First Generation College Student Struggles

[Jermyn Davidson]

From the article:

Christopher also struggled academically and needed to take remedial math, which made him question his abilities — even though it’s extremely common for college students to require remediation. His mother had moved out of the homeless shelter to subsidized housing, but he constantly worried about her electricity being cut off and being able to make rent. He felt guilty he wasn’t working and helping her financially. Christopher spent more and more time in his room, depressed, failed his finals and never went back.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...t-the-problem/


Have you or someone you know dealt with this situation?

How did they succeed? How did they overcome?

[Scott Pitta]

Some of my former students went to college and stuck with it and graduated.

Others were defeated by depression.

Academics also made some students realize that college was not for them.

Understanding all of this is difficult for me to understand.

[Jermyn Davidson]

I understand the depression bit. Then, there is so much pressure too.

[aegsm76]

I was a first generation college student.
I wish I had known that you did not go to college to become "wiser", but to get a degree and move on!
That would have made it a lot easier!

[KeptByTheWord]

There are a host of factors that play into this, but I think the biggest and foremost one that comes to mind is that graduates are not being offered trade school opportunities. Not all kids are meant to be college students. They need to find a trade with which they can get a job after 1-3 years, instead of a college degree that could drag on for years to achieve.

Trade school scholarships need to be offered as a viable option to these kind of kids who have families depending on them for income. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. College is NOT for everyone.

[aegsm76]

I have a host of people I know that went to college and trade school for copier tech.
Only one is working in the field.
But many companies that I know have a ton of B1b visa holders working in their IT.
But US citizens cannot get a job in IT with these companies.
Class action lawsuit waiting to happen...

[jfrog]

1. Not totally related to the thread but I would have found it very helpful if there was a place to get local job needs and salary information and forcast those needs up to 5 years into the future.

There just isn't enough information relevant to local job markets to make educated decisions about what you should study for. Colleges try to compile some of that information on state and national levels but it always sounds more like a sales pitch than totally truthful information.

2. Students should be encouraged to major in areas they are more likely to be good at that will provide good wages and will be applicable to their local job market. Not everyone stays near their hometown, but alot of people do stay fairly close to theirs and so having job skills relevant to that area is a very good. Also, there should be little to no emphasis on whether you can find a job you enjoy with your degree. If you do good in your studies and pick a major with many jobs in your local job market you will be more likely to find a job in the first place and you will have more choices to ultimately find a job you like in that field.

3. Internships related in any way to your field of study should be very highly reccomended and pushed on college students (maybe even as a requirment) and colleges should work harder to develop strong internship partnerships with local businesses.

4. Colleges usually do fine on the academics for the most part. They do not do so good in preparing and educating students for life after college. However, Students going to college should view college more as an obligation like a job (which is hard since many high school kids have had very little experience in actual jobs). Students don't usually treat college with that level of respect.


Getting back to the actual thread, it'd be absurd if first generation college students had equal graduation rates compared with non-first generation college students. There's just less overall experience that a first generation college student can lean on.

[aegsm76]

Good thoughts, jfrog.
I wish someone had sat me down before I went to college and went over these.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

Good thoughts, jfrog.
I wish someone had sat me down before I went to college and went over these.

As do I.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Trade school scholarships need to be offered as a viable option to these kind of kids who have families depending on them for income. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. College is NOT for everyone.

Seriously, this is such an AMAZING idea!