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Challenges and Realizations of First Generation Students Who Navigated Through Transfer Momentum Points
Challenges and Realizations of First Generation Students Who Navigated Through Transfer Momentum Points
Practice
To cite this article: Orlantha F. Marine Nin & Rebecca Gutierrez Keeton (2020) Challenges and
Realizations of First-Generation Students Who Navigated through Transfer Momentum Points,
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 44:4, 273-287, DOI:
10.1080/10668926.2019.1585303
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2019.1585303
ABSTRACT
This qualitative study investigated the challenges experienced by first
generation community college students as they navigated the process of
transferring to a four-year university. Participants were from a pool of first
generation students who were in the process of completing steps to
transferring. These participants all completed specific transfer momentum
points, which indicated that they were on a pathway to transfer. This study
amplified the voices of first-generation community college students who
were achieving success towards transferring and described the challenges
and learning that they experienced in the process. The findings indicated
that participants faced several significant challenges throughout their edu
cational journey and met momentum points in a surprising number of
ways. Participants struggled with financing their education. They felt iso
lated. Students experienced numerous setbacks and found it difficult to
maintain motivation. In the process of overcoming these challenges, they
made important realizations about themselves that were critical to their
retention and their ability to continue in momentum toward their transfer
goals. These realizations included developing financial awareness, utilizing
support systems and campus resources, staying focused and hopeful, and
finding their drive. The findings of this study inform community college
practices for first-generation college students with a goal of transferring.
Introduction
Community colleges serve a diverse population of students and offer opportunities for
economic, educational and social advancement. According to the American Association of
Community Colleges (2013), first-generation students occupy approximately 40% of the
population of commu nity colleges. First-generation college students are an underserved
population in the community college system. Underserved populations at the community
college include low-income students, first-generation students, and those from diverse
ethnic populations (Green, 2006; Thelin, 2011). This study utilizes Ishitani’s (2006) definition
of a first-generation college student as one whose parents are non-college graduates. First-
generation students are an important constituent within the community college population
and their experiences merit further study.
Community colleges offer open admissions, providing opportunities for individuals to
advance educationally regardless of their high school performance. However, simply giving
access to educa tion does not ensure first-generation students success. In a study that
compared first-generation college students to continuing-generation college students, the
authors found that both groups did not persist equally in higher education with first-
generation students persisting at a lower rate. Specifically, the researchers found that ten
years after their sophomore year of high school, only 20%
CONTACT Orlantha F. Marine Nin onin@saddleback.edu Extended Opportunities Program & Services, Saddleback
College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA 92692, USA.
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
274 O. F. MARINE NIN AND R. GUTIERREZ KEETON
Theoretical framework
Persistence and retention influence transfer and completion rates for community college
students. Many studies related to persistence and retention emphasized the sociological
aspects of student departure from college. The goal of the current study was to examine
student’s persistence through the transfer momentum points from an individual and personal
perspective. Therefore, the researchers sought a psychological model to provide a
theoretical framework. Bean and Eaton’s (2000) model of student retention integrates
several psychological processes students experience while in college and was used as the
theoretical framework for this study and as a guide to develop the student interview
questions. In their model, Bean and Eaton (2000) focused on student psychological
processes and experiences throughout college. The first process related to student attitudes
about their college and their feelings about how they fit in to the environment. The second
process related to the student’s experiences with adjustment and their coping mechanism to
deal with the stress of college. The third process dealt with a student’s self-efficacy (self-
confidence) during college and their interpretations of their successes and failures while in
college. The fourth process focused on internal versus external locus of control.
Bean and Eaton (2000) stressed that students enter a college with psychological
attributes enhanced by their abilities, experiences, and self-assessment. In particular, how
students feel about their place in the environment, their intentions, and their attitudes about
a college education precede behaviors of either dropping out or persisting. Bean and Eaton
(2000) further described how students must adapt, adjust, and cope with their new
environment. Similar to locus of control, our study investigated challenges to students on the
way to meeting their educational goals and the realizations they developed that enabled
them to persist.
