What Is a First-Generation College Student?
What Is a First-Generation College Student? Understanding and Recognizing Who First-Generation College Students Are First-Generation college students comprise an American socio-economic group often overlooked in society. College is a defining moment in every individual’s life, however for first-generation college students, this is less of a tradition and rather more of an occurrence that changes the life of such individuals. If you have ever heard the phrase ‘First Generation College student’ and wondered what it implies, you are in the right place. This article means to demystify the study and the term ‘first generation’, research what lies behind such, and such students as mentioned above.
An Outline of First-Generation College Students Without going round in circles, first-generation college student definition is that this is a person who goes to school for the first time within his or her family nuclear unit. This generally implies that at least one of the students’ parents is not a holder of a bachelor’s degree at the very least. While this word is self-explanatory, the meaning of it may be context specific depending on the college or organization.
Some colleges consider students as first generation if their parents did not reach any level of tertiary education while some others consider including students whose parents had ever attended college for a short period without graduating. In either case, being a first-generation student means studying at a higher learning institution without the learners kith and kin experience of what it is to be a student and all the joys or assistance that many other students take for granted.
Duress Experienced by First College Generation Scholars
Of course seeking and completing higher learning is good but for the first generation students, it is a battle worth winning. Here are a few examples of what most of them practice:
Lack of Familiarity with College Processes
As a result of their parent’s inabilities to attend college, first generation learners are deprived of that ‘insider knowledge’ about how the whole system of higher education works. Administrative chores such as the FAFSA form, financing options or course selection, can be overly complex for some of these children in the absence of a facilitator. They might have to seek help from their primary school guidance or other websites to get through the intricate college admission procedures.
Limitation of finances
Most of the first generational students are from poor backgrounds hence they bear great economic pressure. They might have to secure a part time or even full-time employment while still in college in order to pay for tuition, fees and living expenses. Even though bursaries, scholarships and student loans might go some way in addressing this problem, that of economical management whilst trying to perform academically is a stoop that is reached however which adds to struggles.
Lack of Social Support
Certain students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education may experience a limiting support scope as compared to their contemporaries. Most of the time, many families take pride in what their first-generation graduates achieve, but they hardly appreciate the challenges and expectations of college life. Because of this gap of understanding, some students may feel overly alienated or may even experience a tinge of discomfort for pursuing higher learning while there are other pressing issues back at home.
Academic Adjustments
There is no optimistically pretending that the adjustment from high school to college studies is anything less than seismic, and so students from homes with no such academic exposure often feel ill prepared for college. For these students, an absence of a parent who has endured such an academic challenge means that forming healthy study schedules or even time management plans might prove difficult. Further, they may have a fear of seeking assistance because they do not understand that such facilities like tutoring or academic counseling are easy to come by.
Cultural and Identity Conflicts
The act of attaining higher education among first generation college students in some cases creates a rift with their families. In particular, for migrants or minorities where the perspective of education is viewed as stepping away from the set path. Keeping the balance between the pull of one’s cultural/familial obligations and the self-identity embraced within college is daunting.
Strengths of First-Generation College Students
Unfortunately, such issues are still existent among first generation students as they work towards addressing their academic reporting and paperwork expectations. In the course of addressing these issues, first generation students acquire certain attributes that can be assets. The very aspect of resilience and ability to adapt and the willingness to achieve, especially in high school, can be useful resources for academic achievement.
Resilience: Temper Changes and Focus more on Goals
First-generation students are better far better able to break down perceived obstacles. The ability to withstand difficult circumstances or situations is also a valuable quality; perhaps more so in this context as it will come in handy in college and at work.
Motivation: Overcoming Barriers to Formulate Successful Strategies for Change
Most font-generation students are self-driven because they consider education a bridge to better lives for both themselves and their families. They sometimes feel a sense of accomplishment as well as obligation being the first people to go to college, which renders them pursuing their course despite the odds.
Resourcefulness: Learning to develop problem-solving Research Strategies
Because first generation students don’t have a built in safety net, self-service is something that they begin to foster. They try to help themselves in problem solving- whether it is finding mentors, using the available resources in the university or creating other ways of getting help. This self-reliance is an important asset that helps them overcome various difficulties both in class and outside class.
A Useful Perspective: Seeing the Same Issues but Loosening the Constraints Placed on the Individual’s Perspective
Due to the nature of the background of first generation college students, they are a source of new ideas in a college setup. Their experiences can enhance the debate in classrooms, add to the variety of opinions, and expand the worldview of both grades and teachers.
Colleges and Universities Harness Resources to Aid First-Generation College Students
Understanding that there are barriers that first-generation students encounter, quite a number of colleges and universities provide definite services to assist these students to excel. A few of these may comprise of:
Paths of team-based mentorship that connects first-generation students with experienced members of faculty, staff, or students who can don as “big brothers and sisters”.
Support groups for first generation students who are more likely than not to feel alienated and out of place in college where most students are from homes where the parents are graduates.
Part-time employment of students on or off campus as work study such as in library or clinics or in the academic support services like tutoring or writing assistance centers.
Other non teaching related faculty services such as remediations for course assignments correlated with writing course focused primarily on writing guides rather than on the content of a thousand-two thousand words.
Such resources enable first-generation students to effectively understand the process of going to college and its life and the expectations that they must meet.
Go to Homepage
Conclusion
Just like any other circumstance, being a trailblazer has both its pros and its cons. First-generation collegians might find it tough to enroll in higher learning institutions and complete their studies compared to their counterparts, nevertheless, they have their strong points that can propel them to success. It is clear that, with the proper exposure, first-generation college students will flourish in college and set a good foundation for those who will come after.
