Cultural Capital Among College Students

Many high school students transitioning into the college lifestyle worry about academic challenges like not being smart enough or being stressed out by the amount of work to be done. While this is important to consider, many other factors come into role when thinking about the outside of the classroom. Being able to fit in or make new friends is a common step that may be difficult for those who come from privileged and humble socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Depending on the extent of a student’s economic capital, he or she will have different levels of difficulty. Navigating or knowing the university’s system for students is something that may also be challenging depending on the amount of social capital someone possesses. Knowing who …show more content…
The entrance to this foreign culture, college, will be easier for some and not so much for others. Students with more of this capital beforehand will most likely have an easier time communicating with other people in college. They were previously immersed in different types of culture as they probably traveled around more. First-generation college students (FGCS) are those with less cultural capital, and they will have a harder time making friends in college. During their college years, they will need to gain the capital others have by learning how to speak around people of different religious, ethnic, and civil backgrounds. It will be difficult at first, but over time, they will attain more knowledgeable skills when it comes to the way we socialize with one another. This will then help them along the way when it comes to getting help with assignments or projects because they will know how to approach others. As well as making the academic standpoint more feasible, students will be more accepting of others. To illustrate, my high school had opportunities for students to gain more cultural capital through trips to different countries. However, many students who went on these had families with higher incomes. I was unable to gain this kind of experience because my family did not have the money to send me on trips like this. For the students who could travel, they can interact …show more content…
More of this would mean someone learned a lot through high school, and he or she probably had excellent grades. In college, there will be more academic confidence with peers rather than insecurities about being uneducated. In the case of academic capital, parents could also be of help if they are college graduates. These parents would have made sure their son or daughter had the best education throughout high school. When looking at parents who are only in the working class, they would not have questioned the motives of the educational system. Considering the notion that they did not have much of an education, they believe the school knows best since there are teachers who have college degrees. Specifically, my parents were not college graduates, but I did live in a town that had a beneficial school system. Based on different placement tests, students were categorized to be in certain classes to meet their academic needs. With the certain classes I took, teachers taught me to be more aware of students who were having trouble in classes. I have taken this into consideration, and I now apply it to the courses in college by being patient when it comes to other students. The importance of the four types of capital and their impact on a student’s experiences are what generate a more accepting society. Each type of capital develops various complications for someone when