First Generation College Students

Colleges Need Programs to Aid Struggling First Generation Students

A first generation student expresses frustrations about connecting to campus life: “We all want to be a part of the university. I just don’t know how…”, and another student helps finish by adding, “…how to act. I am proud of my roots. But who I am doesn’t fit in with who these other people are” (Lowery-Hart and Pacheco 62). First generation college students can be defined differently by many organizations, but they basically are the first in their respective families to attend and/ or complete a four year college or university to obtain a bachelor’s degree (Soria and Stebleton 7). Students face many obstacles on the road to college, and can experience even more difficulty once

they get into a university. Thayer and Willett emphasis in regards to first generations students that, “parents and/or close relatives are not equipped to provide information required for college (Petty 258).

First generation college students may not come from schools and homes that provide any information about how college works or how to do well when getting there. It is important for all students to know or at least have some idea about navigating life in college, but for first generation students this knowledge is not easily gained. Colleges should create programs such as peer mentoring for first generation students, because they can share their knowledge and experience and make it easier to adjust. These programs can potentially help improve the retention rate among these students, and that kind of positive attention can only generate more money for universities around the country. This issue concerns all people who consider an educated work force as an essential part of a successful economy. This includes those in charge of

educating our youth, especially universities, and people who own businesses.
Looking at the way first generation students behave in college, we can see the many problems they face. First generation students often do not know what to expect from colleges and universities. Lack of knowledge can leave them feeling vulnerable and frustrated, because it can all be too much. Hicks establishes, “that first-generation students have dissimilar expectations of college, poorer academic abilities, lack of social preparation, lack of self-esteem, and more financial constraints (Petty 258). Many first generation students are simply unprepared for college mentally. When students have to learn new ways of thinking, problems can arise that make it harder to do well in the controlled environment known as a college campus. The National Center for Education Statistics’ Beginning Postsecondary Study reported that “first generation students are four times more likely to leave higher education after the 1st year than non-first generation students” (Stebleton and Soria 8). Many first generation college students need help adjusting to college life. Stebleton and Soria contend that “low-income and first-generation students are less likely to be engaged in the academic and social experiences that foster success in college, such as studying in groups, interacting with faculty and other students, participating in extracurricular activities, and using support services” (Stebleton and Soria 8). Not being able to easily connect and understand other college students can cause first generation students to suffer. In other words, first generation students are not aware of all the resources available to them that help them to graduate and succeed. In summary, being conscious of resources and an active participant in campus activities is vital to all students regardless of their individual backgrounds. It is obvious that this comes more naturally to continuing generation students, whose parents have more often than not already explained what college is all about and what is available to them. Universities often provide many resources to all students, like the Student Success Center we have on our campus at Valdosta State University. Things like free tutors and conferencing with instructors can be a big help to first generation students, but they have to be aware of them. First generation students make up a small portion of enrolled students. Wirt et al., write, “22% of first year college students were first-generation college students” (qtd. in Blackwell and Pinder 46). This number obviously makes them a minority on campus. There are plenty of minority students capable of going to college and obtaining a degree. We must help this minority overcome their obstacles.
College can be awesome experience, when you embrace the idea of meeting new people of different backgrounds. However, first generations students may experience culture shock. Culture shock happens when people of higher status and lower status blend together, and it can cause first generation students to feel alienated. The fact is these students want and need to make friends and establish healthy relationships. Cushman asserts that, “differences in income, social styles, and even speech patterns cause many first-generation students to feel like outsiders” (Cushman 45). Being different from peers can cause feelings of being inadequate. Looking around a campus and seeing the different types of people and personalities can be extremely imposing, and can deter first generation students from asking for help with assignments, and starting study groups. Olson also contends that, “for FGC (first generation) students, the additional second assignment is uncovering and understanding a middle-class, college-educated lifestyle” (Olson 201). It can be extremely alarming to some people when they realize that people could live, think, and act so differently from them. This was the problem one of my close family members encountered when she went off to school. I have a first cousin whom neither of her parents have attended nor completed their education at a four year college or university. She graduated from a small high school that had little resources or patience to help their students with the college process. When she graduated in the spring of 2012, she took all the necessary steps to get out of her small town in Twiggs County, and attended school at Georgia Southern in the fall off that year. She handled much of the college application process which can be tedious and frustrating, on her own. My aunt and uncle were extremely proud of her, but my cousin had a bad freshman experience. Within her first semester the workload proved too much for her to handle and she failed a few of her core classes. My cousin was not active in campus life, and she told me she did not make new friends, because she was not use to the idea of meeting new people so different from her. She is now taking online classes at Macon State and is not set to graduate for another year or so. Stories like this are not uncommon in households of first generation students. Culture shock can obviously impact the way first generation students feel about being in school. It can cause decreased motivation and anxiety that leads to taking longer to complete their degree and worse dropping out altogether.
Adjusting to college is hard on first generation students, because they face many obstacles.

