As an incoming freshman to Cal State LA and first generation student, I have a hard time adapting to my new surroundings. Since I am a first-generation student I had no one to help me with my application process. I also have no one to talk to to advise me and prepare me in the transition to college also to set me to the College expectations. I have a hard time adapting because I am a quiet and shy person. Even though I'm in the class I ask questions but I keep my social circle small. This will save me a lot in college because I need to socialize to create long life friendships and contacts I would need in the future. I am also limiting the resources I have available because I am not socializing getting myself out there for people to know me …show more content…
I couldn't ask my parents because none of them are college graduates. My older sister after graduating High School take a break. Now that she's eating me apply and get accepted to college that's has motivated her to go back to school and get a college degree. The only little help I had was my high school counselor. But in high school she had to help 150 students including myself. My time was here was very little but very fish and she helped me with most of my process and guided me on making the right decisions and I still keep in contact with her. As a first generation college student my family to help me very little. As I said before none of my parents are college graduates. Therefore they couldn't help me with the college application and process. Although I do have their help financially and they support me with the decision I took on going to …show more content…
In the past I've been treated different because I've come from a now income family. I've have been made to last because my family is not financially stable doesn't have the resources other people have. But now the people see that I am making a name for myself in striving for a college education people cheer me on in continuing my journey throughout College. They now help me out and they want to see me succeed. But being treated different is only motivation for me. I've been treated less than others but I think to myself I can achieve whatever I want and one day it will change and when I'm at their level or higher, in their eyes, I will treat in the same and remind them of that time so they know they did
Picture this. You are heading off to college to begin the next chapter of your life. It is a moment you have always been waiting for. You are past the high school drama, and are ready to start taking classes that will allow you to obtain a degree in something you have always been passionate about. It’s your first week on campus and you are invited to a party being hosted by a group of upper classman. You show up to the party and immediately are handed a red cup with what you know is something you shouldn’t be drinking. You take a sip anyway and soon start talking to that guy in the corner who at first seems friendly, but soon begins to take advantage of you. Just like that everything changes. This is a situation millions of people face every
First in the Family: A First Generation College Student. 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 in 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 were unique, and how they differed from the average student attending a university; an average student coming from at least a middle class background who has at least one parent with a degree in higher education.
“You don't want to be like your parents!" triggers memories of the day I found my compelling reason to attend college. My grandfather is a very wise man who exhibits the meaning of sacrifice and hard work in my family. My first visit to the UOG admissions office with him was a dreadful experience. As I gazed at the cost of tuition yearly, I felt a sudden weight on my shoulders. For a moment I felt like a traveler lost in a foreign place trying to figure out where to go and how to get to my destination. I knew at that moment that I could not afford it unless I found a job to pay for the expenses or received some form of financial aid. As I requested a FASFA form and began filling out the application, my hand began to tremble and again I felt
I am Nursing major and with that degree to become a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in the Cardiovascular System to reduce the rate of heart diease in America. I am a hardworking individual and I take my academics very seriously. I understand that I am at school for a purpose and know my purpose is to further my education. I am just trying to make it. My parents always told me growing up “ In order to get something you never had that I will have to do things I have never done.” No one prepared me for college, because I am a first generation college student. In addition to being a first generation college student ; I am also a first generation high school graduate. I use my my parents trials and tribulations as my motivation, because I want
Throughout the length of schooling, students go through various changes. In their first year of school, children are required to make the transition from being at home for the entire day to being in school for a number of hours a day. These transition periods happen many times through the schooling years, but the most drastic changes occur during the transition from high school to college, where students weather numerous lifestyle changes. While each individual student goes on their own journey, certain themes remain common between different students. Studies are done to look at these themes identifying the numerous differences and similarities.
How does being the first in one’s family to graduate from college impact one’s desire to finish college? Some of the major barriers first generation college students face include lack of motivation, lack of support, and low income finances. Some freshman students might lack the motivation to do well in school because of the lack of appropriate role models or mentors in the academic environment. These difficulties can be tied to lack of support at home; the parents might not be concerned about their child's education, maybe the parent lacks the ability to guide them through college, the parent might not have the process of having not navigated it themselves. Parents might feel embarrassed that they don’t have any knowledge to help them through college.
