First-Generation Students

By Grace Carballo ‘17

Nearly one-third of students entering two- or four-year college in the U.S. are first-generation students. Who are first-generation students? Those whose parents do not have four-year college degrees are considered first-generation. If you fit this description, you may have felt, as many do, at a disadvantage compared to your continuing-generation peers while adjusting to college life. 

There’s an ongoing national dialogue on the subject and many colleges are looking to address these concerns and  to implement programs specifically for first-gen students. USC has a number of programs, several of which are briefly described at the end of this post, if you would like to look into them further.

Challenges adjusting after high school

These students face unique challenges, because the culture of college is different than the culture of most high schools. Think about the concept of office hours, or meeting with a professor outside of class. In high school, the only reason to do this would be if you were struggling and it might even have a negative connotation, like if you were in trouble.  Whereas in college, it is an expected part of full participation in most courses.

There are different rules and expectations.  Where teachers might make exceptions for missing classes or tests in high school, college professors are often unwilling or unable to make such accommodations, especially for exams. First-generation students may not be aware of these differences, without the preparation and advice from older family members that continuing-generation students benefit from.

Among the social, emotional, and cultural adjustments first-gen students must face, they also sometimes encounter family challenges as well. In the recent Washington Post article, some reported feeling guilty for not getting a job right away to help support their families financially. Others tried hard to make sure they did not project an air of superiority over the people they’ve left behind, who did not have the same opportunities

According to the Washington Post, first-generation students are far less likely to graduate. In six years, 40% of first-generation students will have earned a bachelor’s or associate’s degree verses 55% of their peers whose parents attended colleges.

Continuing-generation students’ advantages

As a continuing-generation student I have had a number of advantages over my first-generation student peers.  In her 1/25/16 Opinion Piece in the Daily Trojan, Lida Dianti explains, “College life is catered to those who have been groomed and fine-tuned for academia throughout their development.” My parents, who met at college, incidentally, encouraged me to get involved right away so I felt a sense of community, informed me about less expensive ways to buy my textbooks, reminded me to plan ahead with preparing for big exams, and helped me develop effective study strategies that work for me. Most parents are very supportive of their children as they pursue higher education, but having parents with experience is a huge advantage.  Even applying to various colleges and being aware of scholarship opportunities would have been much more difficult without the advice and expertise of my parents.

Addressing the challenges of first-generation students

College is challenging by nature, but first-generation students undoubtedly face unique challenges that continuing-generation students have the privilege to avoid.  Fortunately, many colleges are working to address these challenges. Brown University started a first-generation college student network, 1vyG, raising awareness of issues facing these students across the Ivy League.  At Virginia Commonwealth University, where 1/3 of the population is first-generation students, they use data to identify students at risk of dropping out and reach out to them individually. At North Central College, my mom created Cardinal First, a networking and mentoring organization for first-gen students and works with Teach First, a program for first-gen education majors.

First-Generation Trojans

First-generation students represent nearly 14% of the USC student body.  

In her opinion piece for the Daily Trojan, Lida Dianti cautioned, however, that the culture of academia can be non-inclusive, failing to capitalize on the diversity of perspective and experience these students can bring.  Therefore, the resources for first-gen students should extend beyond those designed by the administration and be integrated into all class settings.

Still, the programs USC currently provides should absolutely be considered and utilized by those first-generation students who qualify.

USC First-Generation Student Programs 

The USC Career Center offers the First-Generation College Student Mentor Program which focuses on professional and career development. First-gen undergrads are paired with USC alums who were also first-generation students.

If you are interested: It requires a commitment of one academic year, with the expectation that mentees and mentors will meet once per month as well as attend 2-4 events through the Career Center per semester.  The next application process takes place in September.

USC Dornsife has a number of first-generation student initiatives including-

• The First Generation College Student Task Force at USC, which is comprised of USC faculty and staff.
• The First Generation College Student Parent Program, which serves to provide resources and information to parents of First Generation students through a welcome reception during Move-In Day and a workshop panel during Trojan Family Weekend.
• The First Generation College Student Summit, which gathered students, faculty, and researchers from different colleges to engage around issues first-gen students confront. This conference took place on February 6, 2016 and was very popular, reaching full capacity with over 500 registrations.

• Pathways to Career Success for First Generation College Students, SSEM 200, which is a sophomore seminar that explores connections between academic programs and potential careers. Students enrolled are also eligible for summer internship funding.

USC Gould has created the FGP First Generation Professionals Program, which is designed to enhance the academic success, professional growth, and personal development of students at USC Gould School of Law through a seminar series, peer mentorship, and networking.

Also, there’s now The Fischer Fellowship Program, which allows first-generation students with financial need to take part in the many extracurricular programs that Dornsife offers. This enables these students to fully participate in the enrichment opportunities that are the heart of college as those selected will receive $6,000-$10,000, which may be used in programs that involve international travel or field research.  The application period just ended on February 10th, 2016.

While being the first member of your family to attend college is undoubtedly challenging, it is also a tremendous accomplishment and something to be very proud of, both for students and their families.  If you are a first-generation student at USC, I hope these programs can be useful to you. And if you are a continuing-generation student, I hope this brief post has opened your eyes to the advantages your background and mine has allowed you in your college experience. 

Fight on,

Grace Carballo ‘17

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