The Impact of Family and Friends Social Support on Latino/a First-Generation College Students’ Perceived Stress, Depression, and Social Isolation

2020 ◽  
pp. 153819272096492
Author(s):  
Tara Suwinyattichaiporn ◽  
Zac D. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Family Social Support ◽  
Study Results ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
The Impact

This study highlights Latino/a first-generation students by investigating the associations of stress, depression, and social isolation with family and friend social support in their college experiences. Using random sampling, nine-hundred and seven ( N = 907) Latino/a first-generation students participated in this study. Results indicated family social support is negatively associated with stress and depression, social support from friends is negatively associated with social isolation, and family social support is a moderator of stress and depression.

The impact of peer mentoring on the mentors

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Connolly
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of first generation peer mentoring experiences on retention, grade point average and students’ perception of their academic and leadership development. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized a mixed methods approach. Focus groups and interviews were utilized to determine the reported leadership experiences of the mentors. Descriptive statistics were used to compare grade point averages and retention rates. Findings The study found peer mentors in residential life perceived an increase in leadership skills; including role modeling, time management, personal confidence, and problem solving. The peers were challenged in their roles, and perceived these challenges to help them to grow as leaders. When compared to their peers, the peer mentors experienced increased retention and similar grade point averages. The results indicated that peer mentoring experiences can be beneficial for the mentors who are first generation college students, even experiences that are particularly challenging. Research limitations/implications The biggest limitation to this study is the fact that this was a small sample, without a control group. A further limitation is that it was difficult to get students to participate in the study. Future research might examine peer mentoring experiences of first generation students on larger campuses or on multiple campuses to allow for a control group of first generation peers without a peer mentoring experience. Practical implications The results indicated that peer mentoring experiences can be beneficial for the mentors who are first generation college students, even experiences that are particularly challenging. Social implications Due to the potential for their success, these types of experiences should be expanded for first generation students, a group that is at a higher risk for drop out. Special attention should be paid to ongoing training in peer mentoring experiences, given the level of commitment by the mentors. Originality/value While other studies have examined the impact of peer mentoring on those that have been mentored, and a few have examined the impact of the experience on the mentors themselves this study extends the research by looking at first generation college students. This is valuable because first generation students continue to lag in their success in college and practical research on what can improve the student experience for this group is necessary.

scholarly journals First-Generation College Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Buffy Stoll
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Scholarly Article ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Recommendations For Practice ◽  
Holistic Recognition ◽  
Home And School

First-generation students’ transitions are particularly important to their success in college. Though attention to and support for first-generation students on college campuses have increased in recent decades, these efforts remain campus-centric, encouraging first generation students to assimilate to the culture and values of post-secondary education. These efforts lack recognition of students’ ties to their homes and families. A holistic recognition of and support for first-generation students’ transitions and negotiations between the disparate worlds of home and school could further promote their success both inside and outside the classroom. This scholarly article asserts that practitioners and students will benefit from more purposefully recognizing the role that the world of home plays in first-generation students’ transitions and experiences. The author presents a review of the literature, a discussion of the importance of first-generation students’ connections to home, and recommendations for practice, specifically centered around first-generation student transitions.

“Listen to the Feedback of Students”: First-Generation College Students Voice Inequalities in Schooling Brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110663
Author(s):  
Cassandra R. Davis ◽  
Harriet Hartman ◽  
Milanika Turner ◽  
Terri Norton ◽  
Julie Sexton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Students First ◽  
Return To College ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

In March 2020, the higher-education community faced one of its largest disruptions to date with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing campuses to close their doors to thousands of students. The university-wide closures prompted a collaboration between researchers and college administrators to assess the impact of COVID-19 on First-Generation College Students (FGCS). The team surveyed 659 FGCS across five U.S. universities to assess the ways in which the pandemic exacerbated already existing inequalities students faced in their persistence to graduate from college. The team used the social cognitive career theory as a conceptual framework for analysis. Our findings revealed that when respondents compared their life before COVID-19 with their present state, FGCS were less likely to perceive they had enough money to return to college, felt overwhelmed and lonely by added stress, and were more likely to see an increase in family responsibilities.

