facilitate and influence the community to strive for a better education. In the article "Desire for Higher Education in First-Generation Hispanic College Students”, Tamara Olive, researches the experiences of students with the desire for a higher education and a better future. The constituents, resulting from the research innate to the experience of the desire for a better education.

My mom immigrated from India to America in her adolescence and later was the first in our family to attend college and get a degree. I want to follow in her footsteps and go and get a college education and prove to her that I did not take all the back-breaking hours of work that both my mom and dad put in for granted, and to prove that I am willing to work hard. My parents both came to America with a couple dollars and a dream, and they were able to provide for me with little outside help. I am fortunate for this situation, and many, like me, have not had such lucky childhoods, and this has shaped my aspirations and goals in life. I want to go into the medical field in order to one day help other people. I want to make a living out of helping

I started North Park University, a week before everyone else, within a program called COMPASS. This program is to help smooth first generation student’s transition to college and build a strong group of friends to start college on the right path. In COMPASS, I met some of my close friends. We help one another whenever we need help: we have study sessions, emotional support for one another, hang out whenever we just need a little break, and much more. A month into school I was offered a job at my school as a student worker and I gladly accepted it. Since I was living on campus my first year this was an amazing accomplishment for me: I achieved some connections and a wide variety of networking opportunities if ever need them in the future.

The WISE student summer research placement would be a tremendous help for me in finding out not only what type of science I enjoy to study the most but the program would also provide many beneficial opportunities for me. For example the program would provide beneficial learning experiences, the chance to meet new people with the potential to gain new lifelong friends, and new skills that will benefit me and potentially others further down the road in a workplace. The most beneficial opportunity the WISE student summer research program would provide for me is the unforgettable experience and fun of learning new things.

Attending the University of Michigan is, without a doubt, one of the best decisions I have ever made. My classes have forced me to grow as a student and have undoubtedly presented an intellectual challenge that I had not previously experienced in my academic career; however, when choosing where to pursue my bachelor’s degree, I did not initially evaluate the financial cost that this would place upon both my parents’ and my shoulders. Between my sister, a recent University of Michigan graduate, and I both attending this institution as out of state students, you can imagine the collective financial strain that this has placed upon all of our shoulders. If you add on the cost of my aspirations for medical school, the cost of my higher education

I always see things in surface and never go deep. But when my life has no longer the same since 2008, I miss the time when I can smile like a child. I can't do before think because all I have on my shoulders is my family. I try hard to accommodate to a new and strange environment where it at the end strengthens me to a better me.

We live in a society that the further you explore your education, the better chance you have in living a fulfilling lifestyle. I re-enroll to Allen School for medicine and science to reach my goals on better myself as a person. By becoming a student in the field of medicine and to widen my horizon. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete this program at the beginning of January due to a setback, from my parents. My dad was not willing to help me further my education because of financial reasons nor his wife because of their separation.

What motivates me to go to college is my teenage daughter. She is my inspiration to better myself and my family .We has been through a lot in the last 10 years and this motivates me to better myself and my family.

The medical field and the military intrigue me. My father and sister are in the military: military runs in my blood. I also want to become an anesthesiologist because, through my trips to the hospital - due to my mother’s illnesses and my common colds- I have fallen in love with medicine. I’m pursuing a medical career, with the biomedical degree I dream to receive in college. Neither of my parents went to college right after high school, but both made sure to receive college degrees.  My parents play an essential part in helping me reach my goals.

I utilized the University of North Florida’s search bar through the library to find my article. I typed into the search bar “motivating first generation college students”. I wanted to find research that explored different ways utilized by institutions to motivate and retain their first generation college students. This article is from the NASPA Journal which is a journal I have used frequently in the past as it is most directly related to my chosen field. The reference for the article found is:

Being the first generation to go to college is a proud accomplishment, but I,’m really stress and anxiety about the process. I’ve so many challenges in the past, so this is just another challenge to reach my biggest goal. My parents didn’t go to college, but they’re the smartest people that I have know. They taught me so much and get me ready for life, I didn’t give up on anything because of them. By the age of thirteen, my family moved to America. Everything is just very hard for my family because of the different language and lifestyle. I was struggling with school, friend, and getting bullied for being different. At one point, I have to fake being sick just to skip school, but then my family helped me to realize my dream. I started from the bottom and to who I am today. I study so hard and very patient about getting to fully understand the lecture and getting a good grade on the tests. My parents are strict but never forced me to do anything, and because of that, it made me want to study more. I have lived in Boston for one year, and I was in the ESL program, that everything I learned was easy because I have helped from the Vietnamese teacher. My family decided to move to Lubbock, TX, because of family problems. Texas is where I actually study as a normal student. The school was very hard during my freshman year in high school because I didn't have any help, so I study like a robot every day. Since I was so behind compared to others. I actually have to stay up till one every day to study and catch up to what I have lost. I did it and so proud of what I have accomplished in a short amount of time. My GPA was 3.2 by the end of freshman year, and it's 3.73

To survive college, incoming freshman should gain some form of independence before attending college. They could start managing money by saving, and not spending the money on unnecessary items. Incoming freshman can also set a budget for things they use daily, so they can know how much they will need for necessities and things they may want. Also, they can prepare for college exams by studying and taking the SAT and ACT. The SAT and ACT tests high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The purpose of the tests is to see if they are ready for college work. High school students should take it seriously, so when they attend the college of their choosing the work would not be as hard. Additionally, incoming freshman should learn how to prioritize.

What three things initially motivated me to start college; first was being the sole sibling in the household without a college degree. Secondly, while completing a job application, I realized my highest level of education I could write down was “High School”. This was inexcusable, in my heart I knew I could rearrange my extracurricular activities, buckle down and earn my degree. Lastly, one of the biggest reasons; if not, the most important motivational reason was the personal challenge to myself. I knew better as a parent the importance of education, especially having the access, and means to professional engineers who could help me along the way. Above all as a fierce competitor, I’m no stranger to hard work, adversity or even failure, when

I am a confident, honest, and driven man who wants to revolutionize the world. Although I do not have straight A’s, I believe my experiences and perspective on life will allow me to succeed at the University of California. Growing up I moved around, experienced different walks of life, encountering various people and cultures living in places like Compton, Long Beach, San Pedro, and Torrance. I have multiple perspectives on what it means to struggle, therefore I want to go to college to help everyone.

All my life, I have grown up with a family around me whose furthest level of education was minuscule. They have all tried to encourage me to focus on school so I had options, unlike them. It had never crossed my mind that I had the chance to become what I wanted despite my background until I spoke to my cousin in Mexico. She had just graduated from medical school and had become a cardiologist. She became the first doctor in our family and it was such a rare thing for me. I had always tried my best in school but it was not until that moment that I felt a drive and desire to succeed. Since then I have persevered and pushed myself to continue to learn each and everyday.