FGCS Reflection Essay

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The sun shined through the window as we were making our way to Madison. I silently sat next to my sisters, as I looked out the window, listening to a Bruno Mars’ song. My parents were talking about something; it was probably gossip. Everything felt so normal. Everything was so simple. But I knew at the moment we were going to arrive at the campus, everything was going to be different. The process it took to get settled in to my dorm happened in a flash. It was time to say goodbye to my family. Although we live an hour away from UW Madison, the distance was still too much for me. Plus, I had to live with a stranger for about 8 months. After my family left, I made my way to the 11th floor, taking the elevator of course, and walked directly …show more content…
Many assumed that all of the FGCS are minorities or have a low-income background. This is true for some FGCS but there are also FGCS that are neither students of color or poor. (Reid & Moore) The amount of first-generation students keeps increasing as the years pass by. In 2012, about 32% of undergraduate students were first-generation. There has been a small increase from 10 years ago (1992), where about 27% of undergraduate students were first-generation college students (Horn & Nunez). These statistics are small compared to the traditional students, which are students who are not the first-generation to attend a post-secondary school. One main factor that there is a small percentage of FGCS is because of the parents and families. “The likelihood of enrolling in postsecondary education is strongly related to parents’ education even when other factors are taken into account.” …show more content…
However, the astonishing accomplishment is that a FGCS had the determination and courage to attend college. A first-generation college student has a motivation to further continue his/her education to obtain a degree. This motivation might be the importance “of gaining respect/status, bringing honor to their family, and helping their family out financially after they are done with college” (Bui). My parents insanely worked to help me be at this university. They are still helping me in every way possible, which is why I want to help my parents financially after I get my bachelor’s degree. But of course there are many reasons why this student decided to attend college. Personally, I knew college was going to lead me to a career that would would satisfy me, and most importantly, help me make a good change for my

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