MajorPjct5 Reflection

Nicole Berry
English Com, Section 330, Dr. Weaver
MajorPjct5 Reflection
April 30, 2021

Friday marks the halfway point of a school year held during the coronavirus pandemic. This pandemic provoked a sense of fear and paranoia as well as the spread of the coronavirus. The virus spread so fast that all schools across the globe closed. The closing of schools pivots students to begin school or end a school year online. As well know, online education has become a well know issue for most students. This school year has challenged students’ ability to balance life at home and school.
Sometimes life can feel a little overwhelming, to say the least. The pressure from parents, professors, and pressure from myself to succeed. I’ve contemplated three hours and devoted five hours to complete my coursework. Since the beginning of this year contemplating has been my routine. Webex meetings and coursework have felt like an option more than mandatory.
Transferring to remote learning has destroyed the engaging atmosphere of a school classroom. The atmosphere was engaging with students tackling assignments and teachers answering questions. Alongside the small interruption from students that crack up the whole classroom. This atmosphere was an engaging environment. Now classrooms are firm mattresses with Cheetos dust and an 11-inch baby Yoda plush toy.
The majority of what primary and secondary teachers teach are online. If the programs are individual and self-paced, even better. Individual meaning the courses are self-taught at my own pace. But the approach schools have to use is for mass education. This shift in education to home learning has to accommodate the school’s schedule. As a student, I had to merge four or eight classes into a schedule along with home duties. This is my situation since the beginning of my college as a freshman. The challenges for the first time as a freshman was nothing compared to the second semester.
What came as a challenge in the second semester was the classes. The classes in the second semester were Sociology, American Government, English, and Chemistry. These courses weren’t a strong suit but I was willing to prove that I am cut out for this. Especially Chemistry because the subject varies along branches- analytical, organic, inorganic. Every week the Chemistry instructors would give little to no information to help. I tried my best to reach out and receive help but no one answer. Which resulted in retaking the class alongside other classmates.
As for this English course, it has been smooth sailing. This course reassured me that a writer is someone that writes. I am a writer. Writing doesn’t have to be Shakespeare’s level of writing with metrical patterns. This course helped me understand that anyone can write. I can accept constructive criticism and dedicate myself to improving my writing.
The perception of this school year has changed within the 4 months of this semester. At the beginning of this course, my partner Graciela and I discuss our academic selves. I communicated to her that “I’m motivated to work, to learn”, which has been my motto since. I have gained more of an understanding that change is always happening. The amount of energy that I put forward can either result in something good or bad. In this ever-changing world, I’ll try my best to put forward positive energy.
Throughout quarantine, the world of education and learning has changed to remote learning. This experience has been an eye-opener for me and many students. Many students such as the ones that would ace courses had begun to fall behind in class. This may come as a surprise though students come from different backgrounds. And some of these backgrounds don’t provide the resources students need to succeed. Students rely on school resources such as internet access to complete assignments. Other resources such as books, lunch, and school supplies accommodate students in need. I’ve recently read an article that consulted with these issues of remote learning. This article was Sean Michael Morris’s “Pivot to online: A Student Guide” article. These issues have become well known to Sean as he emphasized the limitation of the internet. If a student must return home, they may face little or no internet access there. In December 2019, EdSource reported that only 30% of households in rural California have internet access; even in urban areas, only 78% of households have service. (Sean 2020)
Through the challenges and setbacks I faced this semester, I am willing to push through. It is a little bittersweet to think back to the times where education was in a 900 square ft classroom. Students received far more interaction and motivation in school. Though as time changes so can I. It is necessary to face the hardship of life because you gain a better sense of life. Better yet you grow through the stressful time in your life. As it comes down to the end of the second semester I’ve realized that I have to adapt to change. This pandemic has provoked me to focus my energy on the better things in life.

Reference:
Sean Michael Morris. “Pivot to Online: A Student Guide.” (2020)

What are some of the main problems that students have for housing in this pandemic?

Daniel Gonzalez

English1102

Professor weaver

29 April 2021

Major project 4

Introduction 

Education is one of the main aspects of every young adult in the process of growing in to a adult, but one of the main of the problems that are “common” in young adults is that the change from going from young adult to a adult it has some step that the colleges or university helps to overcome in the economic level and in the skill level, however in this pandemic this types of help are no longer given or they now have some type of restrictions that are affecting the students in various ways, and the of the the biggest problem now is the housing system is changing in colleges because of the pandemic.

Discussion

When you hear about the pandemic and the effect that is having in colleges and university you think about what the students are learning or that if they even learning something or that if this affects their communication and teamwork skill that you learn in college, but no many people know that this pandemic is affecting more the life of the students other then just learning. one of the problem is that many students are being asked to leave campus, move out of their dorms and to go back home to finish their studies, in the article “Pivot to Online: A Student Guide”  by Sean Michael Morris show a survey that says “according to the Hope Center’s National #RealCollege Survey, out of 86,000 students surveyed, 56% were housing insecure in the previous year, and 17% were homeless”(Morris 1). And this is just one of the problems for housing students.  another problem that is relate to the housing problem is in the LGBTQ students, in Morris article it show  “A similar survey by the Wisconsin Hope Lab in 2015 found that LGBTQ students who responded to the survey “faced higher risks of basic need insecurity compared to heterosexual students,” some of which may be linked to lower levels of family support.” (Morris 1). This shows that even if you have a home to come back to that doesn’t mean that you will get the support of that household.

One of the other problems of housing in colleges in pandemic is how housing insecurity is affecting the academic level. College itself can be stressful and students are trying to navigate the many academic, social, financial, and psychological stressors that come with adjusting to the academic life. Housing insecurity is a stress that can have an extraordinary impact in their college goal and life. In the blog “COVID-19 Worsens Housing Insecurity for College Students” by Ciera Graham show that “According to a 2019 report from The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, nearly 3 in 5 students experienced housing insecurity the previous year, and almost half of students at two-year institutions experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. Moreover, 18% of two-year college students and 14% of four-year students reported experiencing homelessness.”(Graham 1). On the other hand at the start of the pandemic all colleges and universities start to close temporarily the services that college gives you like residence hall, dining halls, and student employingment. This affects students that depend on these services for survival. Without these services many students are jobless and with something to eat. In the article “For many college students, pandemic life is disappointing. For others, it is a financial crisis.” by Stephanie Saul it says that “Students at 130 two-year colleges and 72 four-year colleges responded to the survey. Among its findings: One in three students reported that they lost jobs because of the pandemic. A large number of students — over two in five at two-year colleges and near a third at four-year colleges — worried about food running out before they had money to buy more.” (Saul 1).with this showing that every service that college is giving thanks to the pandemic some student is suffering because they now have some financial support to pay for food or housing.

