First-generation aspiring college students: What they have to say

This is the third post in a blog series about social media, social capital and college success.

This post is about one complex and diverse population of college and aspiring college students, "first-generation" students - defined as those without a parent who has attended college. 

This post was also supposed to be what research has to say about first-generation students, and how social media can support their college success. That was the plan.

Turns out, I was invited to attend a twitter chat hosted by an organization that actively supports aspiring first-generation college students. it gave me a chance to listen to what students had to say, instead of what has been written about them. It was especially interesting to hear their thoughts on how social media could support them.  While much research had been done in this area, it was important to hear from students themselves how social media can support them.  Their voice is the most important.

The conversation was introduced with a discussion of how first-generation students may experience inequity in accessing a college education.  There are many reasons for this, but one is lack of information. The lack of parental experience with higher education may result in the student not knowing about resources, such as those necessary for financing higher education. 

Because many schools lack adequate college and career counseling, counselors for college-bound students may not recognize or be able to compensate for that student's lack of "college culture" knowledge.  Without an understanding of a culture, one does not know what specifics to ask about it.  A college-bound student with little or no understanding about the college environment is not going to know the questions to ask.  And schools may not be aware of the deficits that first-generation students can face, and so be unaware what resources and support to make available.

Once in college, first-generation students may find themselves "strangers in a strange land."  Transitioning from one life stage to another is rarely without bumps in the road. Students with "college culture" in their family may be prepared to handle new responsibilities, such as more control over financial decision-making, or at least know that these issues are possibilities.  Those students without exposure to "college culture" may need to acquire these skills at the same time they are immersed in their studies.  It was brought up that college students make decisions that may impact their entire lives. First-generation students may require support in making decisions about situations that, for them, are especially unfamiliar and complex.

The question was asked during the twitter chat about whether social media might help in bridging the gaps that first-generation students experience. 

Social media, particularly using platforms favored by students, was described as a vehicle for connecting students with available resources, even making them aware that specific resources exist. Stories about how first-generation students were supported by organizations can be shared through social media. Of course, social media can also serve to connect individuals, including mentees to mentors, found to be helpful in transitioning from high-school to college. 

The voices from the twitter chat confirmed what I have read.  But, to hear the voices of the very people whose lives can be impacted by the strategic use of social, to hear them in conversational language and not academese, brings human faces to what otherwise might be just an interesting problem to solve.

I thank them.

Photo resource

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay