The transition to college: Diverse students, diverse stories

Family relationships and college adjustment of first-generation college students

“…Qualitative studies (London, 1989(London, , 1992(London, , 1996Mitchell, 1997;Olenchak & Hebert, 2002;Terenzini et al, 1994) have pointed to family dynamic difficulties for these students when attending college. The purpose of the present research is to explore in detail what impact the family has on the academic and personal adjustment of first-generation college students.…”

“…Qualitative research studies have indicated the potential for some significant family relationship difficulties between first-generation college students and family members at home (London, 1989(London, , 1992(London, , 1996Mitchell, 1997;Olenchak & Hebert, 2002;Terenzini et al, 1994), but limited research has been conducted on quantitative outcome measures for these students. In addition, since the majority of the family relationship outcome studies have not included first-generation students (Adams, Ryan, & Keating, 2000;Armsden & Greenberg, 1987;Cutrona et al, 1994;Feenstra et al, 2001;Hoffman, 1984;Hoffman & Weiss, 1987;Kemp & Neimeyer, 1999;Kenny, 1987;Kenny & Donaldson, 1991Lapsley et al, 1989;Lopez et al, 1986Lopez et al, , 1988Lopez et al, , 1989Rice et al, 1990;Rice et al, 1995), it is impossible for higher education institutions to know whether this variable is an important contributor to the success or failure of these students in college.…”

“…It is known that these students face more intergenerational family interaction difficulties than the average college student (London, 1989(London, , 1992(London, , 1996Mitchell, 1997;Olenchak & Hebert, 2002;Terenzini et al, 1994). They tend to have higher attrition rates (Brooks-Terry, 1988;Duggan, 2001;Horn, 1998;Thayer, 2000;Warburton, Bugarin, & Nunez, 2001) and to be less involved in campus activities (Brooks-Terry, 1988;Duggan, 2001;Gardner, 1996;Grayson, 1997;Padron, 1992;Richardson & Skinner, 1992).…”

“…While traditional students make a more or less unconscious decision to go to college as part of an always known expectation, first-generation students make a conscious choice to break with family tradition in going to college. For them, making such a change represents intergenerational and personal difficulties greater than the usual academic and social transition issues faced by all college students (Olenchak & Hebert, 2002;Terenzini et al, 1994). They must learn to adapt to two different cultures: their world of family and friends at home and their new college culture.…”

“…Firstgeneration students often find that family and friends at home do not understand their academic challenges and thus experience conflict regarding the changes being made in their lives. They must find ways to renegotiate this student-parent interaction in order to successfully persist to graduation (London, 1989(London, , 1992(London, , 1996Mitchell, 1997;Olenchak & Hebert, 2002;Terenzini et al, 1994).…”