One of the last problems of housing in pandemic is that even if students can by homeless for one day or less is till unacceptable and can have very dangerous situation and not just because of the pandemic in the article “Ensuring Homeless Students Are Seen During a Pandemic” by Sarah D. Sparks is saying that in Washington state where the first cases of coronavirus cases were detected in the country last January school and emergency shelters shut down at the same time. And that “The simultaneous closing of two safe havens for homeless students and their families portended a looming disaster for those already struggling with housing insecurity.” (Sparks 1). And even as in the article of Sarah sparks, the coordinator of the homeless Kids in Transition program for the 20,000-student Everett school district say “The temperatures at night were freezing—17 or 18 degrees [Fahrenheit]—and I was getting called about families who were sleeping in their car because the hotel wouldn’t rent to them because they were coughing” (Sparks 1). This can be a traumatic memory to the college students and cna affect their mental and physical health because of the necessity of housing. So, what can be done? There are probably some temporary solutions that can help students with the housing problems but in the long term probably the best option is to wait for the situation to get better and try to get yourself out of the citation with the help of other services.

Work cited

Saul, Stephanie. “For Many College Students, Pandemic Life Is Disappointing. For Others, It Is a Financial Crisis.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Apr. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/03/30/world/college-students-economic-struggle.html.

Sean Michael Morris. “Pivot to Online: A Student Guide.” Sean Michael Morris, Sean Michael Morris, 14 Apr. 2020, www.seanmichaelmorris.com/pivot-to-online-a-student-guide/.

Sparks, Sarah D. “Ensuring Homeless Students Are Seen During a Pandemic.” EWeek Leaders To Learn From, EWeek Leaders To Learn From, 6 Mar. 2021, www.edweek.org/leaders/2021/ensuring-homeless-students-are-seen-during-a-pandemic.

Writers, Staff. “COVID-19 Worsens Housing Insecurity for Students: Best Colleges.” BestColleges.com, BestColleges.com, 30 Sept. 2020, www.bestcolleges.com/blog/covid-19-housing-insecurity-college-students/. 

 

College Effects on Mental Health

Ajoi White

English 1102

Professor Weaver

29 April 2021

Major Project 4

            Introduction

    College in itself is stressful enough, when you add in factors like a new environment, different workload and lack of normalcy things get even messier. College is seen as a place where people grow and thrive but what if the opposite is happening. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illness can arise and are often overlooked and untreated.

            When you look at the statistics the numbers alone are scary enough, there are over 30,000 college students that have depression and anxiety and with a global pandemic the numbers are at its peak. Paola Pedrelli the author of College students: Mental Health Problems and Treatment considerations writes “Suicide, although not a specific diagnosis, is the third leading cause of death among young adults and is a significant problem among college students” (Pedrelli). Sadly, there are still other mental illness to cover. There are eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Which can easily arise when your submerged into an environment where fitting in is so prevalent.  In addition, there is ADHD and those on the spectrum who are no doubt struggling with their mental health in college.

     The effects of these mental illness will not just magically disappear when graduation comes. When there is no acknowledgment or treatment for these metal health problems, it only leads to a negative output into the ‘real world’. When it comes to treatment for mental health in college it is scarce. For instance, in a study by Zivin et al, less than half of the college students with mental health problems persisting over 2 years received mental health treatment during that time period. Students may not realize the seriousness of their mental health and suffer in silence or they might be to embarrassed to reach out for help especially if they see their peers thriving.

      Mental health is associated with different things like sex, race, ethnicity, religion, relationship status and financial situations. Research done by Jordan A Brown who attended Georgia State University writes this “There is something to take note of when 38% of nontraditional students leave their first year compared to 16% of traditional students” (Brown). When referring to nontraditional and traditional college student it means that nontraditional students may work full time, has dependents, single parents, or attending school part time. Traditional college students are recent high school graduates, living on campus and plan to graduate in four years. There are the nontraditional college students who are not just faced with academic challenges but also have various responsibilities to take care of. Nontraditional students have higher risks of possibly not graduating and ensuring the appropriate resources are in place is critical as a part of success.

       Black students reported experiencing higher levels of stress due to finances and were more likely to attempt suicide 1-5 times then white students. Many POC (people of color) are confronted with challenges that provoke their mental health especially ones who attend a PWI (predominantly white institution). Naturally you are drawn to those who are similar to you, so when the majority of your environment is seemingly nothing like you negative thoughts and feelings of loneliness are quick to arise. Many students of color experience pressure to accept the values, opinions, and mindsets of the dominant white culture while concurrently feeling pressured to abandon their own culture.

      When it comes to simply being a woman on a college campus the issues seem to be endless. Women are constantly ignored in class discussions, sexual harassment, homophobia and eating disorders just name a few challenges. Sarah Gmelch author of Gender on Campus: Issues for College Women writes “According to one report, the students most frequently targeted for sexual harassment are African ­American women, Asian­ Americans, Latinas, Jewish women, lesbians, and feminists. To this list I would add women athletes. The latter three—lesbians, feminists, and athletes—are undoubtedly singled out because they challenge masculinity and traditional male domains” (Gmelch). A considerable amount of freshman already having experienced sexual assault. Research proves that women who were sexually assaulted in their first semester in college are associated with higher rates of depressive and anxious symptoms. Matters are only made worse when your attacker is freely roaming campus. Only 1 in 5 women report rape many feel embarrassed or even like it is useless. Being faced with such a traumatic situation is detrimental to one’s mental health.

     So, what can be done? There are obviously going to be unforeseen occurrence like covid-19 that everyone will endure but having compassion and being understanding goes a long way. As far as the issues that have been prevalent for years, better mental health treatments need to be more widely available for every single type of student traditional and nontraditional. Proving flexible hours and open communication allows for those with other responsibilities to keep up their academic schedule. Having one less thing to stress over is a relief! Having an environment where things like sexism, homophobia and racism is not tolerable makes a vast difference in students college experience. Everyone needs to play their part students, parents, professors, and administrative staff. Working together with open minds is one step in the right direction.

 

 

Works Cited

 

Brown, Jordan A., “Descriptive Analysis of Mental Health Needs of Nontraditional Black and White Students.” Thesis, Georgia State University, 2017.

https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/iph_theses/530

Eisenberg, Daniel PhD*; Hunt, Justin MD, MS†; Speer, Nicole PhD‡ Mental Health in American Colleges and Universities, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease: January 2013 – Volume 201 – Issue 1 – p 60-67doi: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31827ab077

Gmelch, Sharon, et al. Gender on Campus : Issues for College Women. Rutgers University Press, 1998.

Zivin K, Eisenberg D, Gollust SE, Golberstein E. Persistence of mental health problems and needs in a college student population. J Affect Disord. 2009 Oct;117(3):180-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.01.001. Epub 2009 Jan 28. PMID: 19178949.

 

 

 

 

Why is college so expensive nowadays and how can we make it more affordable?

