First Generation Students

The United States has one of the highest population in the world, and this is partly due to the incredible amount of growing minority groups in the nation. As a result, there are different beliefs on the importance of education; both positive and negative. One-third of students who are entering either a 2 or 4-year university are first-generation students (Cardoza). As first-generation high school graduates prepare to step into higher education, they struggle to transition to the college atmosphere since there are many external and internal forces working against them that they must face. But due to the variety of resources that universities offer first-generation students, they are beginning to succeed in college. In order for these students …show more content…
Since first-generation students families did not achieve a higher education, their parents are unable to grasp the difficulty and challenges that comes along with the transitioning into basic college life.. The family’s lack of qualifications affects an adolescents in deciding if college is for them. Students whose parents did not go to college are less likely to take college prep courses in high school, discuss college with their parents, and apply to college at all (National Center for Education Statistics). In addition, parents who didn’t attend college or even high school, their child struggles even more because parents aren’t aware on the basic information of college which causes students to not “have had access to challenging high school courses that increase the chance of success in college and less likely to have confidence in their academic abilities” (Cardoza). Those less supported students also reported having higher levels of stress and anxiety than the few first-generation students who did obtain comfort by their parents …show more content…
Programs like summer bridge have been proven to accustom first-generation students to the college atmosphere and give them a early start to college. Summer bridge gives these students the chance to get one on one assistance with classes and extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports before the semester or quarter begins. Programs similar to summer bridge can help students get used to the campus and help parents understand the financial, academic, and social aspects of college (Boyington). Director of a Summer Bridge program, Marcus Collins believes that “perhaps, the most important aspect of the summer bridge experience is the opportunity for students to create community”. On top, he also thinks that by attending programs like summer bridge, the students have a chance to prepare for college and find resources while there, in order to feel confident in asking