The graduate school preparation workshop, provided information on what graduate school is and how to prepare for it. The workshop was directed by Wanda Crannell an Oregon State University advisor, instructor and program coordinator. Wanda Crannell has been an advisor for the past 24 years and bioresearches. The primary goal of this workshop, was to analyze the pros and cons of graduate school, if one is a good candidate, and how one can prepare to stand out from the rest when applying to graduate school in whatever field of study within the STEM field. The worship consisted of Nicole Hams a biochemist and biophysicists, Smit Vasquez Caballero an economist, Melinda Guzman specialized in botanic and plan pathology, and Johan S. Bonilla a physicist. …show more content…
As part of an underrepresented community, I find that it is difficult to understand all the recourses available at only an arm’s length away. It is difficult to be informed of even how to get into college when most of our parents did not even finish elementary school nonetheless high school. Previous to my junior year of high school, I did not even know what an honors student was or that such a thing as a valedictorian existed. It is not easy to set goals that one wants to achieve to get from point A to point B when one does not even know what has to take place first. This workshop truly opened my eyes to the possibility of graduate school, a thing, that to me seems so far away seeing as no one of my family has done so. The workshop was also inspiring in seeing and getting to hear the graduate students from underrepresented communities speak of why they chose to take the path of graduate school regardless of the fact their parents or siblings did not. I found it inspiring to hear each one of the graduate students speak of what they are currently studying because they all spoke with a passion in their voices that I wish to speak with one day when sharing what I am studying
As I waited to observe the audience as they filled the seats with pencil in hand, I was amazed by the amount of diversity I saw before me. By the time the lecture was ready to set foot, I observed that nearly the entire lecture hall was filled. I would say that the hall where our discussion was being held in could probably hold around 300 people. The majority of the audience was not students forced to write a paper on the Brown v. Board Commemoration events, but rather scholars who were on average in their mid-40s. It seemed as though everyone knew each other to some degree. At one point, I saw a woman walk in with her young son and they were greeted by one of the first presenters. Oftentimes, groups of 2 or 3 walked into the room and they would sit down in no particular section of the seating and proceed to talk moderately loudly and peacefully. There was a sense of joy and rejuvenation in the air. After making my final observations of the crowd, I noted that it was a predominantly white showing! Not something I would expect to see when attending a discussion on slavery. It was a spectacle for me to see a group of Asian Americans nodding in unison when points were made during the seminar relating to black and white race relations. I would say that African-Americans wer...
The documentary, First Generation, follows four first generation college students who try and balance the hardships of working, sports, being part of a lower socioeconomic status and handling the challenges of learning how to apply and cover the cost of hefty college tuitions. In this paper, I will discuss barriers that some students experienced, the benefits of attainting a college education as a first generation student and some of the challenges individuals faced once they were accepted into college.
While first-generation college students are over half of all students in postsecondary education, exclusionary practices block their admittance into elite institutions. The outliers who receive admittance to the Ivory Tower may think they have made it—that their American Dream and long-held belief in the meritocratic ethos has finally paid off. Instead, they are confronted with educational stratification and social reproduction that was stacked against them long before they received the piece of parchment granting them access. The onerous task of navigating through unfamiliar academic and social situations often results in leaving. Can first-generation college students learn how to activate, manage, and accumulate social and cultural capital to navigate elite universities?
One of the hot topics of debate going on in the U.S. today that presidential candidates are talking about is college tuition. Some have revealed their proposals to American citizens on how they would tackle the issue of tuition. The question is which one of the many proposals will work and limit the amount of people who don’t go to college and give them a reason to go. The tuition issue is not a case by case problem, but a national problem. While there are some who have the opportunity to attend college others are not as fortunate. But everyone can have a part in shaping the future for many generations to come. The objective is to find a way to make what some would call “college free”to everyone. How were we able to find a way to make public
However, my dedication to my education and my diverse experiences in my youth are what have allowed me to overcome systematic barriers and get accepted to UCLA. The world I come from has not only propelled me get to college, but has shaped my understanding of the inequities and injustices of America’s educational system. I realize how socioeconomic status can hinder the capabilities of people because knowledge, opportunities, support, resources, and guidance are not always available to those who come from underserved communities.
Society today puts priority on a college degree, yet those who end up going to college are not always tended to. Of the entire undergraduate population in the United States, only 24 percent are first generation college students. From that group of students, only 11 percent earn a Bachelor’s degree after six years (Tugend). Often times first generation students are unaware of anything about college. This lack of knowledge leads to them not taking full advantage of all the resources available to them (Parks). Neither one of my parents went to college, so it was as much a learning process for them as it was for me. As a first generation student I believe that it is necessary for there to be some group of people that just devotes their time and attention to helping everyone take full advantage of everything they are being offered.