First-generation college students also work more hours than peers do with college-
educated parents, because they do not receive enough financial support from home or
financial aid to cover their expenses (Martinez, Bilges, Shabazz, Miller, & Morote, 2012).
Even when they are eligible for loans, they are more likely to work full time to avoid student
loan debt (Burdman, 2005). In student retention literature, characteristics of the student
population and college-type are important considerations. Bailey and Alfonso (2005)
contend that retention frameworks that focus on student engagement and student integra
tion are not always applicable to the community college student population because they
differ from university students when they are commuter students who often attend college
part-time.
Studies with a transfer student focus can take more than one viewpoint. A number of
researchers have examined this student population after they have transferred rather than
before transfer or during transfer. For example, Ellis (2013) studied transfer student
motivation in students after transfer. Ellis (2013) conducted focus groups with 68 students
from eight universities and found that student aspirations to attend graduate school and to
have career goals were motivators for transfer students. Dowd, Pak, and Bensimon (2013)
examined the life stories of 10 low-income students who transferred to highly selective
universities and sought to identify their common traits. Dowd et al. (2013) found that these
students had the benefit of role models at both their community colleges and four-year
campuses. These role models served as institutional agents on both the community college
and the university campuses. This supported Stanton Salazar’s (2011) finding that
institutional agents support the success of students. The current study explores the
experiences of first-generation student experiences at a community college before transfer.
It provides the perspective of first-generation students as they navigate through community
college transfer momen tum points.
Methodology
This study utilized qualitative research methods to explore the perspectives of first-
generation community college students. We selected qualitative methods because they
allowed a deep level understanding of the experiences of the participants, and
communicated the participant’s experiences in their own voices (Creswell, 2012). Glaser
(1999) described qualitative data as “very rich in meaning and observation and rewarding to
collect and analyze” (p. 842). The limitation of qualitative research is that it relies on smaller
sample sizes, which limits the ability to generalize the findings. The goal of this research
was to explore student experiences; therefore, qualitative research was the most
appropriate methodology.
Constructivism is the philosophical foundation that guided this study, because in social
con structivism, the role of the researcher is to examine the participants’ experiences and
multiple views (Creswell, 2009). The research design for this study was exploratory, which
is described by Marshall and Rossman (2011) as a method that allows researchers to
investigate phenomena and formulate “categories of meaning” in order to construct
hypotheses for further research (p. 69).
We used purposeful sampling to select the participants for this qualitative study. All
participants were first-generation college students that met the criteria for this study, which
were: (a) at least 30 units of college work completed, (b) 2.0 or higher GPA, (c) completion
of college-level English and math, and (d) attendance at the college for three consecutive
semesters. Participants also came from a large, public, community college in California that
had an overall transfer rate of 57%. This campus was selected because of its high transfer
rate, compared to the statewide average of 48.1% overall (California Community College
Chancellor’s Office [CCCCO], 2014). We selected the criteria because they are
“intermediate indicators” that bring a student toward completion and transfer (Goldrick-Rab,
2010, p. 444). Twenty-three students volunteered to participate and 10 (five women and five
men) committed to participate in the complete interview process.
Data collection began with the institutional research office sending invitation emails to all
first generation college students who met the criteria for the study. Table 1 provides
demographic information about the participants.
Interview questions focused on student persistence, retention, and transfer research and
Bean and Eaton’s (2000) model of retention. Bean and Eaton’s (2000) model focuses on
student attitudes,
276 O. F. MARINE NIN AND R. GUTIERREZ KEETON
Findings
The participants began community college with limited experience and knowledge about
higher education. Their limited income, experience, and a lack of parental guidance led to
many challenges. These challenges included difficulties with financing their education,
feelings of isolation, setback and obstacles (poor grades, struggles in class, repeated
course withdrawals), and struggles balancing work and school commitments, sometimes
because of a lack of motivation in early college career. However, what the students all had
in common was that they learned how to navigate community college and made new
realizations, which guided them through momentum points. Analysis of the interview
transcripts resulted in four challenges and four realizations that were consistent in this group
of first-generation students, highlighted in Table 2.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 277
Dalia worked full-time at night as a nursing assistant and attended college full-time during
the day. During her interview, she recounted her experiences trying to juggle both
commitments and actively engage in her classes with a lack of sleep. Quite often, it was
difficult for her to stay awake and try to concentrate after staying up late the night prior.
