First Generation Students Experience Many of the Same Problems as AHNs

Many FG students feel they lack the necessary content knowledge, financial knowledge, and study skills to be successful in college (Engle et al., 2006). Both before and after entering college, FG students face numerous challenges which impact their academic success. Pre-college factors that affect FG student success include poverty, high school quality, high school rigor, and parenting practices (Harackiewicz et al., 2014). FG students in general have less academic preparation, take fewer advanced courses and more remedial courses in high school, have a lower high school GPA, and exhibit lower ACT and SAT scores. FG students in general have less academic preparation, take fewer advanced courses and more remedial courses in high school, have a lower high school GPA, and exhibit lower ACT and SAT scores (Atherton, 2014; Shelton, 2011). The parents of FG students often have only a high school education or less, so they are often unable to provide sufficient social and academic guidance that FG students need to be successful (Shelton, 2011). Furthermore, FG students have only limited information about how to apply-to and pay-for college (Shelton, 2011).

Once they enter college, FG students face additional challenges including stereotypes (Croizet & Claire, 1998; Johnson et al., 2011), educational persistence issues (Shelton, 2011), and mismatches of cultural values (Housel & Harvey, 2010). FG students are generally less integrated into campus culture and are therefore less likely to participate in study groups, office hours, meetings with advisers, on-campus social groups, and recreational or other extracurricular activities (Shelton, 2011). One reason for this is that FG students are less likely to feel that they fit in and more likely to have a cultural mismatch with the culture of their college. When a cultural mismatch occurs in FG students, it may cause them to view their peers and college as unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and difficult. When a cultural mismatch occurs in FG students, it may cause them to view their peers and college as unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and difficult. This mismatch is exacerbated by the fact that they tend to be older than their peers and tend to live off campus (Shelton, 2011). Overall feelings of cultural mismatch can reduce FG student engagement with peers and instructors (Pike & Kuh, 2021; Terenzini et al., 1996), increase their stress levels and negative emotions (Stephens et al., 2012), and lead to lower performance, persistence, achievement, and feelings of belongingness (Harackiewicz et al., 2014; Housel & Harvey, 2010; Stephens et al., 2014). FG students are more likely to have greater work and family responsibilities, and are more likely to feel guilty about leaving their work or families to obtain a degree (Goldman et al., 2022). The difficulty in splitting time between work, academic, and family priorities can lead to added stress and hectic schedules (Shelton, 2011). The social pressures and personal insecurities faced by FG students mean that they need additional emotional and material support (Shelton, 2011). Compared to CG students, FG students typically exhibit lower self-efficacy (i.e., their belief they can do what is necessary to succeed) (Ramos-Sánchez & Nichols, 2007), higher levels of stress and depression (Stebleton et al., 2014), and they believe that high amounts of effort and resources are required form them to be successful (Goldman et al., 2022). Despite these concerns, FG students are less likely than CG students to take advantage of college resources such as counseling services (Stebleton et al., 2014).