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| Are you the first person in your family to go to college? Tell us your story | Are you the first person in your family to go to college? Tell us your story |
| (25 days later) | |
| Click here to see the final feature | |
| In 2010, a study by the US Department of Education found that 50% of the college population is made up of first-generation students, or students whose parents' highest qualification was a high school diploma. But are our educational institutions doing what they should to make college easier for them? Or are first-generation college students falling through the cracks? | In 2010, a study by the US Department of Education found that 50% of the college population is made up of first-generation students, or students whose parents' highest qualification was a high school diploma. But are our educational institutions doing what they should to make college easier for them? Or are first-generation college students falling through the cracks? |
| Julia James, Rhodes scholar and post-doctoral fellow in global public health at the University of California San Francisco, wrote about her struggles as a first-generation learner and the different expectations immigrant families have of their children. | Julia James, Rhodes scholar and post-doctoral fellow in global public health at the University of California San Francisco, wrote about her struggles as a first-generation learner and the different expectations immigrant families have of their children. |
| The norms of my relatives often conflicted with expectations of my American teachers, as they do for many immigrant families. For example, submission and rigid discipline were the way of life in my household. I quickly learned to be seen but not heard, or risk punishment. For my kindergarten teacher at a public school in Brooklyn, Mrs Bush, however, my reticence in the classroom was suggestive of a learning disorder. | The norms of my relatives often conflicted with expectations of my American teachers, as they do for many immigrant families. For example, submission and rigid discipline were the way of life in my household. I quickly learned to be seen but not heard, or risk punishment. For my kindergarten teacher at a public school in Brooklyn, Mrs Bush, however, my reticence in the classroom was suggestive of a learning disorder. |
| The struggles of first-generation students are not restricted to their time in school or social pressures. Paying for the education, fitting in once they get in and future repercussions also play a big part. | The struggles of first-generation students are not restricted to their time in school or social pressures. Paying for the education, fitting in once they get in and future repercussions also play a big part. |
| My preoccupation with fitting in socially impacted my academic preparation. My SAT scores were little higher than the national average. My fear that I wouldn't get accepted into any college led me to overcompensate: I applied to 17. | My preoccupation with fitting in socially impacted my academic preparation. My SAT scores were little higher than the national average. My fear that I wouldn't get accepted into any college led me to overcompensate: I applied to 17. |
| We're opening up the issues James addresses in her piece and we want to hear how different other people's experiences were. | We're opening up the issues James addresses in her piece and we want to hear how different other people's experiences were. |
| Were you a first-generation learner? What was the biggest benefit of the education you received? How hard was it to build a network while at school? Did you face discrimination for being a first-generation college student? Share your reflections and experiences with us below and we'll publish your responses on the Guardian. | Were you a first-generation learner? What was the biggest benefit of the education you received? How hard was it to build a network while at school? Did you face discrimination for being a first-generation college student? Share your reflections and experiences with us below and we'll publish your responses on the Guardian. |
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