“It Was Rough”: The experiences of first‐generation collegians transitioning into higher education amid COVID‐19

Abstract

During the global health pandemic caused by COVID-19, most collegians and higher education agents abruptly transitioned to online learning and virtual interactions. Although online education is not a new phenomenon, this was an unforeseen transition for most students in higher education. This study investigated what first-generation collegians in their 1st year and 1st-year transfers experienced at a public university in the northeast United States during the 2020-2021 academic year. Findings include increased isolation and mental health issues, connection-building, a lack of faculty and peer connections, and belongingness via in-person and virtual community spaces. Recommendations are provided for how higher education agents can best serve these collegians in virtual courses, programming initiatives, and beyond. "I think I adjusted well, considering everything with COVID-19. But no, I definitely did not expect for this part of my life to be as difficult as it was." (Zoey, study collaborator)

“I love you all”: Centering a critical theory of love while teaching during and after the pandemic(s)

“…The change was smooth for some; however, many students with disabilities and students without adequate utilities and Wi-Fi experienced additional difficulties transitioning to remote learning (Scott & Aquino, 2020;Tachine, 2022). In a phenomenological study conducted by Santa-Ramirez et al (2022) on the transitional college experiences of first-generation, first-year, and first-year transfer students during the 2020-2021 academic year in the Northeast region of the United States-with the majority of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) student collaborators-the authors found that these collegians experienced increased isolation and mental health issues and the hardships with finding and building community with faculty, staff, and peers. Further, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the national student survey data from higher education institutions in the United States and Canada highlighted a significant decrease in students' sense of belonging to their universities and a decline in learner engagement (NSSE, 2021;Tice et al, 2021).…”

“…I found these practices to be highly beneficial for building trust and rapport with my students and humanizing their holistic experiences. Santa-Ramirez et al (2022) found that students felt a greater connection to their faculty members amid COVID-19 and virtual learning when they had their cameras on and made an effort to get to know their students on a personal level. I would be remiss not to mention that I understand these choices have certain privileges, and not all faculty have this capacity and availability.…”

“…The next day, our planet unexpectedly turned upside down when the World Health Organization announced a global health pandemic for an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19;Soria et al, 2022). COVID-19 presented numerous threats and unprecedented challenges, including mandatory quarantines and physical social distance mandates, healthcare and racial inequities, and mental health issues (Barber et al, 2021;Burki, 2020;Ekpe et al, 2023;Santa-Ramirez et al, 2022;Tachine, 2022). As a result, higher education institutions across the globe were forced to make an abrupt shift in course delivery from in-person to online instruction.…”

Görünmeyen Çoğunluk “Bi̇ri̇nci̇ Nesi̇l Üni̇versi̇te Öğrenci̇leri̇”ni̇n Covid-19 Salgin Deneyi̇mleri̇

“…Salgın sürecindeki öğrenci odaklı çalışmalar, genel olarak öğrenciler arasında ortaya çıkan eşitsizlikler ve güçlükleri vurgularken, bunlar nedeniyle birinci nesil üniversite öğrencileri arasında çok daha fazla sorun yaşanmasına neden olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu sorunları kısaca şu şekilde sıralamak mümkün: kapanmalara bağlı olarak izolasyon sorununun yol açtığı zihinsel sağlık sorunları, yüksek kaygı, stres ve yalnızlık duygusu, akran ve öğretim üyeleri ile iletişim kopukluğu, aidiyet duygusunda düşüşe bağlı okul terki, akademik ve sosyal etkinliklerden mahrumiyet, aile yanına geri dönüş, aile içindeki sorumluluklarda ve bakım emeğinde artış, ekonomik güvensizlik, aile üyelerinin maaş kaybı, artan yaşam ve teknoloji harcamaları gibi ekonomik zorluklar, yetersiz çalışma alanları, teknolojik kaynaklara erişim sorunu, çevrimiçi eğitime uyum, devam ve katılım zorluğu (Baum, 2020;Soria vd., 2020;Barber vd., 2021;Davis vd., 2021;Santa-Ramirez, 2022b;Kiebler ve Stewart, 2022). 6 Görüldüğü gibi var olan güçlüklerle birlikte, COVID-19'a bağlı olarak eklenen yeni güçlükler ve zorluklar birinci nesil için bu dönemin çok daha zor koşullarda deneyimlenmesine neden olmuştur.…”