The purpose of this paper is to assess the performance of first-generation college students. With the number of first-generation college students enrolling in universities rising, these students often have a struggle to transition into a university life with the lack of knowledge that their parents could not provide for them. College is a huge step for many families because they are sending their children off to get a higher education; therefore, support and motivation were added to the studies. These two components will be mentioned in this essay because many studies have shown that they can affect a student’s ability to do well in school. This happens because first-generation children grow up in an environment where they are
When my older sister went off to college, I had never seen a more driven, mature and intelligent 18 year old look so terrified and reluctant to leave her home just a few states away. Caroline had spent the majority of her high school years stressed, angry and tired, holed up in her single room acing more APs than I can count with two hands. My sister knew from the time she could read that success meant getting into an Ivy, even if the price was throwing away all human contact or not.
Alfred Lubrano the author of “the shock of Education: How college Corrupts” explains the differences and difficulties of what students can go through while they are in college. Lubrano says that when a student arrives at college, they lose their connection to their families. This is due to the extreme workload put on the student by the professors they don’t have the time to really chat with their parents like they used to when they lived at home. Also if there is an enormous distance gap where the students go to college and where their parents live it may create that sense like they don’t know each other anymore.
In “College Pressures” by William Zinsser, leader of one of the residential colleges at Yale University, the author describes the different amount of pressures that students struggle with in college. Because of his position at the university, he constantly noticed the students around him and the anxiety that was radiating off them. He believes that economic pressures cause students to feel anxious about paying back student loans after college. However, parental pressure leads students to make decisions that their parents would be happy with because of the feeling of guilt and wanting to please them. Peer and self-induced pressures are also mentioned in Zinsser’s essay. Because students always worry about accomplishing more than the student
A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.
In “Getting into College” (2014) by John Langan, the author points out stresses of attending college. It's demanding picking a major, when you're not sure if you're going to get a position in the field you want to pursue after graduating. In addition, how flexible would you have to be to manage work, study and get good grades but at the same time be able to pay rent and bills. On top, what about your social life; yet going to parties to stay relevant and passing your class. Lastly, what about after graduation and all that gathering of money waiting to be payed off, which limits and prevents you from getting new possessions. Even though college comes with a lot of reward it comes with sacrifices.
Attending college right after high school or waiting to attend has no right or wrong answer. It would depend on the individual situation. It not only will have to do with some may not being academically prepared to attend college but not having the financial resources necessary to enroll. I went to college right away, my husband worked for about ten years out of high school before deciding to attend college. If you can transition well to a college environment right out of high school, then that might be the path for you. I believe continued education is the best.
In his Essay “Are too many people going to college,” first published in a 2008 issue of AEI, Charles Murray explores many insights onto the topic of furthering education as well as exploring various other options to pursue after high school. Who exactly would think that too many people are going to college? Well with more and more students flooding campuses at the end of every school year and less and less going into trade schools, a shift in the job market is just beginning to be seen on the horizon. Charles Murray’s essay “Are too many people going to college” shows that not only are there other avenues to pursue a potential life long career, but that much of the time pursuing these avenues may offer better results for some wanting to go to college.
As I look back on my journey to college, I faced many different problems and disadvantages even before taking my first steps on campus. In Linda Banks-Santilli’s “Guilt is one of the biggest struggles first-generation college students face” many first generation students view being the first one in the family as a major flaw before entering college (Banks-Santilli, 2015, Par. 4 &7). The lack of self-respect makes it difficult for students to achieve success without help or motivation. The students have to change their viewpoint about being the first to go to college in their family as a weakness and make it a strength to help motivate them to be better students. At the beginning of college, I viewed being a first-generation college student
When I moved to America my senior year, I had a notion about the efforts I had to put into reaching American collegiate standards. After all, I just moved from Yemen, no matter how much I was able to prepare for the States, I was still working with ambiguous requirements. Nonetheless, having to take the SAT’s, some AP’s, and fill my resume with extracurricular was hrelatively hectic, but manageable. Essentially, after nine months, I was able to grow a sense of what it took to get into an American college. However I was reminded I couldn 't be picky. “Just get into a school”, my godfather would remind me, and a school I got into indeed.
Peter Gray, Ph.D., a research professor at Boston College, wrote “Declining Student Resilience: A Serious Problem for Colleges”. The society we live in is full of parents who are over focusing on their children. It may not necessarily be their fault, but it is society's fault. Parents do not give children the independence they need to be ready for life. Mothers and fathers baby their kids to an extreme. Students cannot handle everyday tasks of becoming an adult. Gray states, “parents are in some ways victims of larger forces in society.”
The transition from Primary school to Post-Primary school is a difficult time for anyone involved. It is one of the most drastic changes that students will ever encounter in the educational career. The transition is typically filled with anticipation and anxiety about homework, teachers, peers, academic rigor, school rules, getting lost, and many more factors. For the typical student, it is a whirlwind of emotion and anxiety. For students with special needs, these worries become even more prominent for the pupils and their parents. Not only do they have to worry about the stressors that typical students face, but they also have fears about accessing support and resources in order for them to succeed. In order for students to feel comfortable
Through high school my grades weren’t the best. I enjoyed challenging classes, but they were a lot of work. Between the work load and problems at home, I didn’t keep up well. By spring of my senior year I realized my hopes of leaving the small town I lived in weren’t going to happen. A friend who worked at the local community college contacted me about attending classes in the fall. After a failed attempt at joining the military, I decided to attend community college. Today, I’m glad that I had to stay. The last three years have taught me many things about surviving and who I want to be.
I going to start this school year off right! I’m going to get a lot done this year and take my time, so that I can take in all the knowledge from my courses and I can move onto college courses. The first step I’m going to take is be on time to every scheduled appointment so that I don’t fall behind and I can get extra help if I need it. The next thing I’m going to do to be successful this year is to more work than expected not the bare minimum. Last I’m going to study hard for every expected test that I know I’m going to have to take. These are the things that I’m going to do to be successful this school year.
In college, students experience a great deal of stress for the first time in their lives. In the past, they experienced little stresses that came with growing up, but now they experience stress from the real world and it can be overwhelming. The stress in college is more serious than any they had experienced prior because it is a time that will define the rest of their lives. For many, this is the first time getting a loan, the first time having to care for themselves, the first time studying for massive exams, and the first time that their decisions will affect the rest of their lives. The main types of stress college students experience are financial stress, parental stress, class stress, social stress, and self-invoked stress.