The process of attaining a college degree challenges an individual in many different ways, but those among a 1st generation population are often overlooked. 1st generation college students are the first in their family to attend college and come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. We wanted to take upon this topic to expose many of the disadvantages and challenges that 1st generation college students are faced with at the 4-year university level, particularly at Cal State Los Angeles; considering the demographic of 1st generation students consists of 60% admitted freshman. Cal State LA is also one of the more diverse institutions with 89% people of color and 11% white. While our admission rates are typically high, our graduation rates entail
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This alienation is further delineated when looking at the case of 1st generation college students finding a sense of belonging in an environment that is unfamiliar and strange. Most public high schools inhabit the largest demographic sector of minorities, in which fail to prepare them for post-secondary education. Upon those who do decide to attend college “First-generation students are more likely than their non-first-generation counterparts to have additional characteristics that may disadvantage them as they pursue their college education” (Stebleton et al. 2014). Some of these characteristics can be transgressed into terms of G.P.A thus equating the capabilities of academic success upon an individual; thus inquiring qualities foundered among academic work ethic, responsibility, and intelligence. In addition, characteristics that 1st generation students entail are coming from minority backgrounds, learning disabilities, non-native English speakers, immigrants, single parents, and financially independent from their parents (Stebleton et al. 2014). Originating from a low-socioeconomic background and being a person of color, conveys a certain level of class or social status acquired through a discourse of knowledge. Simply …show more content…
First, getting involved on campus by any means necessary. When thinking of getting involved on campus, it may seem overwhelming at first due to heavy emotional ties with feeling not belonged, but it is imperative for a 1st generation student to challenge these afflictions with affirmative action. With the growing number of 1st generation college students, there are programs now enacted as such the EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) that tends primarily to the 1st generation college student. Such programs are not utilized enough, but when doing so access to a counselor is available additionally providing guidance for the student through their college journey. While these counselors are there for the purpose of guiding the students to academic success, they are well versed among the communities low-income 1st generation college students come from; thus further allowing them to produce support that the student lacks from family and friends. It is within the counselor that they may find a mentor and friend that very well solidify the means of a student’s success. EOP also provides grants for students are low-income. Most of the student workers at the offices are 1st generation students themselves and for those who aren’t, they are still informed of the demographic
This alienation is further delineated when looking at the case of 1st generation college students finding a sense of belonging in an environment that is unfamiliar and strange. Most public high schools inhabit the largest demographic sector of minorities, in which fail to prepare them for post-secondary education. Upon those who do decide to attend college “First-generation students are more likely than their non-first-generation counterparts to have additional characteristics that may disadvantage them as they pursue their college education” (Stebleton et al. 2014). Some of these characteristics can be transgressed into terms of G.P.A thus equating the capabilities of academic success upon an individual; thus inquiring qualities foundered among academic work ethic, responsibility, and intelligence. In addition, characteristics that 1st generation students entail are coming from minority backgrounds, learning disabilities, non-native English speakers, immigrants, single parents, and financially independent from their parents (Stebleton et al. 2014). Originating from a low-socioeconomic background and being a person of color, conveys a certain level of class or social status acquired through a discourse of knowledge. Simply …show more content…
First, getting involved on campus by any means necessary. When thinking of getting involved on campus, it may seem overwhelming at first due to heavy emotional ties with feeling not belonged, but it is imperative for a 1st generation student to challenge these afflictions with affirmative action. With the growing number of 1st generation college students, there are programs now enacted as such the EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) that tends primarily to the 1st generation college student. Such programs are not utilized enough, but when doing so access to a counselor is available additionally providing guidance for the student through their college journey. While these counselors are there for the purpose of guiding the students to academic success, they are well versed among the communities low-income 1st generation college students come from; thus further allowing them to produce support that the student lacks from family and friends. It is within the counselor that they may find a mentor and friend that very well solidify the means of a student’s success. EOP also provides grants for students are low-income. Most of the student workers at the offices are 1st generation students themselves and for those who aren’t, they are still informed of the demographic