Ever since I was in middle school, I always knew that I wanted to be the first person in my family to attend college. When the opportunity presented itself in high school to take college courses, I immediately started to application process. I have always loved a challenge and am constantly trying to challenge myself. Ever since eighth grade I have challenged myself immensely, especially in math. I started taking high school math that year and ever since then, continued to challenge myself in the subject. My first year of high school consisted of two more math courses, one that I was mixed with students that were two years older than me. Along side of these two challenging courses, I also challenged myself with multiple honors courses and
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.
Everett pointed out the favorable circumstances provided by public community colleges which created access for first-generation students. She divided access into five categories: financial, geographic, programmatic, academic, and cultural/social/physical accessibility. She went on to elaborate the different ways in which these elements aided first-generation students in attending college. She concluded the article with a few challenges faced by first-generation students and the programs that were implemented to combat such challenges.
First generation college students are students who comprise a distinct minority within most institutions of higher learning. These groups of students are the first generation of students in their family lineage to attend a college or university (Allwood, 1966). Due to the lack of family guidance in navigating through the college experience, first generation students face an array of obstacles upon entering the realm of higher education. These students are less likely to obtain their bachelor degree due to finance, family support and retention, all which ultimately limit their college experience. Not only do these students experience issues migrating through high school into college, they also lack the necessary resources some students need to achieve higher standards. For instance financial assistance, mentorship, and other motivating factors that can help a student grow into a professional.
“First-generation,” a term that has recently began to permeate through our discourse surrounding education. Yet, secondary education institutions have found difficulty settling on a definition that fully captures the distinct and incomparable experiences and backgrounds of students. The definitions of a first-generation college student varies from institution to institution; ranging from having no parental figures who ever attended postsecondary education, to having one or more members in the immediate family who did not obtain a bachelor degree.
Most first generation college students are significantly older than the average, approximately 24 year of age (Pascarella et. al 2004). The surrounding low-income environments that many of these students are raised around can explain this late age. This financial pressure can also explain another category of first generation students, preparation (Chen & Carroll, 2005). These students are often less prepared to enter the college life. They have not been exposed to the necessary preparation needed to succeed on college admissions tests and furthermore don’t meet the performance requirements that universities and institutions require. Analyzing the prefaces that surround the environment of first generation college students aids in understanding current problems faced in college as well as assist in proposing solutions for this subset of
I have a great affection for math. I enjoy math, since it is challenging and requires a lot of thinking. There are always multiple ways to solve any type of math problems, and I always get a feeling of accomplishment when I find the correct solution. In sixth grade, when I first heard of the Math Club, I immediately registered. The teacher told me that I was the only one and she needed more members or the club would have to be cancelled. Worried, I recruited about ten of my friends to join the Math Club. Hence, she named me as the team leader. Participants in the Math Club competed in multiple math competitions. I was chosen one of the ten students that represented my school at the Torrance Regional Middle School Math Competition. That year, I received a certificate for the highest point total for the Math Olympiads competition at my school. In addition, I placed third in the AMC 8 and my score was among the top five percent of all participants. Participating in math competitions has given me the challenges that I am always looking for, taught me good study habits, and how to handle pressure.
My transition to college was successful, but it was nonetheless one of the most stressful times in my life. Unlike many of my peers at Saint Louis University, my rural high school experience did not truly prepare me for the academic rigors of college. Despite extensive preparation, I performed rather poorly on the first round of exams. While I didn’t fail any particular exam, my performance was seriously lacking. I knew that getting C’s on exams would not serve me well in the pursuit of my dream of becoming a physician. I remember feeling, for the first time in my life, that I was unintelligent and incompetent. I was also heavily fatigued from the excessive hours of studying, which I felt were necessary to reconcile the problem. I managed to
College life is a journey taken by many high school graduate in effort to explore a higher form of education, and most importantly build a new life outside the boundaries of their families to sustain a long path of toward successful career and to some, building a new family of their own. In the United State we are blessed with an education system that is never available worldwide. Laws are placed to allow every students regardless of ethnicity, gender or class a chance to pursue education in among the most prestigious universities in the world such as Ivy League school as well as many large public universities with many programs. This vast number of education institutions available of every type of students create this big diversity leading the U.S. to be the frontrunner of education in the world.
During one of my rides for work at O'SNAP, I passed by a group of students gathered around in a circle on the sidewalk. After dropping off my party, I drove by them to ask if they needed a ride. They accepted, but one of the students was visibly ill. I asked if they needed assistance to get back to their dorm, but they insisted they were fine. Due to the policy of NDSP, student drivers aren't allowed to bring back students who are ill due to insurance policies. The student insisted they were fine, but was unable to maintain balance and felt light headed. There was an unopened water bottle in the vehicle I was operating and offered it to the student. The other students with the student helped me lower the student to sit on the edge of the curb.
Many students are struggling in college. According to the New York Times Web site, only 33 percent of the college students are graduating in six years. Obviously students still need much help to succeed in order to get where they want to go. Although college can be challenging, I am going to succeed by using advice from experts, by developing strategies and ideas, and by taking advantage of the benefits offered by my college.
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
My first year in college has been a rewarding experience. As I look back on my Why College, Why Now essay, I realize that I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about myself. I am proud that I accomplished my goals I made in my first year of college and I exceeded my expectations. I still have the same goal for the future, but I added more goals for the future. I am attending Wilmington University because I want to make my future brighter. Attending college and earning a degree in communication media will help me obtain an exciting job as a professional journalist.
...new classes, I soon realized what would be the biggest challenge of college: deciding on a major. Yes, I am one of those people who started college without first declaring a major. I soon heard every question, suggestion, and response regarding possible options. I even began concocting false majors to throw some people off. Large-Scale Demolition was a crowd favorite.
Throughout high school I have placed myself into the most challenging science and mathematics curric...
I can honestly say that I thought my first semester of college had went better than I thought it would’ve gone. Academically, my grades are really good and I know that I have above a 3.0 GPA so that’s cool. Also, I thought that the professors were going to be jerks and not really care if we understood the material or not. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The professors were so helpful and kind every step of the way. However, I developed quicker socially than I had anticipated I would. At the beginning of the semester I was mostly in my room and lonely, but now I know a lot of people that I can honestly call my friends.