Staying Close or Going Away: How Distance to College Impacts the Educational Attainment and Academic Performance of First-generation College Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma Nidia Garza ◽  
Andrew S. Fullerton
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees

It is widely documented that first-generation college students attain bachelor’s degrees at lower rates than their peers. First-generation students also consistently prioritize distance to college in their school decision-making process. How distance impacts their educational performance, however, is an issue that has not received sufficient research attention. This study uses the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) to investigate whether the distance between the permanent residence of first-generation students enrolled in four-year degree programs and their attending college impacts their educational attainment and grade point average (GPA). We find that first-generation students who attend colleges at a greater distance from home are more likely to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree. We do not find strong support for the relationship between distance and a student’s GPA in most years of enrollment. We discuss the way college accessibility reinforces inequality within higher education along with the theoretical implications of our findings.

scholarly journals Information Seeking Anxiety and Preferred Information Sources of First-Generation College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-24
Author(s):  
Josefine Smith ◽  
Stacy Brinkman
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Generational Status ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Parental Experience ◽  
First Generation College

Objective – To determine whether information seeking anxieties and preferred information sources differ between first-generation college students and their continuing-generation peers. Methods – An online survey was disseminated at two public college campuses. A total of 490 respondents were included in the results. Independent variables included institution, year in college, and generational status. Instead of using a binary variable, this study used three groups for the independent variable of generational status, with two first-generation groups and one continuing-generation group based on parental experience with college. Dependent variables included 4 measures of information seeking anxiety and 22 measures of preferred information sources. Responses were analyzed using SPSS. One-way independent ANOVA tests were used to compare groups by generational status, and two- and three-way factorial ANOVA tests were conducted to explore interaction effects of generational status with institution and year in college. Results – No significant differences in overall information seeking anxiety were found between students whose parents had differing levels of experience with college. However, when exploring the specific variable of experiencing anxiety about “navigating the system in college,” a two-way interaction involving generational status and year in school was found, with first-generation students with the least direct experience with college reporting higher levels of anxiety at different years in college than their peers. Two categories of first-generation students were found to consult with their parents far less than continuing-generation peers. The study also found that institutional or generational differences may also influence whether students ask for information from their peers, librarians, tutoring centers, professors, or advisors. Conclusion – This study is one of the first to directly compare the information seeking preferences and anxieties of first-generation and continuing-generation students using a non-binary approach. While previous research suggests that first-generation students experience heightened anxiety about information seeking, this study found no significant overall differences between students based on their generational status. The study reinforced previous research about first-generation college students relying less on their parents than their continuing-generation peers. However, this study complicates previous research about first-generation students and their utilization of peers, librarians, tutoring centers, professors, or advisors as information sources, and suggests that institutional context plays an important role in shaping first-generation information seeking.

scholarly journals Libraries Support First-Generation Students through Services and Spaces, but Can Do More

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 242-244
Author(s):  
Hilary Bussell
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Four Year Institutions

A Review of: Arch, X., & Gilman, I. (2019). First principles: Designing services for first-generation students. College & Research Libraries, 80(7), 996–1012. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.80.7.996 Abstract Objective – To provide recommendations for academic libraries in supporting first-generation college students, defined by the study’s authors “either as those whose parents have no college experience or did not graduate with a bachelor’s degree” (p. 996). Design – Multidisciplinary literature review and two qualitative survey questionnaires. Setting – United States secondary and post-secondary schools. Subjects – College Counsellor Survey: 300 private/parochial, private/secular, public, and charter secondary/high schools in rural, suburban, and urban areas randomly selected from across all 50 states. Academic Library Survey: Academic libraries at 100 four-year institutions. Methods – College Counsellor Survey: An online survey was sent to potential subjects via email. The survey included basic demographic questions and open-ended questions about counsellors’ perceptions of the challenges faced by first-generation college students, the types of institutional support they need, and how academic libraries could offer support. The answers were analyzed in NVivo using a combination of inductive and axial coding in order to develop a set of themes reflecting the most commonly-mentioned challenges and support needs. Academic Library Survey: A survey invitation was sent directly to library deans and directors at 100 four-year institutions and to two academic library electronic mailing lists. The survey included questions about services academic libraries offer for first-generation students. The data were analyzed to determine whether academic libraries were offering services that matched the thematic areas identified in the College Counsellor Survey. Main Results – College Counselor Survey: The response rate was 24% (n=78). There were six themes which were identified regarding challenges and support needs for first-generation students: Academic and Tutoring, Social and Cultural, Home and Family, Navigating College, Financial, and Mentoring and Advising. Recommendations for library support included library participation in first-generation student orientations, library instruction in research methods, and conveying that librarians are welcoming and friendly. Academic Library Survey: Out of the 59 responding libraries, 19 reported offering services designed for first-generation students, while 6 additional libraries reported offering services they believed would be useful for first-generation students, though they were not designed for them specifically. The library services addressed needs relating to the Academic and Tutoring, Navigating College, and Financial themes. The library services did not address the needs relating to the Social and Cultural, Home and Family, and Mentoring and Advising themes. Conclusion – Based on the surveys and literature review, the authors provide recommendations for academic library services for first-generation students that address each of the six thematic areas of need. The recommendations include, but are not limited to, assigning liaisons for first-generation programs, working to create an inclusive and affirming library environment, designing library spaces that support the multiple social roles and identities of first-generation students, helping family members of first-generation students become aware of the library as a resource, providing training on applying for financial aid, and having librarians either provide outreach to mentorship programs or become mentors themselves.

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