Qualitative Marketing Research Report #1:

Depth Interviews

First-generation College Students: Struggles and Success

Qualitative Marketing Research MKT 4461

Fall 2018

Jacqueline Aguilar:  jyang86@calstatela.edu

     Francis Dean:           fdean2@calstatela.edu

     Spencer Kok:            skok3@calstatela.edu

                                         Aaron Rodriguez: arod445@calstatela.edu

Table of Contents

Cover Page……………………………………………………………………………………...1

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………….2

Research Topic………………………………………………………………………………….3

Research Methodology………………………………………………………………………....

Data Analysis and Results…………………………………………………………………….

Summary and Recommendations…………………………………………………………….

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………...

Appendices

Interview Protocol……………………………………………………………………

Interview Transcription……………………………………………………………..

Research Topic

When people hear about someone going to college, the first thought to come to mind might be one, that the person is either wealthy due to their ability to afford a higher education, or that they are determined to change their future lives for the better no matter what it takes. For some students, college has always been something that has been done through the line of family and parents before them, but for some it may be the first time someone has been financially able to attend college or first due to the immigration of their parents.  Being first in the family to attend college for most is a very proud thing to do, and one that most parents want from their children. From the parents perspective, not only will they have many more opportunities in the future or have more possible success than those who do not obtain a college education, but it also implies that the parents have been supportive and guided their children well. There are many obstacles and situations that will surface once the student embarks on their college journey. “ According to the U.S. Department of Education NCES, nearly one-third of all incoming freshmen each year are first generation college students” ( First Generation College Scholarship and Advice).”A higher education data collection and software company, examined the noncognitive skills of first-generation students and compared them to their multigenerational peers, finding that first-generation students are more engaged and committed to their education.” ( First generation College Students More Engaged than Peers).The four students whom our group has interviewed were great candidates, as they each came from a vastly different background.  Without prying too much into their personal lives, we asked some minimally probing questions about their family background, the type of support they have received, and their experiences as students.

Our group has taken upon this topic to get feedback from different backgrounds and perspectives of first generation college students.  We have conducted interviews with some of our peers who have shared with us the struggles they have faced, as well as their successes they have accomplished along the way.  In addition, students were given the chance to explain how the weight on their shoulders of being the first in the family household attending college affected them scholastically and emotionally. This is important because being a first-generation college student entails having high expectations from their parents, as well as even higher expectations in being successful after obtaining a degree and graduating.  When gaining insight on how some of these students were able to be have a positive or negative experience in college with their advantages and disadvantages, we are able to grasp an idea or concept of what type of support and environment students need to successfully carry out their education. In addition, being that our group members are all currently students, and some of us are first generation college students as well, so this compelled us to chose this research topic as well.

Research Methodology

Our methodology taught in class and used for this assignment is qualitative in-depth interviewing, along with research, open coding, and transcription. These methods allow us to break down the steps we took in order to gather and analyze information.  Our first step we did was the way in which we conducted our research which was by collecting, processing and analyzing in-depth interviews and to design the in-depth interview structure, we did so by making a collaborative Google document to make a set of interviewing questions and additional probing questions. Once this was done, our next step was to select and contact individuals each group member was to interview via telephone or message them to arrange a time that would work for both of us. Once we met with the interviewee we had them sign paperwork releasing permission to use and conduct the interview,  then gave a brief introduction to who we are and the purpose of the interview. Thereafter, they signed the papers and was aware of our purpose and giving us permission to proceed, we then began the recording and started to ask questions from our protocol to gather information. After the interview had taken place, notes were taken for our report while the information was still fresh in our memory. We then transcribed the interviews in verbatim, this was done so that we can code the interview. Coding and listening back to the interview in detail allowed us to pick up on the emergent themes of our interviews, and key topics to what was said, making it easier to categorize them. Once key information was taken down, we then were able to analyse and summarize the interview, thus helping us reach observations and information needed for our research.

