Larry

I chose to research an emerging group of interest in my professional life: first-generation college students. Until recently, a student being the first in their immediately family to pursue a baccalaureate degree program was of non-importance to college admission offices. Today, it is something we are beginning to consider, albeit with little weight, in our decision-making process. [|First-Generation College Students: A Literature Review] My first contribution is a literature review that goes pretty in-depth discussing the issues relating to first-generation college students and their potential for academic success. The review makes good mention of first-generation college students frequently lack of preparation to deal with the collegiate environment, their inability to adjust once in the collegiate environment, and their uncertainty and confusion with both the college and financial aid application processes. The article goes on to discuss the characteristics of a first-generation college student, retention issues that relate to them, and both pre-college and college intervention efforts to help circumvent the assumed academic disparities. [|First In My Family] The second article I found was a brief from the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute that examines key demographics that differentiate first-generation college students from their peers. This article presents some interesting data such as the family being a key influence on a first-generation college student’s decision to attend college, but also being a key influence for them to attend a college close to home. [|APS Teaching Tips] This is an online resource I found that offers several teaching tips and strategies to be used when teaching first-generation college students. I found this resource particularly helpful because it not only offers advice on how to plan a lesson but also how to teach it. This resource even offers advice on communicate with and socialize students in this demographic. I found this resource to be very helpful, as it pulls together information from several other sources and offers practical advice for the classroom. [|UT Austin Abstract] This resource is a short abstract that targets college educators and offers advice for teaching first-generation college students. However, I found the information included in the abstract to be universal regarding engaging and teaching to this group of students. The abstract doesn't offer the most in-depth information, but the information it does offer is clear and concise. [|CollegeBoard Counseling Advice] While this resource doesn't necessarily offer teaching tips and advice, it is still very pertinent. With the new professional teaching standards, we all know that the teacher must not only play the role of educator, but also of counselor. This web resource offers concepts that can be incorporated into the curriculum and educational experience, but also provides success strategies for first-generation college students that //must// be a part of the curriculum in order to successfully have an impact on the educational outcomes of these students.