Introduction:

Education is probably one of the most important aspects in the development of a person’s life. It has the ability to not only turn around lives, but to also equip students with the skills they need in order to be productive members of society. In fact, we are living in a time where the average student with an internet connection has access to so much information that people of the past could not even dream of having. So, why is it then that in recent years we have seen lots of doubt and insecurity about whether or not college is worth it or not? How come our own students feel this way? How come financial costs have made it such that our students doubt whether or not they can have good prospects once they exit college? Some of these issues, especially the financial ones, have been discussed in the article “I’m the first on in my family to attend college, here’s how I got there” by Ronnie Estoque. So what exactly are some of the issues with modern college education, financial or not, and how can it be solved?

 

Discussion:

One of the issues that has been not only the question of many students, but also parents, with regards to their children’s education, is whether or not the degree that they are getting will help them achieve social mobility, or in other words, prepare them for getting jobs that require college level skills. However, in recent years, many have started to observe a phenomenon wherein there has been an increase of college students having the necessary skills and requirements to get a job requiring college level skills but end up having a job that they are overqualified for. In the article, titled “Will College Jobs be there for College Grads”, which originally appeared in the journal called Perspectives on Work, the author Peter Cappelli states that, “They document a rise in jobs requiring manual tasks (and not college skills) since 2000, well before the great Recession, and that college grads are increasingly taking them”. (Cappelli 36). This in turn has also led to other groups getting pushed out of the labor market, with Cappelli stating that, “That shift, in turn, crowded out high school grads, holding wages for those jobs down, and pushed more high school grads into unemployment or out of the job market all together.” (Cappelli 36). This in turn, has caused a lot of worry among college students wondering whether or not the degree is worth it, and if they were better off just not going through the financial burden to get a college degree. Cappelli further states that, “One in four graduates now says that the financial cost of college was not worth the benefit.” (Cappelli 35). He further goes on to back this up with some statistics, writing that “The compensation company Payscale looked at data on income and education across colleges for millions of Americans and calculated that for the graduates of about one-quarter of colleges, the return on the cost of investment in attending college was actually negative” (Cappelli 35). We obviously now know that students cannot afford college, but why? There are many financial options available, such as loans for example, but are students borrowing too much or too little? If so, what exactly is the problem?

 

One of the main ways to afford to pay for college has historically been taking out a loan, in fact, it is highly encouraged and is often times the go-to option for many lower-middle class families, or just families in general that come short on payments. However, it increasingly seems like more and more students rely on it completely. In the Journal article, titled “Student loans: Do College students borrow too much — or not enough?” by Christopher Avery and Sarah Turner, which originally appeared in the journal called “The Journal of Economic Perspectives”, they authors state that “Borrowing to finance educational expenditures has been increasing—-more than quadrupling in real dollars since the early 1990s” (Avery and Turner 165). This is a huge problem and taking huge amount of loans could eventually lead to students putting off buying a home or being financially stable on their own two feet even. In the previous paragraph, we had seen how some students have had doubts over whether or not college was worth it, but is it always a good option?

 

Given the information of the previous two paragraphs, one might ask what the real worth of college education is, and they might be right. As a matter of fact, in recent years, there has been an increasing trend of getting online certifications and prioritizing experience over actual degrees. However, despite common misconceptions of a college degree being “increasingly outdated” it does still hold somewhat of a value. In the Journal Article entitled “The fundamental worth of education” by Amy Gutmann, which originally appeared in journal entitled “Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society”, Gutmann states that “Moreover since 1950, the investment in college has a return of a whopping 15.2% a year on the $102,000 investment for those who earn only the average salary for college graduates” (Gutmann 138). However, she does come to the conclusion that many families often come to, which is that it makes sense for the more financially well off to send their kids to college, saying that “College is a smart economic choice, but it is a smart choice for those who have the choice” (Gutmann 138). So, what have been the specific effects of such an inequality?

 

One of the main conclusions that a student or the family of a student would immediately come to is that college is not worth it, and that they would be better off going straight into the job market, than spending 4 years getting a degree. In fact, coming to these conclusions might be correct, as there is a greater share of people who haven’t been getting a college degree, and that is reflected among both men and women. For example, in a Journal article by John Smith and Heather Boushey entitled “Why don’t more young people go to college”, they state that “In 2009, our analysis of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group extract finds that among 25 to 34 year old mean, one-in-five (19.4 percent) who had a college degree actually earned less than the average male high school graduate, Meanwhile, one in seven women (14.0 percent) earned less than the average female high school graduate” (Smith and Boushey 81). This combined with the information of the previous three paragraphs, clearly shows us that, when given the evidence, more and more young students would perhaps not hate the idea of going to college, but definitely consider alternative pathways to getting a high skilled and high paying job in any field that they want. So, how can this situation be helped, and what is the end to all these problems?

 

Conclusion:

What would be the point of listing all these problems, if we were not able to give solutions to these problems? In fact, there are many ways to deal with these problems. For example, with regards to the problem of college costs, Johnathan Haber, the author of the article “Solutions to the ‘high’ freaking cost of college” thinks that some colleges should simply specialize in one or two fields/majors, saying that the benefits would be that “less-interested undergraduates can be introduced to the field wherever they attend, and the only people who suffer are the high-priced faculty no longer needed within this new efficient configuration” (Haber 1). Ron Carson, the author of the article, “7 Ways to Reduce College Costs” has different approaches as to some of the problems facing college students. One of the things that he suggests is that students can opt to go to a community college for their first two years, and then have those credits transfer to whichever college they opt to go to next, saying that “Community Colleges, especially those designed to serve as feeder institutions for public state colleges and universities, can be a more affordable alternative for the first two years of a degree program” (Carson 1). In Conclusion, while there have been problems in recent years with the affordability of college, it is still possible to get a degree and be financially well-off as well as have good career prospects.

 

Works Cited:

  1. Avery, Christopher, and Sarah Turner. “Student Loans: Do College Students Borrow Too Much—Or Not Enough?” The Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 26, no. 1, 2012, pp. 165–192. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41348811. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.
  2. GUTMANN, AMY. “The Fundamental Worth of Higher Education.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 158, no. 2, 2014, pp. 136–143., www.jstor.org/stable/24640201. Accessed 15 Apr. 2021.
  3. Cappelli, Peter. “Will College Jobs Be There for College Grads?” Perspectives on Work, vol. 20, 2016, pp. 34–37. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26621135. Accessed 16 Apr. 2021.
  4. Schmitt, John, and Heather Boushey. “Why Don’t More Young People Go to College?” Challenge, vol. 55, no. 4, 2012, pp. 78–93., www.jstor.org/stable/41719380. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.
  5. Haber, Johnathan. Solutions to the High ‘Freaking’ Cost of College. 15 Apr. 2015, www.huffpost.com/entry/solutions-to-the-high-fre_b_7069932. Accessed 17 Apr. 2021.
  6. Carson, Ron. 7 Ways To Reduce College Costs. 22 Sept. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/rcarson/2019/09/22/7-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/?sh=6ed249555e77. Accessed 19 Apr. 2021.