Although high schools have changed their standards over the years to prepare their students for the transition of college, does it actually work? In his essay “the Transition to College”, author Keith Hjortshoj explains no, because the conflict that develops when high school teacher and college professor assume upon one another is what makes the transition unpredictable. There was a survey done by students who were in a four year college that the result showed that 90 percent of students attend the first or second college of their choice. The author then explain with the limited perspective, one can assume that college is “ordinary, predictable experience, effectively regulated by educator at both ends of a transition that has become straight
A solution to this problem would be if schools were to implement first generation counseling centers on their campus, which consist solely of former first generation students turned faculty members. If this were the case, students would have someone they can feel comfortable seeking advice from due to it being someone who’s been in the same rough spot. I reached out to a friend of mine, a fellow first-time member of his immediate family, to see how he feels about the subject. I asked what he thought the hardest part of the college process was and whether or not he would’ve sought out a first-generation center had it been accessible for him; he responded with, “The hardest part has to be figuring all this stuff out alone. Kids with college-educated parents genuinely don’t understand how lucky they are to have someone in their household, even remotely close to remembering how to fill all these papers out.
In the 21st century, if an individual decides to make a major commitment or resolution, they have the utmost support from their peers and family members. However, when a first-generation college student decides on furthering their education, the dearest people close to the student seem to disappear. Linda Banks-Santilli (2015) claims that first-generation students apply to a single college and without the help of a parent (para. 13). Although Banks-Santilli does not say so directly, she assumes that the students can not afford multiple application fees and the students are unsure on how to determine which college is a good fit, as their parents have not taken them on a college tour. I agree that first-generation students have far less help
Although it is a seemingly trivial matter, it was a time in my life where I was away from the support of my family and friends and had to confront this battle myself. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and doomed for failure. The course load was more intense than my high school work and there was a lot of material I never learned that was needed prior for a few of my classes. I struggled to keep pace with some of my other classmates and had to sacrifice a lot of free time and participation in extracurriculars to keep afloat with the material. I thought I had a good grasp on time management, but my new college schedule tested by abilities. As the fall semester progressed, I was gaining confidence and skills in arranging my time in an effective way. Moreover, I was adjusting to the new sense of independence I was giving. Before going away to school, I would run errands and do tasks by myself and felt pretty independent, but I still had the comforts and reassurance of home. At ND, I had to adapt to this new meaning of independence and feeling of uncertainty. I was able to overcome this challenging time in my life by being patient and persevering until I felt more grounded with my
All or most of us have gone through it. The countless hours we spent filling out college applications, scholarship applications, visiting colleges, and taking the dreaded tests. Whether it was the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or other college entrance exams, it was a big hassle. After visiting such a great number of colleges, the advantages and disadvantages of the schools seemed to run together in my mind. The endless paper work and deadlines seemed as though they would never end. When I thought about college, it seemed like it was not real, like it was a figment of my imagination. I imagined what it would be like, wondering where I would go. The questions of "What did I want to major in?" and after I decided that, "What schools had my major?" circled around in my head. When filling out questionnaires for college searches I was asked about what size college I preferred, whether I wanted to be in a rural or suburban area. Did I really know how to answer these questions that would so greatly affect the next four years of my life?
To think that my first semester of college will be over this friday makes me realize how fast time flies. The first few weeks of college were tough, tiring and full of anxiety. Being in a new environment, a different state and not knowing one single person was something that I did not prepare myself for. Throughout all of the tears and the frustrations, I had to constantly remind myself that I am at The University of Akron to gain an education and become a successful individual.
Many years ago I remember my parents telling me that in order for me to become successful a college education was a must. They always told me that if I wasn’t in school I could no longer live at home. Both of my parents attended college but neither of them finished. They did not want me to go down that same road because they really regret not getting their degrees.
First of all, the adjustment to college isn't that rough. The staff and students are trained to make the adjustment as easy as possible, and the other students they meet are just as nervous as they are. Their new fellow classmates are just as anxious as you to meet people, so as long as you make the effort, you'll be surprised as to how many people you meet.
College is a collection of diverse people, new experiences, and learning how to be an adult. While it is completely different from anything I have ever done before, I feel like I have adjusted well and am getting into the swing of being a college student. The transition from high school to college is difficult and I have faced some challenges including, learning good study habits and accepting who I am as a student, time management skills and putting myself into new situations where I can meet new people. While these have been difficult for me to encounter, they have taught me valuable lessons about myself and who I can and want to be.