Data Analysis and Results

        One of many struggles of first-generation college students is financial aid. Majority of college students have little to few support in paying for their classes and the financial struggle can lead to dropping out of college. As for interviewee Cristopher, the key word that is identified is financial aid which he mention a couple times. Cristopher said that his parent’s income level was low, but above the bracket for aid,  therefore ineligible for financial aid. So, he himself had to take out loans and take on a job in order to continue funding his college education. In the case of student and interviewee Luis, he did not know about any programs such as scholarships or any other means to make money besides financial aid so in high school he was discouraged and ultimately  never applied for anything. This became a problem because originally he was accepted to UC Berkley, but due to financial reasons could not attend the university so that is how he ended up at Cal State LA. According to Danielle R. Adams, “Specifically, students reported that four out of the five top stressors in their lives involved personal finances, and that these stressors affected their academic progress and performance. Further, unmet financial needs may require low-income and/or first-generation students to work full time jobs and live off campus, which may hinder their academic and social interaction on campus as well as increase the probability for attrition” (Adams, D. R., Meyers, S. A., & Beidas, R. S. 2016). This also includes parents who have never been to college before. Because the parents never realize how hard that college finance is since they never experience it before. This makes the children carry the heavy weight to figure out how to pay for books, materials, and classes by themselves. According to Anthony R. Unverferth, “The reality is that they enter college with less knowledge regarding the college experience and with an inability to acquire the necessary financial assistance for their schooling. To accommodate for the financial pressures acquired as a student in college, FGS frequently work more hours, with limited family income, and have more financial dependents than do typical college students” (Unverferth, A. R., Talbert-Johnson, C., & Bogard, T. 2012). This is common among first-generation students who just started their road to college and an additional factor leading students to dropout of college. College students who rely on themselves for paying their classes will have to take out loans, which in most cases is still inadequate funding for one to attend college.

Peter’s family income level was enough to have his tuition covered by financial aid. Although his financial aid covered tuition, he still had to cover other expenses like gas, rent, food and extra spending money. He was forced to work a part time job as a pharmacy technician 30 minutes away from school. Working a part time job as a full time college student does take away from leisure and studying time, “It helps to functionally separate your responsibilities and get your head fully into that one space. Tell yourself ‘Okay I’m studying now and my goals for studying today are this” (Kozinsky, Forbes). The only times that school and work became tough for him was during midterm and final season because of the sudden increase in workload. Other than those times of years, he was still able to socialize and hang out with friends like any ordinary college student.

It was refreshing to interview Chelsea who had a different experience from those whom we interviewed.  Her experience as a first-generation college student put her in a position that was far from dropping out, and one filled with supportive motivation both financially and emotionally from her parents.  When it came to financial aid, Chelsea's family luckily fell into the bracket of being able to qualify her for the financial help that she needed, both from the school and the government. She was very proactive in finding out what she was eligible for and did so in a very timely manner, she even went as far as to say she received a lot of money (which implied she received more than enough). With her classes and school supplies covered for her whole time at Cal State Los Angeles, she is additionally financially supported at home.  When she spoke of her parents, a smile always came to her face, and it was very touching to witness and even feel her happiness and love for her parents.  

Pressure

Most first-generation students often feel a large amount of stress or pressure from their parents to do well in school. The pressure is at times especially apparent for first-generation college students who have these expectations to do better in order to not disappoint their parents. In the in-depth interview,  Cristopher has stated that he receives pressure to do better in college from his mother. For instance, his mother wants the best for her son’s future. However, the parents have little knowledge that putting pressure towards their children can turn out negatively.  In the case of Luis he felt that in addition with the pressure to do well he also had no one to turn to who he could ask for help. No one understood the position he was in because they had not gone through it before and the counselors at his school were not helpful in guiding him in his path so other than some professors who helped him, he felt alone in his journey of college.  According to Anthony R. Unverferth, “While not specific to FGS, most research of persistence or degree attainment includes parents' education as a critical predictor variable. With few exceptions, parents' education, or the broader concept of socioeconomic status, is positively related to student persistence and degree completion. It is not uncommon that many FGS feel the tensions of entering new territory and that their parents are unable to reassure or support them appropriately” (Unverferth, A. R., Talbert-Johnson, C., & Bogard, T. 2012). Parents do not realize that putting too much pressure on their children can in turn hurt them rather than help them. As for the Cristopher whom I was interview,  he mentioned that his mom would be upset if he gets anything less than an “B” on all his courses.

Peter is an example of a first generation college student that felt a large amount of stress and pressure from his parents to do succeed in school. Peter’s family owned a lot of land and money in Vietnam but had it taken away by the communists which is why his family relocated to California. His parents only spoke Vietnamese so growing up he didn’t receive any assistance with his homework and was expected to succeed on his own.“The reason why parents pressure first generation children more is because they want them to take advantage of the opportunities and possibilities that they didn’t have. They want us to become something they never could but always dreamed about.” (LA Times, V.A). Peter’s parents had an expectation that he would be making six figures after college because of their strong belief that college is the key to a better life. He felt that he “had to please my parents and always felt pressure to perform better in school. My parents made it seem like college was the only option and there was nothing else after that” (Peter Vo). This pressure and need for validation from his parents made him become an accounting major, even though he had no interest in this field.