 

Should Colleges Provide More Resources for First Generation Student?

By definition, first-generation students are the first in their families to attend college. This means that their parents neither attended college nor received a college degree. In 2010 alone, there were almost 4.5 million first-gen students enrolled in universities across America, and now, there are approximately 11.2 million first-gen students enrolled in college (Schelbe, 2019). Although first-gen students make up more than fifty percent of college students, they are 8.5 times more likely to drop out during their first four years due to the feeling of isolation and a lack of support (Schelbe, 2019). Demonstrating that getting into college is not the only struggle for first gens but staying in is the real challenge. With that being said, should colleges provide more resources to first-gen students apart from scholarships and loans, to help them better succeed? Or are student loans and scholarships enough? Keep in mind the class reading during this course such as “Taking My Parents to College” by Jennine Capo and “I’m Was a Low-Income College Student. College Weren’t the Hard Part” by Anthony Abraham Jack. This topic is important to discuss because first-gen students make up at least half of the population of every given campus yet they are the most at risk of dropping out. This needs to change and it starts here with us.

When first-generation students make the transition from high school to higher education, they are instantly at a disadvantage compared to their peers. For instance, first-gen students have a greater need for money. The author of “Supporting First-Generation Students”, Alecea Standlee, explains in her article that the difficulties of first-gen students are much greater because they work considerable hours to provide money not only for themselves but to support their families. On top of job dedications, first-gen students commonly have significant responsibilities when it comes to their families and remains deeply connected to problems happening at home despite being at college. With this mixture of employment and family commitments, first-generation students are at academic risk before their first month at school. Yet these are not the only challenges that get in the way of first generational success. First gens have neither experience nor exposure to college life, consequently, they have no clue of their new role as a college student and are completely unaware of college norms. For many first-gen students, college becomes an awful guessing game that one hopes to get right in the end. Ultimately, first-gen students need more than scholarships and loans to succeed in college. In reality, they need social support, academic preparation, and connections to adequate resources to make it through the full four years. According to, “First Generation College Students’ Perceptions of an Academic Retention Program”, by Lisa Schelbe, “they (first-gen students) lack familial history or knowledge on which they can draw for support as they move through college” (Schelbe, 2019). In this quote, Arch and Gilman tell their readers that first-gen students don’t have enough knowledge nor support at home about college life. Unlike continuous generation students, first-gen students don’t have the luxury of getting previous information about college from their parents because they’ve never had that experience. Inevitably, first-generation students feel pressured to figure it out on their own which is ultimately detrimental to the student. Thus, first-gen students require social support when making the transition from high school to college.  Since first-gen students have less knowledge about college than their peers, they need extra support from students and administrators. This could come through mentors, seminars, webinars, campus buddies, etc. If colleges can effectively connect first-gen students with mentors that could pour experience, knowledge, and encouragement into them, first-gen students would be more likely to stay and finish college. Fundamentally, first-gen students need to know they are not alone and desire to be surrounded by people that can understand and appreciate their background. By establishing social support structures for them, institutions would be taking a step in the right direction.  

Apart from support, first-gen students would greatly benefit from more preparation when entering college. Based on the information provided by Xan Arch and Isaac Gilman in Designing Services for First-Generation Students, many first generational struggles are rooted from a lack of preparation (Arch, 2019).  Therefore, providing them with as much preparation as possible is a necessary form of action for institutions to take. Universities could do this through preparation programmers, however, “first-generation students are less likely to engage in college groups and organizations “ (Arch, 2019 ). Thus, colleges need curriculum courses (specifically for first-gen students) that teach all the preparation skills one would need through college. Lastly, first-gen students require connections with adequate resources to be confident and comfortable in school. Most of the resources first-gen students need are there but accessing them can be difficult for them since there are so many things competing for their attention. As a result, they need exposure to resources such as counseling services, financial aid offices, and academic advising in the early stages of their college career. This will greatly assist first-gen students when it comes to finding aid on campus. 

Being a first-generation, anything is difficult. They must be brave to face the adversity set before them and strength to rise above the loneliness that surrounds them. The struggles that first-gen students are not light and should never be overlooked. In reality, they don’t have to pursue higher education, at any moment they could quit school, work full time and no one would blame them. However, first-gen students make the decision every day to break the trend of their family members and reach for something bigger. Simply their resilience and dedication is something truly admirable. If one wishes to read more information about first-gen students “Supporting First-Generation Students” by Arelis Benitez was a great article about the ways communities can help when supporting first-gen students. Also, “Online Guide for First-Generation College Students” by Alecea Standlee is an excellent read for first-gen students themselves that want to ensure they are staying relevant on their resources and knowledge.

Work Cited: 

Arch, Xan, and Isaac Gilman. “First Principles: Designing Services for First- Generation

           Students.” College &Research Libraries, vol. 80, no. 7, Nov. 2019, pp. 996–1012.

          EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=eue

          AN=1395784 8&site=eds-live&scope=site.

“Crlt.” CRLT, crlt.umich.edu/blog/supporting-first-generation-college-students-classroom.

UNC-Chapel Hill RECEIVES National Recognition for Supporting First-Generation Students. 17 Feb. 2020, college.unc.edu/2019/05/first

          forward/.

Standlee, A. (2019, April 11). Inside higher ed. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2019/04/11/policies-and-practices-help-first generation-college-students-succeed-opinion

Schelbe, Lisa et al. “First Generation College Students’ Perceptions of an Academic Retention Program.” Journal of the Scholarship of

         Teaching and Learning, vol. 19, no. 5, Dec. 2019. EBSCOhost, doi:10.14434/josotl.v19i5.24300.

 

First-Generation College Students

 

Kaleb Lynum

Public Speaking

4/27/21

Klynum1@student.gsu.edu

 

Introduction

 

        It’s already hard going into a new environment like college and having to get acclimated to it at a fast pace. So it takes time for average college students to adjust, but it’s even more complicated for first-generation college students. There’s no surprise that first-generation college students are at a disadvantage when it comes to college. In a class reading by Jennine Capó Crucet, she goes into detail about the struggles that first-generation college students face and what should be done about it. It’s a massive issue because it makes adjusting and being successful in college much harder than it already is. I’m going to discuss the struggles that first-generation students face and how the colleges/universities and their families can make it easier for them to succeed. 

 

Discussion

 

        If you aren’t familiar with the term first-generation college student or don’t know what they are, then let me help you understand better. A first-generation college student is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a college student who neither one of their parents completed four years at a college or university. Even if their siblings completed four years at a college of university, they are still considered a first-generation college student. So they are going to be the first generation in their family to complete four years of college. 

