The Challenges Faced By First Generation College Students
Written by Mark Lounsbury, Posted on , in Section Inspirational
Across the country, colleges are increasingly implementing programs designed to help first generation students stay in school and reach graduation. Traditionally, these students have not received any special assistance from the colleges they attend and have had extremely low graduation rates as a result. So far, these efforts at increasing the graduation rate among these students have had mixed results. Some universities and colleges have had great success in guiding these students through the initial difficulties they encounter when adapting to the new atmosphere of school, but others continue to struggle. This raises the question, what factors cause these first generation students to struggle and what has proven effective in combating these issues?
Why Do These Students Struggle?
While there are many different reasons that these students tend to struggle more than their peers, there are a number of common factors that can be identified. The majority of these students report feeling out of place in the college environment. This in turns leads to feeling of isolation, which can seriously impact their ability to remain in school. Another common issue is feeling ill-prepared for the demands of college. These students may come from poor areas and in some situations didn't learn all the skills necessary to succeed. Without adequate resources in place to build these skills, they stand little chance of graduating.
What Steps Should Schools Be Taking
There are a number of different programs that have proven effective in helping first generation college students adapt successfully to the academic environment of universities. Having special counselors is a useful resource and ensures that they don't get overwhelmed and drop out. Another important technique is grouping these students together in classes and housing arrangements. By doing this, it is possible to ensure that they do not feel out of place in the new culture they are experiencing. If colleges are able to implement some of these programs, it will become much more common for these students to make it through school successfully. This could do a great deal to improve the state of income disparity in the country.