Franco explained that his parents had very little education when they immigrated to the
United States (U.S.). Nevertheless, his parents encouraged him to go to college. However,
he felt that his parents were unable to help him to navigate college. Franco continued by
saying, “I don’t think it’s because they didn’t want to participate in my decisions. It’s just they
didn’t know the system. They didn’t know what they can do; what they couldn’t do; what they
should suggest.” Bee felt like she was on her own when it came to choosing classes,
choosing a major, and getting help with college in general:
278 O. F. MARINE NIN AND R. GUTIERREZ KEETON
My parents don’t know anything about the school system at all. My dad stopped going to school when
he was in the 6th grade, so they don’t know anything about the school system. So when it comes to
registering for classes or finding teachers that are right for me, or what my major is, I mean, sociology
is a totally new term to my parents. They have no idea. They only know, like, the big things. So I think
having to learn how the system works on my own and then trying to explain it to my parents has been
the most difficult thing because they don’t know at all.
The theme of students feeling “on their own” since their parents were unfamiliar with college
was discussed by participants during many of the interviews.
Irma shared how her college record reflected excellent grades some semesters and poor
grades other semesters. One year, she was in a car accident and shortly after her mother
was involved in a second car accident. Irma struggled with college as she maintained two
jobs to recover financially from automobile and medical expenses. She decided it was best
to withdraw from her classes. She took a few semesters off and returned to the community
college when she was able to manage better. Setbacks and obstacles experiences by the
participants affected their progress in college.
Amaya found it difficult to stay focused while studying in her first semester: “for me,
personally, doing homework at home wasn’t really helpful, because, okay, I’ll just do it here
on my bed; but no, like, I’ll get lazy or I’ll push it til later.”
First-generation college students in this study experienced a variety of challenges related
to having limited income. They worked full-time and struggled with day-to-day expenses, in
addition to larger expenses related to emergencies. Finally, students made the realization
that they were eligible for financial aid and this financial assistance helped them pay for the
additional costs associated with attending college.
Students felt alone, because they did not have family members they could turn to for
advice to navigating the community college system. The student’s feelings of isolation led
them to realize that they needed to find support. They were grateful when faculty members
and peers offered them detailed advice about course registration and academic success
tools available on campus.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 279
Some students stopped attending classes because of a major illness or the pressure of
needing to work two jobs to pay for repair expenses for herself and her mother, following car
accidents. Students had a hard time with taking sequential courses when these challenges
occurred. Participants realized that if they stayed focused and remained hopeful, they could
reach their goal of graduating from the community college and transferring to a four-year
University.
The lack of motivation that one participant experienced in her early community college
career was connected with not having a sense of her overall goals for the future. She
realized that if she found people on campus and discussed this with them, they could help
her. Many participants echoed this realization. Participants named many resources they
found on campus. Some partici pants found that gaining financial resources helped them to
stay focused. Other students said that their internal desire to finish what they started and be
the first person from their family to graduate from college was the ultimate motivator they
needed to persist.
Every first-generation college student in this study vividly described their challenges.
Each traveled a difficult and winding path towards their goal of transferring to a four-year
institution. Yet, despite the challenges, and sometimes, because of the challenges, each
student made new realizations that ultimately helped them reach each momentum required
to transfer.
Chul and his family paid non-resident college tuition since he was an international student.
Being away from his family, he also struggled with everyday living expenses such as
transportation, room, and board. Chul was flourishing in his classes and excelling in all
subjects. Chul added, “Actually, my parents were saying like, since we were struggling, my
parents wanted me to experience one semester and then wanted me to come back and just
go to military since we had struggles in terms of money.” Chul told other international
students about his situation and learned that there were scholarships for international
students. He did not know that he was eligible for any financial assistance, and when he
found out, he applied and received enough funding to stay and finish his first two years at a
community college using the scholarship income and money he made tutoring other
students.
resources helped prepare her to attend a community college immediately after graduating
from high school. Jorge credits his Spanish teacher for helping him stay on track:
She helped me through it – She still does. Like when we talk, she’s like, “if you need a math mentor,
let me know, they’ll work with hours”. So I worked with her a couple times with the math mentor.