        Before we get into detail about those struggles that first-generation students face, let’s talk about why they struggle. See these students are going in completely blind when they first attend college. They aren’t like the average college student, whose parents have taken that journey before. The parents of students usually give out tips, advice, warnings, basically whatever they can do to make their child’s journey easier. Because their parents haven’t graduated, they don’t know what their kids should expect. Both the parents and the student have no idea about what’s going to happen at college. 

        Now let’s talk about the struggles that first-generation college students face. In the article Taking My Parents to College by Jennine Capó Crucet, she points out some personal struggles that she faced. She was unaware of even the common things that all college students should know. She and her parents didn’t know how long her parents were supposed to stay for orientation. Her parents actually booked a hotel and used their vacation days to stay for a couple of days (Crucet, 2015). Another common thing that she was unaware of was the supplies that she needed. She didn’t know that she needed to purchase “shower shoes, extra-long twin sheets, mesh laundry bags” (Crucet, 2015).  She also struggled with her school work and she couldn’t really ask for help from her family because they didn’t know how to do it. This just shows these students struggle with the simple things, so imagine how they struggle with the major things.

 

        There are definitely some more major struggles that first-generation college students face. Financial support is a very big struggle for almost all college students but it can be even worse for first-generation students. Their parents probably won’t know of the resources that they could use to make college more affordable. Resources like scholarships, grants, programs that help first-generation students, etc. Another struggle that many of these students deal with is guilt. Sometimes they feel guilty when they leave their family and go off to college or even feel guilty or embarrassed to ask for help (Homol, 2016). Fitting is also a major struggle that many of these students go through. Most of these students probably haven’t ever been far away from their family so it’s going to take some time to adjust. Fitting and finding friends definitely helps the transition easier. 

        There are a good amount of struggles that make college very challenging for first-generation college students. There are a few things that colleges/universities can do to help them succeed. Something that Jennine Capó Crucet said in her article was that she believes that colleges/universities should implement mandatory meetings for first-generation college students. This seems like a great idea that will only help benefit these students. The meetings would probably be geared toward informing students about the simple things like what supplies they need. It should also include information for the parents so they can help support their children. Support from home is something that is very beneficial to them (Greenthal, 2021). These colleges/universities could also try to give these students more attention or have their guidance counselors check up on them more often.

        There are also some things that the family of these students can do to help them succeed. I stated earlier that support from the home is very beneficial, but since the parents never graduated from college they don’t know how to support them. Having the colleges/universities provide information for the parents so they can help support the students is a great idea. It shouldn’t be solely on the colleges/universities to help inform the parents. The parents have to use the resources and research for themselves. They google at their fingertips and can research literally anything that they need to know. They can find scholarship information, tutors, a list of supplies that the kids will need, and so much more. The parents have to be able to help their children whenever they need it. 

        In conclusion, it’s already difficult to adjust to the college lifestyle, but it’s even more difficult for first-generation college students to adjust. They’re at such a disadvantage because their parents don’t have the knowledge that the average college student parent has about college. Parents of incoming college students usually give out advice and tips so their child will be more successful in college. The parents of first-generation college students may not have any advice or tips for them because they never had the experience. They struggle with simple things like how long is orientation or what supplies do they need or help with their school work. They definitely struggled with harder stuff such as financial support, guilt, and fitting. Even though they have to face all of these struggles, there are still ways to make their lives a little easier. The colleges/universities should have mandatory meetings for them to inform about stuff that they need to know about. The students’ parents should also educate themselves about college so they can support their children. Hopefully these things make the students’ lives easier and allows them to become very successful. 

 

Works Cited

 

Greenthal, Sharon. ‘’5 Big Challenges for First Generation College Students”. Verywellfamily. 4         Feb. 2021 

 

Homol, Caitlyn James, and David J Johns. “5 Things You Can Do to Support First-Generation         College Students.” Education Post, 20 July 2016

 

Markle, Gail;Stelzriede Danelle Dyckhoff, et al. “Comparing First-Generation Students to         Continuing-Generation Students and the Impact of a First-Generation Learning             Community.” Innovative Higher Education., vol. 45, no. 4, Kluwer                 Academic-Plenum-Human Sciences Press, 2020, pp. 285–98,                     doi:10.1007/s10755-020-09502-0.

 

Reid, M Jeanne;Moore, James L, III, et al. “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for         Postsecondary Education.” Urban Education., vol. 43, no. 2, Sage Publications, 2008, pp.     240–61, doi:10.1177/0042085907312346.

 

Covid-19 and its Impacts on Forced Online Learning

Jaclyn Young

English 1102

Dr. Weaver

April 23, 2021

 

Covid-19 and its Impacts on Forced Online Learning

In the wake of Covid-19, transition from classroom learning to online learning was inevitable as most college institutions pivoted to online instruction. Fortunately, internet proliferation has already created a space for more profound learning as numerous institutions already had e-learning for some of their programs. However, the unforeseen impact of Covid-19 in learning compelled institutions that were least prepared to engage in online classes to take this path. Unfortunately, such a transition was bound to experience a wide range of unprecedented challenges, which have greatly frustrated the learning process. Resource shortage is a major problem because a large proportion of students lack the devices and technology necessary to engage in the new form of learning. Apart from that, many teachers and learners lack the technical knowledge essential in such a form of learning. Also, the “at home” learning environment is unhealthy for some, which makes it incomparable to the class environment. On this basis, compelling learners to engage in online learning has done more harm than good due to existing inequalities as well as the ineffectiveness of this approach.

Compelling college students to learn online has led to inequalities in higher education because of resource shortages and high poverty levels. In return, online-learning is resource intensive because students require having internet as well as the essential computing devices such as smartphones and computers. While a majority of university students have access to these resources, a significant proportion of students lack these resources. In research conducted by Bacher-Hicks, Goodman, and Mulhern (104) in Pakistan titled, “Inequality in household adaptation to schooling shocks: Covid-induced online learning engagement in real time.”, students expressed that the online learning process was prevented by a lack of access to the internet and not financially able to purchase laptops or computers needed to attend online class. Besides, with the already low attendance rates in classrooms, this is a precursor to signify that a good number of students lack the resources required to participate in online classes. In some institutions, the class attendance rates were less than half of the total population. In a research study titled, “Covid-19 and student performance, equity, and the US education policy.” Authored by Elaine Weiss and Emma Garcia, it is proven that students, particularly from less wealthy families, cannot afford to pay for reliable internet service that ensures they can stream the online classes. From a critical perspective, such an approach to learning will translate to educational inequalities because some learners will be ahead of others. Unfortunately, education will become a benefit of the wealthy population while the poor will be sidelined. Such an outcome will undo the gains that most governments have achieved in ending social inequalities. Therefore, online learning is likely to revive the almost forgotten education as well as income inequalities.

