Advice about College from First Generation Students

Posted by on December 9, 2005

[posted from Public Education Network newsblast]

ADVICE ABOUT COLLEGE FROM FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS

How do students put college within their reach, if their families have not gone before them? How do they defy stereotypes and low expectations about their future? How do they advocate for themselves academically, find the information they need, keep their emotional and social balance? This first-person advice book written by Kathleen Cushman emerged from intensive interviews with diverse college students around the country who were the first in their families to successfully go on to college. The book — free copies of which can be downloaded or obtained by following the link below — intertwines straightforward suggestions about finding help and information with descriptions of the mosaic of struggle, aspiration, and fierce determination it takes to succeed. The students profiled ended up at institutions ranging from community colleges to elite universities, but they met the same obstacles along the way: stereotypes and low expectations, limited information and opportunities, and the social and emotional trials of breaking new ground. In this book, they confront those challenges squarely and transform them into well-organized counsel and point-by-point checklists tailored for students without privilege.
http://www.whatkidscando.org/NGP/firstinthefamily.html