The Psychological Challenges Of First Generation College Students

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Recommended: Background on first-generation students

A first-generation college student is someone whose folks didn’t attend or graduated from college. Many times, students face this reality and have no one to rely on. Some of the challenges this students face are unique psychological challenges. Although there is upportive staff in college, one of the most important roles of a family is support. Their family may see their entry to college as an insult or misunderstood their reason for wanting to have a major. In families, role are assign to each member such as working, cleaning or taking care of others. When one of the family members decides to interference with this system to attend to college, this one leading the student to a loss of personality. Many students experience this change and …show more content…

First-generation students frequently have a feeling that they don’t belong in school. The biggest challenge of this students is psychologically because of the need of support. Most of the difficulties are lack of professional mentoring. For example often they apply to only one college because of the lack of money and information f other colleges. Many students enroll and are determine to obtain good grades but at the same time are worried because of the need of support from their mother. Some experience not owning a computer or knowing how to use them and this slows down their learning process, and are afraid to ask for help. Once they identify what they are capable to do academically they began to think everything they achieve or do would be underestimated by others. They may think teachers are going to punish them for not knowing how to solve critical thinking problems. Or by their classmates they may become socially discomfort with other students, because of the loss of personality. In my opinion, colleges should recognize that being a first –generation student and seeking for help is not easy. They have hard challenges to overcome and may choose to remain invisible to not cause disturb. Many of them arrive with low income difficulties and lack of education which makes them an easy target to discriminate. First generation college students

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