Part of college is finding what it is that “makes you tick.”
The video below is an insight of what makes four first-generation students tick. They’re in college not only to pursue a higher education that their parents couldn’t but also to find a career that they will enjoy. I asked each of them what it is that makes them tick about their career path relating to their major. Each described what it is that makes them “tick.”
First-generation college students are aspiring for a better future by pursuing a higher education. They are in search for a career that they enjoy and makes them tick.
This has led me to work on a project that I will be busy with this week. I will be posting a video next Thursday that will showcase interviews with four first-generation students who have found a major that suits not only their abilities but also their likes. Each describes what it is about their major that makes them tick.
Aside from the interviews, the video will also showcase the students in action doing what they like to do! Stay tuned!
Growing up as a first-generation student can be difficult. Most grow up in a low-income household and have to go through situations that can be hard and stressful. Some students have to work from an early age or just simply find someway to help our parents have enough money for necessities.
I interviewed two current Cal Poly students and one Cal Poly Alumni, now faculty member, and asked them how it was like for them to grow up.
Carla Quinonez moved to the U.S. about six years ago and is now a biomedical engineering major. Maria Arvizu-Rodriguez, worked in the agricultural fields with her parents and is now an academic advisor. Dainy Cruz Cortes grew up at her parents work, a sewing factory, and is now a business major.
Hear how it was like growing up for them.
If you’ve read the “About” section on this blog you know that I myself am a first-generation and low-income college student.
A goal of mine for this blog is to focus on the experiences of other students on each post but this post will be an exception because as a change I will be talking about my experience. I will touch on several past posts and add how I personally relate to the topic.
Going away from home for the first time is a big step in life. It takes a good reason to do it. For first-generation students and many other college students that reason is college. Some students choose to stay close and go to college near their home or commute. But others have to travel miles to a new city with new people, places and surroundings. It is saying goodbye to everything they have ever known. But it’s worth it because they are going away to pursue and education.
Going away to college is a big step for anyone. It means shedding out of your comfort zone and being exposed to new surroundings. It hits harder being a first-generation student because our parents are not able to guide us through the process.
First-generation students in the Educational Opportunity Program at Cal Poly are given the opportunity to attend a program called Summer Institute. It usually runs through the end of July to the middle of August. They stay in on-campus apartments, take a General Education course and attend supplemental workshops. The program also includes activities that helps them get familiar with San Luis Obispo. The program is held every summer. This last summer, 89 incoming EOP freshmen got to attend. The 2013 program ran from July 27 – August 20th. This year’s theme was DC superheroes with the motto being “Made of Steel.” The Summer Institute Program Coordinator and Program Assistants are in charge of the program.
“The purpose of Summer Institute is to help out students transition to college,” Jon Diaz, Summer Institute Program Assistant said.
College can be a scary and confusing place. Having a support system on campus is important. At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and at every other California State University there is the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). EOP is under Cal Poly’s Student Academic Services which provides educational resources to students that can help them succeed.Students can apply for EOP after they finish applying to the CSU(s) (including Cal Poly SLO) of their choice . Part of the criteria to be eligible for EOP is to be an “educational disadvantaged student” or first-generation student and be low-income.
Once a student is accepted into the EOP program then they become connected with their EOP advisor. It helps them transition from high school to college and gives them support throughout their college years. There are six advisors, one for each college at Cal Poly. The slideshow below gives an insight look at a day in Cal Poly’s EOP offices.
Click on the first picture to start the slideshow.
“We want to ensure that the student does not just get admitted but are successful so they are able to obtain their degree. As advisors we really care about our students we want to ensure that they are utilizing us not just for academic advising but sometimes if there’s personal issues it’s always good for them to know that there will always be someone that will be able to listen to you” – Jose Millan, EOP Academic Advisor for the College of Engineering.
“As a first-generation student it is even harder because you don’t know what to expect so having someone you can come to with any question is the best part of EOP.” – Katie Ellis, EOP Academic Advisor for the College of Liberal Arts said.
Hello readers!
One thing about me that you do not know is that I am a social media junkie. Twitter is one of the social media sites that I use very often. In the past, my tweets have been random ramblings but now that I am in college my tweets are mainly about my college experience! It’s also somewhere you can get to know me more.
I also post a link to my posts every time I post a new one. You can also see my tweets on the widget on the bottom of the main page of this blog.
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The college application season is always a busy and nerve wrecking one. Deadline after deadline and essay after essay have to be done. It is a lot of work and responsibility. First-generation students do not have a big help system at home because they are the first in their family to go to college. Unlike second or third generation students, their parents do not know what the application process is like. Which can cause the students to struggle with the application process and have to rely on outside help.
“The college application process can be ambiguous and scary. These students don’t have parents that are helping them read through all the fine print and multiple number of documents and emails that are coming their way,” Maria Arvizu-Rodriguez, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Educational Opportunity Program counselor said.
Q&A with Cal Poly SLO First-Generation Students
Alvaro Perez, First-Year, Aerospace Engineering major
Magali Silva, First-Year, Economics major
Rachel Scales, First-Year, Modern Languages and Literatures major
Once the college application season is over, the time comes to choose where to go. These students chose Cal Poly SLO. The transition can be difficult because it is a very unfamiliar territory.
Arvizu-Rodriguez recommends support programs similar to the Summer Institute program at Cal Poly that provide transition assistant from the minute they are admitted till the end of their first year.
The opportunities and the help is out there for first-generation college students. It is a matter of finding it and doing what is best for them.
Important links for when applying to college:
The road to college can be a tough one. An article in The Atlantic touches upon how difficult it can to be the first in the family to attend college and an article on Cleveland.com talks about the financial challenge for low-income students.
Even though college is new to any first-time freshman, adjusting to it is more difficult for a first generation, low income student. This can be for a few reasons:
Being a first generation student comes with challenges. Their help system is smaller than those who are of second or third generation. They face more financial challenges because they are of a low income.
Going to a public high school doesn’t put out in the open the challenges students have except academic based challenges But in college the challenges for first-generation students can be more noticeable. Students from low-income backgrounds are not as well off as their college peers who are second, third generation or of a higher income. Because of the difference it is harder to connect and be social with peers. That leads to trying to find a niche, people with similar backgrounds.
The expenses that come with college are harder to fulfill. Access to a college education is now not difficult to attain but the costs are a bigger barrier for a first-generation, low-income student. They need help to make their education more affordable.
The challenges can pose a threat to their possibility of graduating.
Organizations like One Goal focus on helping first-generation students get to graduation.
The opportunities and the support is there but the challenges are harder to overcome. Mentoring, college programs and organizations can help students overcome those challenges and make it more possible for them to graduate.
First-Generation 