Getting to Know First-Generation Experiences

I was the first in my family to ever attend a college course and earn beyond a high school diploma. As a first-generation, low-income student, support programs completely changed my life. Student Support Services, a TRiO program, gave me the support and guidance to thrive in my undergraduate experience. The NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program gave me the motivation and knowledge to pursue my master’s degree. I am currently working toward my Ed.M. in Higher Education Administration and seeking to give back to the access and support programs that helped me get to where I am today.

First-generation students face unique challenges and have unique experiences while navigating higher education. These experiences can affect student behaviors, student performance, and self-esteem (London, 1989). Amongst difficulties such as financial need and access to college, there are other aspects of first-generation experiences that are not as obvious or widely told.

Here are some things you might not know about first-generation experiences:

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Social Comparison. Students experiencing imposter syndrome often compare themselves to their peers positively or negatively (Chayer & Bouffard, 2010). Imposter syndrome is the internalized feeling that one is not competent or does not have the ability to succeed and that they do not belong with the others they are surrounded by due to this lack of qualification.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Family Commitment. First-generation students are heavily impacted by the needs and expectations of their family (London, 1989). The social history and experiences of a first-generation student’s family can have effects on the student’s behavior and how they move through higher education.

[if !supportLists]● [endif]Resiliency. Family history knowledge was found to be linked to resiliency and persistence for first-generation students (Miller, 2007). This highlights how family history knowledge can be utilized as a means of family support for first-generation students, despite their family not knowing the system of higher education.

To learn more about the experiences of first-generation, low-income students, you can read Welcoming Blue Collar Scholars into the Ivory Tower: Developing Class-Conscious Strategies for Student Success by K. M. Soria

References

Chayer, M., & Bouffard, T. (2010). Relations between impostor feelings and upward and downward identification and contrast among 10- to 12-year-old students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 25(1), 125-140. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/23421680 London, H. (1989). Breaking away: a study of first-generation college students and their families. American Journal of Education, 97(2), 144-170. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1084908 Miller, R. (2007). The association of family history knowledge and cultural change with persistence among undergraduate low-income, first-generation college students. Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 24(1), 29-45. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/42802614