Four participants emphasized the positive impacts of institutional agents, because they
helped students to find a sense of belonging at their college. They did this by offering them
one-on-one support and sharing their cultural capital. A caring professor who mentored him,
for example, influenced Edgar. Edgar learned that by participating in faculty office hours, he
had a greater opportunity to develop relationships and learn from his professors. After
meeting with his biochem istry professor, he learned that “he’ll sit there and talk to you about
a half an hour…even though we’re [in] sub chemistry and math level [courses], compared to
what he usually takes on.” He remembered feeling as if the professor “lets us ride the
tricycle on the way to that temple of knowledge.” Irma didn’t have support of her parents, but
she found a peer who offered her support through the challenges she faced in college. She
described her relationship by saying, “I did have help from a friend who was always there for
me. She was the one who still keeps pushing me to continue school.” Other students such
as Amaya learned that it was encouraging for her to study at the library with a friend:
So my big thing is like, I started a little study group with my best friend. We just went to the library, or if
it was here (on campus), and we would just get our homework done. I think it really helps when you
have someone there doing the same – I mean, not the same classes, but actually, like, having to go to
school and homework and studying. I think that really helps.
he brought his grades up and had his financial aid probation status removed. After doing
this, he was hopeful and confident that he would finish his degree. Gibson explained, “that’s
pretty exciting because I’m almost the only person in my whole family, as far as almost
everyone, who would get a degree.” For the participants, staying focused and maintaining
feelings of hopefulness both helped them overcome the setbacks and obstacles they faced.
Jorge thought it was important to find people on campus who could help him along the way
and develop relationships with them. He explained in his interview that it was not easy to
ask for help and that he took a risk to reach out by introducing himself and asking his
professors about their interests. The realizations that study participants developed were
instrumental in their success as first-generation college students. They realized the
importance of developing a strong financial awareness and learned to access financial aid
and scholarships. They realized that many support services existed on their campuses and
began to utilize them. In the process, they realized that institutional agents were able to offer
them one-on-one support, which helped them find a sense of belonging on campus. They
realized the importance of staying focused and hopeful, even when faced with setbacks and
obstacles. Finally, they realized that their internal drive was the key to their continued
success. This study magnifies the voices of community college first-generation college
students and adds depth and dimension to our knowledge about their journeys towards
transfer by connecting how their challenges directly related to their realizations.
Discussion
Students in this study reached the necessary momentum points towards transfer and they
learned quite a bit along the way, but their stories reflected the difficult path they traversed
to reach them. Students learning to manage college expenses, despite having limited
experience and knowledge of higher education, a lack of parental guidance, and difficulties
with financing their education. Learning to utilize strong support systems and campus
resources helped students overcome feelings of isolation and the setbacks created by poor
grades, struggles in classes, and repeated course withdrawals. Students learned how to
stay focused and remain hopeful, even as they struggled to balance work, school, and
familial commitments. Students also found their internal drive to continue with their
education and transfer, despite sometimes losing their motivation after encountering many
obstacles and challenges. What all students had in common was that they learned how to
navigate community college and made new realizations, which guided them through
momentum points.
Learning to manage college expenses
The students in this study met momentum points for transfer despite their struggles to pay
for college and living expenses, consistent with struggles mentioned in the literature
regarding family income levels of first-generation college students (Horn & Nunez, 2000).