Besides, the technical challenges associated with online learning are likely to make it less effective than in-class learning. Although technological investors were prompt to introduce academic-oriented applications such as Zoom and Google Meet to help in the implementation of e-learning, the usage of the software requires technical expertise, which many of the students and teachers lack especially for the older generation who did not grow up learning all new technological advances (including myself). Vast research has revealed that technical challenges have contributed to the low attendance rates in online classes. The study done titled “Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19: A national survey of medical students in the Philippines.” Authored by Ronnie Baticulon, it was determined that despite the fact that more than 90% of the learners had the essential resources for online learning the attendance rates remained lower than 50%. Such findings reveal the underlying problems associated with online learning. A majority of the students had connectivity issues because they lacked the technical expertise of joining the video classes or even installing the required software. At the same time, teachers faced the same problem due to technical skill shortage, which translated to the cancellation of many classes or premature ending of sessions. Dylan Rispoli writes an article titled, “Can online learning be as effective as traditional education?” Rispoli’s research reveals that even those who accessed the e-learning, a majority of them were dissatisfied due to lack teacher-student and student-student interaction. All these challenges point to the fact that online schooling remains a preserve for a few, which makes it less effective than classroom learning.

From a different perspective, online learning downplays the essence of an organized learning environment. Unlike the peaceful classroom learning environment, the home environment is often unsuitable for learning. In his research, Baticulon found out that most students failed to attend classes because the learning environment was toxic or unfriendly for learning (Baticulon et al. (1-12)). In the wake of Covid-19, more family members were compelled to stay at home, which means that students had to learn in an environment with interference from family members. Apart from that, the stress in the majority of households was bound to affect the learning environment. Most college students in poverty-stricken areas suffered from depression due to family-related financial challenges, making them less attentive to learning. Another adversely affected population are those students that lost their income sources when colleges were closed (Garcia and Weiss Para. 1-10). A significant number of college students have part-time jobs, which are the primary source of livelihoods. In worse cases scenarios, some individuals were homeless. Consequently, such distressed students lacked the necessary mental states and environments to engage in learning. Although a majority of them were willing to continue with learning, the conditions were unsuitable for learning. On this basis, online learning was bound to fail due to lack of ideal learning environment provided by a traditional classroom.

However, the proponents of online learning argue that it was a necessary alternative at a time of crisis. When Covid-19 struck in many countries, most classrooms remained closed and the return to school was almost unpredictable. Worse still, the recurring waves of COVID-19 are bound to interfere with schooling programs in an unexpected manner (Garcia and Weiss Para. 1-10). Therefore, the students were left with the alternative of waiting until the pandemic subsides or engage in online learning. Unfortunately, the decision to refrain from online learning would have serious impacts on the learning curriculum. A majority of the students would have to repeat their classes, which would complicate the transition of other students from lower levels. Besides, the argument that the future of learning is online suggests that more institutions are bound to launch online courses in the future (Rispoli Para. 7-10). Unfortunately, the outcomes of online learning have revealed that while online learning can be helpful in a time of crisis, it requires adequate preparation and intervention measures to cover students that face financial constraints. Even so, more than ever, online learning during this period has proved that it can only serve to complement in-class learning but not to replace it.

In conclusion, compelling students to engage in online learning was a rushed decision that failed to contemplate its undesirable outcomes. Poverty and resource shortage were bound to impair learning because long gone learning inequalities were to again resurface. Most students lacked the resources to purchase the technological equipment necessary to engage in online learning. Besides, there were low attendance rates because both learners and instructors lacked the technical knowledge essential in online learning. Even students with the devices faced connectivity issues as trainers cancelled and postponed classes due to such challenges. Also, the learning environment was unfriendly, which proves that although online is essential at a time of crisis it cannot replace the classroom learning.

 

 

Works Cited

Baticulon, Ronnie E., et al. “Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19: A national survey of medical students in the Philippines.” Medical science educator (2021): 1-12.

Bacher-Hicks, Andrew, Joshua Goodman, and Christine Mulhern. “Inequality in household adaptation to schooling shocks: Covid-induced online learning engagement in real time.” Journal of Public Economics 193 (2021): 104345.

Garcia, Emma and Weiss, Elaine. “Covid-19 and student performance, equity, and the US education policy.” Economy policy institute, 2020. Accessed from:< https://www.epi.org/publication/the-consequences-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-for-education-performance-and-equity-in-the-united-states-what-can-we-learn-from-pre-pandemic-research-to-inform-relief-recovery-and-rebuilding/ >[Accessed on 23rd April, 2021]

Rispoli, Dylan. “Can online learning be as effective as traditional education?” 2020. Accessed from < https://www.worldreader.org/blog/can-online-learning-replace-traditional-education/>>[Accessed on 23rd April, 2021]

 

 

 

 

Posted in 330

Why is Student Debt Such a Problem in the U.S.?

Why is Student Debt a Major Problem in the United States?

            Student debt is a quite common problem right now within the United States. Jannine Crucet wrote an article talking about her college experience. In Crucet’s article Taking My Parents to College, she talked about when she signed up for student loans. Crucet said, “Aside from a check-in with my financial aid officer when she explained what work-study was (I didn’t know and worried it meant I had to join the army or something) and where she had me sign for my loans, I was mostly keeping to myself to hide the fact that I was a very special kind of lost.” (Crucet). What Crucet mentioned is most likely relatable to a lot of college students in the U.S. right now, as we are in a student debt crisis. There are a lot of reasons as to why student debt became such an issue and how it is a problem now, but there are also things that can be done to fix it.

            Our country’s (the United States of America) history plays a big role on how student debt came about. Around the time period of 1890-1940 the only people who really went to college were people who were wealthy or wanted a religious education. Then over the years as time changed more and more people wanted to expand their education so colleges became open to a larger part of the population. Abigail Hess from CNBC Make It wrote an article where CNBC interviewed students, borrowers, historians, and experts to find out how student debt became a crisis in the United States. According to CNBC Make It in the late 1960s, “education costs were low and college enrollment grew; so did the U.S. economy.” (Hess). Colleges could have low tuition costs due to efficient government funding. Problems did not start until the Regan Era in the 1980s. CNBC Make It stated that “Reagan cut higher education funding and student aid, and college costs boomed as a result.” (Hess). This is saying that due to the tax revolt, state governments had to cut education funding. In order for colleges to stay open they had to increase tuition prices. Tuition prices have only gone up since then. CNBC Make It says the College Board said that “during the 1980-1981 school year, on average, it cost students the modern equivalent of $17,410 to attend a private college and $7,900 to attend a public college — including tuition, fees, room and board.” (Hess). In 2020 the average cost of tuition, room and board, and fees was said to be around $21,950 for in-state, and $38,330 for out-of-state. The high cost of college leads to many people obtaining a lot of student debt.

