FIGHTING AS THE FIRST: A CASE STUDY IN UNDERSTANDING THE STRUGGLES OF FIRST-GENERATION UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to understand the struggles that first-generation college students experience during their first year in a college/university setting. For the purposes of this study, I defined "first-generation college students" as those students whose parents have not completed a four-year degree. This thesis examines the many ways in which first-generation college students experience hardships during the first year of their collegiate experience (e.g. financial hardships, emotional strains, overall acclimation process, etc.).