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Explaining how college works to a first generation student

  • Please suggest information sources and other resources to explain how college works to a first generation potential college student. I have a friend whom I am encouraging to go to college. He was laid off a few months ago and his job search is not going well. He's concluded from his own job market research that in his industry/region he needs a bachelors degree to advance his career. I think, given that he is already unemployed and the economy is probably going to be sucky for a while, that now would be a terrific time for him to go get that degree! However, he is having a hard time believing and understanding that he is actually *able* to go to college. My friend is from a lower class background and no one in his family has ever been to college. I am trying to help him with information and advice, but it seems that there is a lot of information I picked up through osmosis growing up that he just doesn't know because he was never exposed to it. (Examples: I used the term "undergraduate" and he asked me what kind of degree was that. He didn't know that he could get a student loan and use some of the money to help pay for living expenses as well as tuition. Etc.) I'm worried that the advice and information I have to share assumes too much prior knowledge of how the system works to be very helpful to him. I don't think academic preparation will be an issue for him. My friend is very smart and his language skills are definitely college level. (I was initially quite surprised to find out that he'd never been to college because he speaks and writes better than many college graduates.) He graduated from high school but his high school GPA was not very high. He's old enough (30) to be classified as an independent college student for financial aid. His credit is poor, so private loans are probably not a possibility. He is estranged from his parents so no support there. He already lives very cheaply so I don't think he'll have to make any lifestyle adjustments to live as a full-time student if he is able to get enough student aid to cover the full "cost of attendance" estimate provided by the school. If/when he goes, he'll be going to his local community college for an associates degree and then transferring to the local state university. (He probably could complete a distance learning degree quicker, but his job market research has convinced him that for his industry/region he needs a degree through these specific local programs.) I think he's the type of person who would really benefit from and thrive in the full time college student experience, even though he's starting later in life and will be older than most of the other undergraduates. So, my friend is smart enough, he should be able to fund it, and it would be great for him to go. I think his main obstacle now is that he just doesn't understand how the "system" works. My impression from our discussions is that his class background has (falsely) led him to believe that college is a big scary intimidating complicated foreign thing and not for people like him. I want to break down this mental roadblock and show him that college is really NOT that difficult to get into, pay for, and succeed in. So, what are some good books or other resources I can recommend to him that explain the college "system", starting with the very basics, to a first generation, older student? Like you would explain it to a newly arrived space alien? Basic terminology and structure of the US higher education system, how admissions works, how financial aid works, what to expect and how to succeed in your classes, how to take advantage of all the student support services and extracurricular opportunities, how the job market for college graduates works, etc. Although I know all this stuff myself, I'm not confident I can explain it adequately to someone starting from zero prior knowledge. Thanks!

  • Answer:

    You sound like an amazing and wonderful friend. My only suggestion as far as your effort to encourage him is to try to change your approach a bit in this area: My impression from our discussions is that his class background has (falsely) led him to believe that college is a big scary intimidating complicated foreign thing and not for people like him. I want to break down this mental roadblock and show him that college is really NOT that difficult to get into, pay for, and succeed in. You can disagree with him (and it's so great that you are) about whether he IS capable, but if someone finds something scary, intimidating, etc., then it's not helpful to contradict their feelings. Just because it wasn't difficult for you, doesn't mean it wouldn't be extremely difficult for him. So I guess my advice is to really listen to his concerns (without contradicting him) and provide details about how things work without making those kinds of emotional judgments ("it's easy", "there's no reason to feel intimidated", etc.)

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I would contact the community college he will be attending. I know some of the community colleges in my area have specific counselors (academic and otherwise) to assist people who are the first in their family to attend college. Also, I think it is very good that he is starting off at a community college where there will be a mix of people from all different areas of life, not just your typical college student. I am the first in my family to attend college and I would have been overwhelmed and out of place at a university. Community colleges have a lot of great resources available, though, so I recommend contacting them and getting him to speak with someone on campus!

rainygrl716

The http://www.princetonreview.com/college/default.asp site is popular and a good place to start for basics.

PinkButterfly

Tell him to prepare for cringe-worthy bureaucracy, but once you get through the initial hoops things get pretty easy. Other than that, tell him that he will probably have people older than him in class. I just returned to a degree program after 6 years off. I'm older than most people in my classes, but in none of my classes am i the oldest (in fact not even close.) Also, explain that college really isn't that hard, it's just like an extension of high school where going to classes is optional, but you have to pay for them. Hope this helps and wish him luck.

schyler523

I went to college at 32 and had more fun that the kiddies there, at least in the classes. I remember thinking of the profs, "Hey, they're my age. Cool." The young kids were all intimidated but I was able to talk to the profs more as equals and got to know some of them quite well. I was concerned about how long I'd been out of school but truthfully the teenagers are mostly morons who don't really want to be there. Let your friend know he should have a great time and do well.

trinity8-director

Another option for him would be to take classes at the community college and if he gets a high GPA after a year or few semesters, he would have a good shot of getting a good aid package at the state university. I knew a lot of people who did this without actually getting their associates first. Also, most of the non-traditional students I knew got really good financial aid, including grants, because they had lower incomes and were financially independent from their parents. He will also almost certainly not be the oldest in all his classes at 30. Neither of my parents went to college and I didn't know what an undergraduate was until I already started school, either. Judging from those I met, it's pretty common not to know all the lingo right off the bat. I ended up helping my parents do all my little sister's stuff when she went because they still didn't get all the ins and outs. He may want to check out the FAFSA site, http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

fructose

I was a first generation college graduate who started college a few years late (after dropping out the first time) and here are three things I really wish I had known beforehand: 1. Don't put up with an awful class. Drop it! You can do that! You're a grown-up! 2. They aren't going to kick you out of school if you flunk one class. They probably won't even take away your scholarship. 3. There are tons and tons of people at a school who are employed specifically to help you out or who just know things and are happy to share that with you. Ask them questions. If they're unhelpful, find someone else in the same department and ask them questions. Be honest about what you don't know and what you need to know and what your situation is. Use tutors if you need them. Go to the financial aid office. Ask dumb questions at the registrars office. Ask your departmental secretary (when you've got a major) things. Someone will help. Don't drown for lack of asking (which is what I did the first time I went to school, wholly unprepared and foolish).

hought20

I second the Princeton Review website. I was a first generation college student too, and it gave me the basics for getting into college when no one else (not even my high school guidance counselor) could help me.

Nematoda

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