            According to the Journal of Literacy and Technology “Almost 45 million Americans hold student debt, which totals to an astronomical $1.64 trillion.” (Rubin, Alexanyan pg. 3). Around 66% of people who graduated from public colleges had an average debt of $25,550. The 75% percent of people who graduated from private, none-profit college had an average debt of $32,300. Having this much money to pay off can affect not only people who owe the money back, but the economy as well, which is why student-debt is such a large problem. Elyssa Kirkham wrote an article on Student Loan Hero about the effect that Student Debt has on people and the economy. Having a huge amount of student debt can delay people reaching their life milestones. Kirkham states that “There are many studies out there showing that this debt is causing consumers to delay first time home purchases, getting married, having children and retirement, just to name a few.” (Kirkham). If people have a huge amount of student debt to pay off then they will not have enough money to get married, have children, etc. causing them to fall behind on major life events. Another reason why student is a problem is that it slows the growth of new business. Kirkham mentions that “student loan debt means fewer new businesses are created…an associate professor of finance at Northeastern University, estimates that a person with $30,000 in student loans is 11% less likely to start a business than one who graduated debt-free.” (Kirkham). Student loans prevent spending and business which literally run the U.S. economy. The effects of student debt can slow economic growth and even its overall productivity.

            Even though student debt is a major problem there are still things that can be done to help get rid of some of it. An example would be Joe Biden’s $10,000 plan. Ben Holland and Alex Tanzi wrote an article showing the statistics and problems of student debt, but also mentioned possible solutions such as Biden’s plan. According to Holland and Tanzi, “Biden’s $10,000 plan would wipe out about $370 billion in loans…”. (The Battle Over Student Debt). This would cancel out $10,000 of student loan debt per person. Ryan Lane from Nerdwallet wrote an article explaining Biden’s $10,000 plan and how it would work. According to Lane Biden’s plan could “wipe out debt completely for nearly 15 million borrowers who owe $10,000 or less according to federal data.” (Lane). This means it would help 33% of loan borrowers pay off their student debt. Another way the government can help you repay your loans would be through loan forgiveness. FederalStudentAid has an article all about Loan forgiveness and how one can achieve it. Loan Forgiveness could be a good option for someone who cannot afford to pay back their loans. According to FederalStudentAid “loan forgiveness means you don’t have to pay back some or all of your loan.” (Student Loan Forgiveness). There are many different options of loan forgiveness for different careers so it is good to check what a person may be eligible for. An example of loan forgiveness would be Teacher Loan Forgiveness. FederalStudentAid states that “if you teach full time for five complete and consecutive academic years in certain elementary or secondary schools..you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 on eligible federal student loans.” (Student Loan Forgiveness). Different loans have different requirements, but if a person follows them correctly, they can have some or all of their loans paid off.

            Student Debt has been an ongoing crisis in the United States for many years. It seems to be a cycle within families because it is so difficult to pay off the loans that were needed for college education. The student debt crisis has caused people to not be able to live the life they went to college to achieve due to the extremely high costs of tuition. There are some ways to help, but the options are slim and somewhat complicated, and not everyone is eligible. There needs to be a change or else student debt will forever haunt the higher education system of the U.S.

 

 

 

Sources

       Hess, Abigail J. “How Student Debt Became a $1.6 Trillion Crisis.” CNBC, CNBC, 12 June 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/how-student-debt-became-a-1point6-trillion-crisis.html.

Holland, Ben, and Alex Tanzi. “The Battle Over Student Debt.” Bloomberg Businessweek, no. 4684, Jan. 2021, pp. 22–24. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=bth&AN=147953424&site=eds-live&scope=site

Kirkham, Elyssa. “What Are the Effects of Student Loan Debt on the Economy?” Student Loan Hero, Lendingtree, 9 Feb. 2021, studentloanhero.com/featured/effects-of-student-loan-debt-us-economy/.

Rubin, Nancy, and Karina Alexanyan. “Data Science Reveals US Higher Education and Student Loan Systems Are Failing Students Who Need Them Most.” Journal of Literacy & Technology, vol. 22, no. 1, Spring 2021, pp. 92–125. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=eue&AN=149642998&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Lane, Ryan. “Joe Biden’s Student Loan Plan: What’s Happening Now.” NerdWallet, NerdWallet Inc., 21 Apr. 2021, www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/student-loans/joe-biden-student-loans.

“Student Loan Forgiveness (and Other Ways the Government Can Help You Repay Your Loans).” An Office of the U.S. Department of Education, FederalStudentAid, studentaid.gov/articles/student-loan-forgiveness/.

Research Project

 

College serves as an opportunity to provide higher education or specialized professional training. For the privilege, college is expected to be a blissful moment in life. However, for first generation students that headline may not read the same. First generation college students may have a different outlook on the pre-emotions of going to college. Attending college consists of having a determined mindset to accomplish a higher education. It can be difficult to accomplish something when you lack support. The lack of guidance and mental stress can add extra challenges to achieving higher education. 

To find guidance, I applied to a college-readiness program during my junior year called the Achievers Scholars Program through the College Success Foundation (CSF), (Ronnie Estoque, I’m one of the first in my family to attend college. Here’s how I got here Pg. 1).  Within the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has added additional challenges for first-generation college students. Since the start of the pandemic 30% of students indicated that they wanted to reduce the number of courses they were enrolled in or completely withdraw from classes. There are reports as of January 2021 that show undergraduate students have reduce their course load by 4%. This global pandemic has negatively impacted students academic motivated and success. (Student’s also experience stress from their studies and their emotional well being is declining because of the pandemic. Terenzini et al. 1996). This research paper is to explore how are first generation student coping during this pandemic and maintaining a stable mind-set to complete their goal of graduating? There are tools and resources such as the federally funded TRIO program, that may be able to support the mental health and academic success for first generation college students.  

Before the global Covid-19 Pandemic, college offered vast amenities and the services available on campus are what provided students an outlet. However, with a wide range of activities, maintaining a certain academic grade was still mandatory to participate. Since the start of Covid-19, those activities and resources have ceased, and everyone must fend for themselves. The appointments are longer to see a counselor, and to find help right away is a thing of the past. Studies show that 40% of college students across America drop out from college after their first year (Vaughn et al., 2017.) Students who are coming from a first-generation background are at higher risk at becoming a college drop out. Noting the above barriers, first-generation students overall academic success and social integration across the university is due to reduced faculty support on campus and is exasperated by a reluctance from first-generation college students to seek out help/ All of these factors contribute to increased attrition (Katrevich & Aruguete, 2017; Stephen et al, 2012.) This is important to understand because first-generation college students need more support and guidance when they are in school in order to graduate.  