However, imagine if we create an environment for first generation students that gives them extra support. The Institute for Higher Education Policy reports “that greater involvement from the faculty and continuous one-on-one mentoring relationships with first-generation students are critical to their college success” (Tucker 24). Many first generation college students can also receive help from other first generation students through the mentoring programs. By grouping them together they can share their experiences of maybe feeling out of place and work together to learn how college works. These mentors can also help them emotionally, and since students know what each is going through they can help ease them into being familiar with this new setting. The mentor program I am proposing would ultimately not take away from school funds, but it would attract more students to the schools. There are also some concerns about time and management of these programs. The mentors would be volunteers who would be motivated to help these students, because they can receive extra credit and/ or letters of recommendation. Another incentive could be modest gifts or a nice dinner at the end of each semester. These dinners would also give the first generation students who were helped and mentored by this program a chance to thank and give testimony to the effectiveness of the program. Important things

like determining your major is something these students may not have even thought about while applying to schools, and mentoring can give advice on many topics like this. The level of enrollment can potentially go up through participation in these programs. I think we can create internal motivation in these student by having programs that change their perceptions about college. Giving first generation students mentors will encourage and support their endeavors to be the first in their families to gain a degree.
There are some people who do not believe these programs should exist. Many believe that the introduction of new programs will take away money and already limited resources from schools. Washington and Salmon discuss that, “colleges and universities whose mission is to serve minority students are especially struggling, in part, because of dwindling government assistance to students, states cutting funding and low endowments”. Washington and Salmon also present some examples of challenges against the institution of some of these programs, “some institutions are cutting back programs and areas of study, employing more part-time adjunct faculty, or resorting to furloughs for faculty and staff, as Fisk University did in 2013, to keep costs down (Washington and Salmon 38). It is becoming more common for university systems across the country to cut back on funding for more programs, and even a decrease in funding for established programs. Some believe that the type of program I am insisting on creating will be nothing but a hassle that will put more stress on schools resources and staff.
My goal is to make sure first generation students develop feelings of pride that make it possible to believe they can do well. As Americans, we want our youth to accomplish what older generations may not have been able to do themselves. This can be achieved by connecting students together while at college. Higher education should not be an unusually rough route to success, and through mentoring programs we can increase the number of minority and first generation students on campuses. They need help to break down these barriers. I believe these problems can be easily solved by peer mentoring programs, and it will help students to feel and build a sense of community when they get to campus. Colleges ought to recognize this and work harder to assimilate these particular students to the ways of their better adapted peers. Putting a mentor in the lives of incoming first generation students, who can make these resources and tips known, is the key to helping them succeed. First generation college students often have faced many obstacles and challenges on the road to preparing for college. I am proposing that this program be put in place at Valdosta State and colleges around the country to provide advantages to students who do not possess the knowledge continuing generation students use to succeed. We need to help these students get their degrees, and show them that is it possible for them to have social mobility. Through peer mentoring we will see an increase in campus participation, increased interactions with others, and higher GPAs, which will result in higher retention rates and more graduates.