Both my interviewee and I identify as working class, biracial, and first-generation women. Subsequently, seeing our families struggle through dire financial situations, motivated us to get an education. We understand how difficult it must have been for our them to venture to a new land and face language barriers that prevented them from working in a well-paying career. My interviewee and I understand that we hold systemic privilege by being citizens of the United States and fluent English speakers, a feature our families did not have. Thus, we both believe that pursuing higher education will provide us with stability and the best future for ourselves and our
In “Is college worth it?” the writer discusses which colleges and degrees will be better for their price and how the careers from these degrees will help pay off college debt. Throughout the article it is discussed how colleges that have lower scores and ranking will not offer financial help to students. To be able to pay off college debt, it is better to go to a college with higher scores. Since the cost of tuition is rising, more people are in need of financial aid, and to pay off this debt quicker, people are needing a career to do so. In order to have a career that makes a lot of money and pay off student loans, you need to get a degree that is in a field with a high demand.
So what can other first generation college students do to avoid what has happened to Sarah? The answer lies in directing a passion towards learning and education in students and their families that will build self-motivation and avoid the negative predispositions of being the first in the family to attend college. While Sarah has not been attending the University of Miami for too long, her experiences thus far have given her a very good understanding of her position in this academic community, and nevertheless, gives a representation of first-year, first-generation college students. Sarah is only one person though and may not be fully representative of the population of first generation college students, but as a member of this community, Sarah’s input is essential to the ideas and views of the students in this group.
A challenge that all seniors face at the end of their high school career is the decision that will shape the rest of their future. Will it be Harvard, Ivy Tech, or a job at the nearest fast food joint? Of course, there is nothing wrong with not going to college, but for the people of society who plan to marry and have at least three children, it is almost essential. After making this decision, the seniors who choose to attend college must then decide which one. Campus size, housing, nearby activities, and available degrees and study programs are all important traits to consider when searching for the perfect college.
Through education, experience and personal morals, social justice issues pertaining to economic and social inequality have always been important to me. I have taken numerous undergrad courses on inequality including, Social Inequality, Social Welfare Policy, and my Social Work Senior Seminar was on Diversity, Human Rights, and Social Justice. Those classes and my field internships really opened my eyes to the magnitude of social inequality and how many individuals and families are affected. The society we live in is quick to forget about the many boundaries that low income families have to face on a day to day basis in America. Being passionate about this topic of oppressed populations made me interested in applying for the Springfield College School of Social Work. Its mission describes preparing their students to meet universal human needs based on principles of economic and social justice, dignity, and human rights. I know that I will be helping individuals and families living in high risk populations all throughout my social work career. Having those core values around teaching social work practice and knowledge, Springfield will equip me to excel my current education to make a difference in the future through my practice. I believe that the program and the courses that it offers will help me to develop my understanding of oppressed populations and ways that I can advocate for them at both micro and macro levels of social
Additionally, prestigious institutions need to take initiative to create new programs that will make college a painless transition for first generation students by implementing new policies such as mentorship or clubs. While many colleges and universities have not taken the initiative to help first-generation students, North Carolina State University is one of the few exceptions. As a fellow first generation college student at North Carolina State University, I have reaped many benefits from the different organizations they have around campus. At the Poole College of Management, I was assigned a professional mentor in my future line of work that made the transition into college a better experience for me. After listening to his forums, I was able to use the skills I had learnt from my parents and apply them to college and my study habits, benefiting me in countless ways.
Over the last couple of weeks, all of the readings, lectures, discussions and videos have been very informative. A lot of the information in the readings are what people experience daily or witness with their own eyes. The issues going on with class, gender, and race can be upsetting and hard to grasp because the reality of the matter is we live in a very segregated and divided society. Topics in the lecture that stood out were racial inequality and social movement. When it comes to racial inequality, I witnessed a similar situation while in undergraduate school. A professor at my school displayed hidden racial misconduct towards a black female student in a course.
My A-level choices show my interest in bio-medicine. Biology in itself had augmented my passion for this course as I have learned of the complexity and sophistication of the human body through topics such as immunity. Furthermore, acknowledging this has given me a true appreciation of the roles that scientists play in making sure that these systems work effortlessly. Chemistry has helped me become more aware of key substances used in medicine such ...
What are the advantages to studying an undergraduate degree and how do you think the successful completion of your degree will help you in your life?