Support and guidance can be hard to find with schools closed, and everything online. Some universities offer a supportive program called TRIO, a federal funded program that gives service grants through the U.S Department of Education. TRIO aids to support the non-privileged students with free tutoring, educational field trips, personal counseling, and a list of other resourceful benefits. Campus support and other personal interactions are tools needed for first-generation students trying to figure out an unfamiliar environment and TRIO provides that. It’s known that the pandemic has caused students to feel fatigue, loss of idealism, anxiety, depletion, and several other emotions. TRIO, aids students to cope with problem-solving to identify the direct issues students are having. I am a TRIO student, and even through a pandemic, I receive daily text messages reminding me to reach out if assistance is needed.  

First generation college students (FGCS) face academic, financial, professional, cultural, emotional challenges throughout the process of obtaining a higher education.  A study found that compared with traditional college students, FGCS took fewer humanities courses, studied fewer, took fewer credits, worked more part time hours, and were less likely to participate in honors programs (Terenzini et al. 1996). How do you maintain mental stability with when you are working hard to accomplish something, but the odds are stacked up against you? A study has been conducted to test the difference between Mental Fitness skills, Psychological Resilience, and Academic Achievement among First Generation College Students.  

An outlook on resilience is strength to surpass all challenges. To have the courage to face fear, produce positive results even after being exposed to trauma. Everyone is not able to make it out of the challenging circumstances and walk into a master’s degree. Some people may have the desire but the mental fear, and depression and other scary mental disabilities keep a lot of people from moving forward. The number’s never lie, and although people are verbally rooting for themselves. Studies show that FGCS scored below the mean on all six of the Test of Performance Strategies Revised for College Students. (TOPS-RCS)  

First generation college students experience unique stressors. Covarrubias, Romero, And Trivelli (2015) found that higher level of family achievement guilt (i.e. the feelings of guilt that arise when students have more educational success than their parents or siblings) result in significantly higher depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, and a higher frequency of minimizing their academic success among first generation college students the non-first generation college students. It’s one thing to know that the systematic racial system we live under is rooting for you to fail, but when your family isn’t rooting for you it’s heartbreaking. (   ) Another mental stressor for first generation college student  is because high counselor often fail to discuss college with potential first time generation students, steer them away from a rigorous high school curriculum, or even discharge them from pursing college (Hudley et. Al 2009; Rendon, 1993, Saenz, Hurtado, Barrera, wolf yeung, 2007). It is no wonder some people never make it through the doors. The leaders who are supposed to be assisting, are doing more damage than doing good.

(Since majority of first-generation college students are minorities, or people who come from a background of socioeconomics Lisa House et al). First Generation College Students are also children of immigrants. It is time to rise and do the unthinkable. Come together and raise funds to send children to elite university, because a lot of privilege people spend money for their kids to attend Harvard. If your family is not supporting you, or you are just simple all alone. TRIO and other academic enrichment programs are available to assist students through this pandemic. It is a good resource if you’re having anxiety about your experience in higher education. TRIO tutors also offer opportunities for tutoring and show how to solve problems. Programs like TRIO can assist students with skills and tools if students are worried about work overload and balancing personal life with school. There are challenges that have arisen for first generation college students because of this pandemic and there are not enough solutions and resources to help with these challenges.

 

Citations

Angela L. Vaughan, et al. “Intersection Between Trio/SSS Programs and FYS Effects on First- Generation Students”. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice Vol. 20(15)2020

Lisa A. House PH. D “Supporting the Mental Health Need of First-Generation College Students”. Center for Counseling and Human Developing. 2019

Ronnie Estoque, I’m one of the first in my family to attend college. Here’s how I got here. Page 1

Is Going To College Worth It For High Paying Job Opportunities?

Is Going To College Worth It For High-Paying Job Opportunities?

            During high school senior year, the talk about college is always scary and daunting. Some students already know which college to go to, what course to take, and what career path they are going to take. But some students are still deciding with an option to get a college degree or not. Every single people has a unique path of their own, some become successful and well-off after getting a college degree, and some who do not are struggling. Interestingly enough it can also work oppositely, some high school graduates or even dropouts are millionaires, and some who earned a degree, unfortunately, live paycheck to paycheck. And so the question is, would going to college worth the risk for a high-paying job or people can just “wing” it on their future career and life in general.

           Graduating students from high school are forced to make a huge and major decision, and oftentimes they have left clueless and so little information about the pros and cons of choosing to go to college for a high-paying job with their future working career. For most, the value of education and getting a career is always the top choice and priority, but going to college means a minimum of four years spent studying, thousands of dollars spent for tuition, and even with scholarships and tuition aids students are graduating with huge student loans that they will be paying for the coming years. Students can choose a two-year degree or 4-year degree to take in college, according to the National Centre for Education Statistics conducted in 2018, undergraduate students who seek a 4-year bachelor’s degree in institutions was sixty-two percent, a rate that has been noticeably increasing compared to previous years. Though the set years do not guaranty a degree if you fail or dropped out, and those years could be used to finding a job and establishing a career on your chosen no-degree career. Another worth considering if a college degree is worth it is the staggering price of tuition fees. Top US universities would likely cost sixty thousand US dollars per year, private colleges around thirty-six thousand US dollars, and state colleges around ten thousand US dollars (Bridgestock). All that not accounting for the extra thousands of dollars you will bring with you when you graduate with student loans.  When with all those years and financial value could already help you build up a career that is higher paying than the job you’ll get after getting a degree. Aside from all that, the choice from hundreds of different degrees has a vital effect on finding a high-paying job after graduating.

           Indeed college can be expensive and would take years with a lot of hard work, but there are certain benefits from going to college and getting a degree. Most jobs are requiring a college diploma to get hired, which means more opportunities for a college degree holder than those high school graduates. Statistics show that those who went to college get most of the jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, over the last years, out of ten new jobs, nine of them are given to people who went to college or have a college degree (Goldstein). Other than that, college is all about the experiences, the people you meet and the activities that will lead and open doors for you because of going to college, and also the transition of being a college student to getting ready to adulthood. One vital thing also is the connection you build that can help in recruiting or scoring a high-paying job. Going to college is optional formal learning in the United States just like Higher education, but it is as important to discuss the key benefits, the pros and cons, and significance of it to have a view and information about the available options for the academic path.

           Going to college does not automatically means high-paying job opportunities. The resources, time, money, passion, and efforts of getting a college degree should be wisely considered. Finding a high-paying job in most cases indeed requires a college degree. But going to college is not guaranteed as a key to a successful and wealthy future. A smart choice and proper pondering of your chosen career, resources, environment, skills, and connection are what would make deciding and choosing to go to college for high-paying job opportunities worth it.

 

 

Works Cited

Bridgestock, Laura. How Much Does It Cost To Study In The US? QS Top Universities. 20 April, 2021. https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-us

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KQED PBS. “Is College Worth the Time and Money?” Above The Noise. YouTube, 5 Marc. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfoGLH7kQLs

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