Academic Preparedness of First-Generation College Students: Different Perspectives

Abstract

As student populations continue to become more diversified, institutions must understand students’ academic preparedness to better serve them. A significant amount of research and literature focuses on experiences of students whose parents had little or no college education. Although these first-generation students have much in common with other disadvantaged student groups, their situation presents unique conditions and obstacles to their college experience. This research project seeks to focus on the topic of academic preparedness of first-generation students. More specifically, this project builds on previous research on academic preparedness of first-generation students by exploring differences in students’ attitudes about preparedness compared with traditional academic measures. This study investigates whether first-generation student status affects self-assessment of academic preparedness in the same way it affects traditional measures of academic preparedness.