After high school, only one
282 O. F. MARINE NIN AND R. GUTIERREZ KEETON
participant applied to a four-year university. However, for all the participants, the only option
they could afford was the community college. Participants did not have money saved for
college, and although their families helped with minimal college expenses, their primary way
of funding their college was through working. Pascarella et al. (2003) found that working
long hours negatively affected the academic performance of first-generation college
students. Because of working full-time, research participants had limited time for college
activities including studying, reviewing notes, reading textbooks, and preparing for their
classes. Some students applied for financial aid and loans, and if they had qualified for
financial aid or found out about it earlier in their career, they may have experienced fewer
challenges in this area. First-generation students are not always aware of financial aid and
scholarships for college. Novak and McKinney (2011) reported that community college
students do not always complete the process of applying for financial aid even though they
may be eligible. Researchers found that if a student received financial aid, they persisted
from one semester to the next as compared to students that did not receive financial aid
(Nakajima, Dembo, & Mossler, 2012). This study adds a qualitative dimension to the
previous work looking at first-generation students by describing how lack of finances and the
need to work long hours influenced the students’ lives.
community college students offered insights into their experiences as they worked to
complete transfer momentum points. Their voices add to other studies that examined
students only after they transferred and completed their four-year degree.
alongside their students, because they do not have prior personal experiences with higher
education. Some students may qualify for waivers of testing fees and college application
fees and they are unaware that these fee waivers exist. They can also highlight the
programs and services offered at community colleges and answer questions they might
have about the transfer experience. As a result, students will benefit from having people at
home who can be partners in their education. Outreach to family members needs to begin
with parent meetings hosted by community colleges at local high schools, so that families
can learn more about the various forms of financial aid available to them. Burdman (2005)
calls for better integration of financial aid awareness into high school counseling and
community colleges can assist with these efforts. First-generation college families also need
help to understand financial aid terminology, fill out the FAFSA before the deadlines, apply
for scholar ships, and learn about the different types of loans available to them. They can
share some of the potential benefits of working and going to college at the same time.
Martinez et al. (2012) discovered that when students worked their way through school they
were often more resilient and found ways to engage with the college community. Invitations
to visit the campus to participate in a family orientation should follow. In addition to parents
and guardians, community colleges could also invite student partners and their children to
orientation programs, because many of the students at community colleges are adult
learners and they will need support as they balance work, familial obligations, and the
expenses associated with attending college.
Provide early alerts and resources to help students stay focused and remain hopeful
Participants expressed that they sometimes lost their internal drive and motivation for their
educa tion after they encountered educational obstacles and challenges. They also revealed
that they were unaware of campus resources such as tutoring, counseling, and even the
ability to drop a class without receiving a notation on their transcript if they meet drop
deadlines. Community colleges can assist first-generation college students by providing a
proactive, early alert system, consisting of computerized progress reports, to let students
know that if they are not succeeding in a class there are campus resources that might offer
necessary support. However, it is critical to send early warnings with enough time to ensure
that students and faculty can respond appropriately and in a timely manner. Hammond
(2007) asserted that early alert programs must offer timely notifications to students to
ensure that they are useful. If notifications come too early, faculty do not have time to
assess the student’s progress in class, and if they appear too late, they do not allow the
student to drop a class before it is too late. The best alert systems also educate students
about campus resources and common roadblocks to success (Moore & Shulock, 2010).
COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 285
Every participant learned how to navigate the community college environment, and each
made important realizations along the way and the recommendations offered here provide
further assistance to guide them to and through momentum points. These practices will
provide greater opportunity for transfer success because they meet the identified needs of
first-generation students. They also support students in their efforts to stay focused on their
ultimate goal of transferring to a four-year university.
Conclusion
Each student in this study experienced many challenges in college, and each time, they
decided to either persist or depart. They each chose to continue and endure their
challenges to meet their goals. Through these challenges, they gained new skills, insights,
and psychological strengths that they are taking to their four-year universities. The
participants have also discovered that they can overcome obstacles they face and will use
this knowledge to continue to make new realizations. After transferring, the study
participants will again need to overcome obstacles and make new realizations on their new
campus, and they do so with experience in overcoming obstacles.
286 O. F. MARINE NIN AND R. GUTIERREZ KEETON
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Dr. Carol Lundberg, California State University, Fullerton faculty member in the
educational leadership department, and Karla Aguirre, CSUF doctoral student, for their thoughtful assistance
with this article.
ORCID
Orlantha F. Marine Nin http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3500-5536
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