Essay Sample on Blindspot and Barriers for First Generation College Student Success

Introduction

Most of the graduate from college are faced with the tough decision of evaluating whether to continue with their studies or get involved in the workforce. The aim of every student is usually to use education to back up their probabilities in the workforce. This comprises increasing opportunities in attaining their career goals, gain property when it comes to economic and also mobility in social aspects. The statistical provided by college based on the number of graduates who acquire job are promising. Apart from that, the estimated amount of salary that the graduate get annually is over $50000. This claim put colleges at an outstanding position an element that most first-generation college student would need. However, this is not usually the case because the idea of getting a degree is not apparent to all students.

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College gives a perfect ground for the student to do much exploration pertaining to their interest and their own selves. It aims is to expand their cultural experiences as well as social experience with another student they interact with. Moreover, the student is able to build on their career. Although the higher learning studies have proven to be rich in diversity, there is still a hurdle for the student of the first generation. Certainly, post-secondary education was in earlier time limited to the certain practical and ethnic group especially those who are in low social economic class.

Many first-generation college students are faced with a certain obstacle which acts as a blind spot to their goal. According to the statistic, it's certain that for a student who their parent was able to graduate from high school 55% of them enroll in college. However, for a student whose parent had less than a high school diploma just 35% of the join college after graduation. The obstacle these student experience comprises of lack of stability in financial issues, support from the family fraternity, and college readiness. Another factor that manifests is underrepresentation when it comes to racial disparities, low self-esteem in academic presentation and difficulties in adjusting to fit into college.

College Readiness

Practical and academic knowledge is important and the requirement for successive higher education. Apparently, most of the first-generation college student comes from low-income kind of families, therefore, their attendance is on the low performing schools. It is certain that most of the low performing school do not have experience and qualified teachers and mostly they do no get enough income. This directly affects the quality of education offered which in turn affect student performance. The score has low consistency which implicates their ability to cope up with higher education academic success.

In this particular school, there is a lack of familiarity of the student with the college curriculum which would have at least prepare them to be ready for college. Therefore, prompting parent from believing their children would do well or even take the advanced placement in college courses. This factors greatly affect the student to ready for college. Moreover, the first-generation student is not aware of how college, or even to apply to college, acquires financial aid or choosing major higher learning institution. The problem revolving would be the inability to distinguishes the difference between the higher learning institute that suits their career goals, hence they are likely to choose those that do not suit their goals and need in terms of academic purpose

To add on that, a first-generation college student is faced with unfamiliarity in their expectation and rigor of college ways and curriculum. The parent may be unable or even unwilling to support their child to adequately and efficiently prepare for college. Therefore, this would result in the first-generation college student to seek assistance from the high school personnel as well as their peers for important and related information and guidance. this forms a problem for FGCS since they spend less time talking to high school personnel in comparison to the student who's the parent is college-educated. In rare case would the high school to discourage these prospectuses of a low-income student from attaining their dream of joining college, however when they do this student is forced to depend on their own for academic success.

Lack of Self-Esteem

FGSC student is in most case uncomfortable with the new college atmosphere. This is brought about by there up bring and there cultural and historical backgrounds. This could be as a result from the level at which they are prepared for the college studies and the aspect of the people they are most likely going to meet there. The main reason for the limited interaction and communication that take place among the peers in fundamentally influenced by the absence of similar experience and interests. And due to these limitations, they highly contribute to the level of academic esteem and hence they find this very difficult to adapt. The FGSC find it hard to perform better than those students whose parent went to college. This to the lack of confidence because they feel inferior to the others hence resulting in the poor call performance. The minority student many even suffer from stigma because college is all about affirmative action, not just academic ability which most of them have.

Financial Challenge

Taking a student require one answer this simple question of how you will pay the college fees. As an FGSC student who has no background knowledge of the financial system of work. Most FGSC mostly come low final level families who lack college financial knowledge affected than those who parent went to college. It's never uncommon to even find FGSC student trying to work full and still go to school as a way of trying to raise school fee and significantly influence their grading results om school. Even many FGSC students quit campus due to these financial constraints.

Lack of Family Support

College assimilation and also family support act as on the main pothole to the child success in the aspect that most FGSC go to most colleges with no clue of the higher education level expectation. Hence for them to find support form organization, or even work-study jobs and even find friends in the college level of individualism in the aspect of social interaction. Family support plays a very vital role to FGSC in the aspect of academic assimilation. It's those FGSC students who develop a good sense of belonging and even academic confidence have good family support. This crucial aspect of interactions also takes place with school personnel and even professors. During transitional to college the advisors, college personnel and the staff have a significant influence on the FGSC confidence development. In essential to note that that stuff who interact freely with the FGSC have a higher chance of influence their close interaction with them. This hence contributes to the higher grade and better performance hence college success. It has been proven that family support contributes to the highest level of academic support. There is always an obligational role to the family for the FGSC which typically aspire them pursue the career that influences them to work to support their family and even become finally independents.

Despite the current obstacle that faces about 23% that obtain an associated to achieve a bachelor or even a higher rank. For one to succeed there is a need of multiple elements to contribute to the overall success of the student which has been the point for discussion in the most literature review. Some of the main contributing factors involve the rank or the level at which the student participates in the high school and even college readiness to the programs. And even the social integration and the academics, the student personal character, and family support. Studies have shown that there is a significant relationship between the level at which a student was involved in high school to the overall success of the college level. According to Hadley the FGSC has to play a very active role in the readiness of the high school and college in the aspect that there they should find a connection that surrounds student with professionals and people who can help them grow their mind. It is important to note that supportive peer relationships contribute to the continued pursuit of academic dreams and goals. it has been noted when student surrounds themselves the student who have same life aspiration the find the best opportunity to grow and receive these kinds of support.

Work Cited

Feldman, Robert S., ed. The First Year of College: Research, Theory, and Practice on Improving the Student Experience and Increasing Retention. Cambridge University Press, 2017.

LaViolet, Tania, et al. "The Talent Blind Spot: The Practical Guide to Increasing Community College Transfer to High Graduation Rate Institutions." Aspen Institute (2018).