Becoming A First Generation College Student - 860 Words

I have always been my own motivator and it has not always been easy. Being a first-generation college student meant going it on my own, making mistakes and learning from them. At the start of my college adventure I met Professor Michelle Field who introduced me to more than my love of Anthropology, but looking back she is now my inspiration to want to teach Anthropology. This was not something I knew coming into college, but some of the greatest things in life come together when you least expect them, you just have to be flexible. Moving to Bellingham to finish my undergraduate degree came at the most difficult time in my life only days after losing a parent, but Western Washington University became my new home and offered the fresh start I needed and the opportunity to continue to develop as a student that I so deeply craved. Getting to this point in my academic career has been a balancing act. I spent most of my time as a part time student earning my Associates while working full time. Getting the most out of my education was always my primary goal and it meant working hard and managing my time well. I graduated with Faculty Honors and am currently progressing towards graduating Cum Laude at Western. I was able to not only take a heavy course load, but manage it well and remained flexible and grounded in the reality of what I could handle. Determined to expand my knowledge I wanted to not only to take a variety of courses during early undergraduate work, but as IShow MoreRelatedBecoming A First Generation College Student1016 Words   |  5 Pages Throughout my teenage years, I was the embodiment of the average introvert. The pressure to succeed and become a first generation college student in my family was overwhelming, and the constant battle of not being good enough defeated me. My parents only spoke Spanish, and were unable to help me with my school assignments. As I struggled with my academics silently, my self-consciousness and insecurities grew. The fear of speaking out in public was a lingering shadow that developed more, as I grewRead MoreThe Motivational Factors Of First Generation Student1135 Words   |  5 PagesWhen a student, whose parents or guardians did not receive a post-secondary education, completes a bachelor’s degree at a university or college, they are known as a first-generation student (Choy, 2001). For many students, becoming a first-generation student is a very significant deal not only for the student, but also for the rest of the family as well. When becoming the first student in the family to receive a post-secondary education, there is an immense amount of pressure placed on the studentRead MoreComing Into A Whole New World1040 Words   |  5 PagesComing to college is like coming into a whole new world. A place where students are forced to make new friends and push themselves out of their comfort zones. Yet in college becoming successful is something that is hard to figure out. To be successful in college means to be comfortable within this whole new world. Not meaning a student needs to push themselves to be something that they are not but to make sure that they successfully find a niche that belongs to them. Yet figuring themselves out andRead MoreStudents From Low Income And First Generation797 Words   |  4 PagesStudents from low-income and first generation backgrounds often struggle in different academic subjects. Subsequently, students have lower expectations for themselves when it comes to academic achievement. The majority of first generation students c ome from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Seeing that, families work countless hours in factories and other places where they are underpaid because of the lack of educational opportunity they experienced themselves. According to Blackwell and Pinder (2014)Read MoreHelicopter Parents1139 Words   |  5 Pagesdecisions, like where to go to college at, or which career to pursue. When does helping become hovering? The generation of â€Å"Helicopter Parents† is becoming more and more prevalent in families. A helicopter parent is a guardian who is hanging over the head of their college-age son or daughter. Helicopter parents typically do whatever necessary to lead their child to success. This controversy has many suggesting it is actually making a positive impact in the next generation, some think not. I questionRead MoreHelp To Reach Full Potential. One Of Crucet’S Arguments1676 Words   |  7 PagesAmong Stranger, states that first generation college students should receive more help than other college students because it will increase their likelihood to pursue graduate from a university and they will have a better future than their family. She discusses the struggles of her main character faces while she attends to school far away from her hometown and her academic struggles. She also conflicts with her self-identity if she has lost her ethnic origin or she is becoming her own identity. I agreeRead MoreThe Sexual Revolution of the 1960s1423 Words   |  6 PagesRevolution of the 1960s Sex and the 1960s The 1960s was a decade of many changes, revolutions, and experiments including the sexual revolution brought on by the sixties generation. Free love was a popular term coined in the later sixties that meant everyone should love each other, sexually and non sexually. This was the first time in history that sex was not something only men could enjoy but women too. What came from this revolution was birth control, knowledge of the female anatomy, the startRead MoreIs The American Dream Creating An American Nightmare?1381 Words   |  6 Pagesto become anything they want to be. For many, obtaining a college degree is their route to success. By 2018, 60% of jobs in America will require a college degree. (Carnevale, Smith and Strohl) Because of the American-dream mentality and the statistics of needing a college degree, many assume that going to college for any degree will result in a lifetime of prosperity and happiness. This thought process is far from the truth. Not all college degrees are created equal, and the national average costRead MoreWorking With Community College Students812 Words   |  4 PagesApplicability Working with Community College Having my future sights at working with first generation college students, I saw the applicability of constructivist theory in the combine use of solution focused and narrative therapy in servicing such a diverse group of students. Constructivist theory as a whole is applicable with addressing diverse issues surrounding culture, gender, and social context that influence career choices that are unique to a client when compared with others. Through a recentRead MoreEducation Is A Universal Right1249 Words   |  5 PagesEducation is a universal right. Most students find their true passion for learning in college. Taking courses that interest them and avoiding courses that don t interest them, college students find themselves in a world that is coming to an end but, it also leads to a new beginning. This is why it s very important for most students to get an education from the nation s so-called prestigious institutions. In a article written for Time Magazine, Frank Bruni writes deter mined to get into one