Chelsea is in no way spoiled, or from a wealthy family, but she is from a close knit one who believes that doing the most they can for her will bring her success.  The proof that you can be very well taken care of by your parents and still perform well comes from her immense gratitude for her parents support. With support also gave her a feeling of pressure, but in the most positive way possible.  She knows they are hard working, and wishes not to use their support in vain.  She is not in anyway rebellious, and has zero issues with the expectations, and structure that her family has provided for her.  Chelsea is also a prime example of a child and student who has received a balanced approach combined best of both worlds, which studies have shown that “Parents who are in position to help should provide a level of support that facilitates progress towards graduation while enabling children to become invested in their own education by contributing to the cost of getting a degree” (BYU News, H.J.). The help and support not only alleviates a majority of stress and burden on students, but it helps create a realistic and habitable environment for students to thrive or at the very least have the chance to succeed. College students are at the stage of becoming adults, but in the very process of becoming one, and parental support both financially and emotionally is critical.

  

Responsibility

Every college student either first-generation or not will have to bear the responsibility of being an adult. It is natural for someone to encounter this phase where they must balance school, work, home life and a social life. However, first-generation college students will have to find a way of commiting and managing their time wisely on their coursework. In the interview, one word was mentioned frequently and it was responsibility. Due to the person being  an adult, it is their responsibility to do things on their own. This can be for example, waking up on time, completing their homework, attending class, and many newly discovered responsibilities that a student and adult must take on. During the interview, Cristopher also stated that before his mom had to do everything for him. Such as cooking food, driving him to school, and waking him up. But now as an adult he had to do all this on his own. This is important because nobody expects to have someone help and do all those things forever. In the case of Luis he was able to balance school and get good grades but would constantly be coming home late because of studying.  In the case of Luis he was doing well in school but had trouble in school and home life. He had trouble trying to connect with other people until joining other clubs on campus and at home his parents were upset when he would get home late. This strain was due to the fact of his parents not understanding that he needed to be in the Library late to study for exams or to write papers.

Responsibility is made up of various components whether it is working, taking care of chores, being conscious of your health but it’s something that falls onto an individual person. Peter’s responsibility in college was to balance working, school work and socializing with friends. In high school, Peter relied on his parents to give him the basic essentials which was to feed him and put a roof over his head while his job was to excel in school and track. Looking back Peter “wishes he was more organized with his time and prioritized school better” and to sacrifice more for his success. He felt as if he did enough to graduate and earn his degree but didn’t retain enough information to actually use his degree and become an accountant. It was harder for him to do all these things on his own like driving, cooking, cleaning, completing homework assignments while still socializing with people to build a network without any assistance to complete these simple tasks from anyone.

Chelsea’s father is very involved and while he did not let her go out often in order to keep distractions away, he made it possible for Chelsea to not have to get a job in order to primarily focus on her school work.  However, she was still expected to stay proactive, which was a open code for our interview.  On her end of duties, she was to keep up with chores and help out at home.  In her school life this gave her time to get further involved on campus and attend a time management workshop which contributed to her success as well. During the interview I was aware and kept in mind that “interjecting your experiences or feelings is not only inappropriate, but can spoil an interview by disclosing you viewpoints and knowledge” (Belk, Fischer, and Kozinets, 2013), but after she spoke of her desire to be more involved, and doing more as a student, it made me agree with her and triggered in me the need to do more as a student as well.  I mentioned joining a club that she is a part of and knew that she would get excited about it, and I wanted the feel of the interview to have a fun and interesting one rather than a boring monotone interview. I also mentioned it incase it would help her with the next question and open more about what was enjoyable for her. Throughout the interview there were little to no negative codes, in the short time that we had, the codes were positive and reflective of her parents. The second major emergent theme Chelsea exuded was that of being content and happy, her word were that of  I’ve gained a lot, I enjoyed it, and she is so happy at home regardless of chores and her father's rules that she said she would like to stay home until she is married.  If she was unhappy she would have an exit plan out of her house as soon as possible. Therefore even though she mentioned that she would like to have her dad less on her case certain instances, she takes it all with a grain of salt and understands why he has such set rules for her and sees the responsibility as one she wants to take on.

Summary and Recommendations

Most first-generation students face the struggle of figuring out and planning their education on their own when it comes to college. This is largely the case and impacted by not having their parents help due to possible low income, or not having experienced college before. There’s a large amount of pressure to do better in college while making good connections with peers along the way, but there will come a time where a situation isn’t what is expected. The main point is to never give up and keep trying repeatedly. Because everyone makes mistakes in college, but what lessons that have been gained from it will shape and mold students into what type of adult they will and can become in the future.  Our recommendations is to tell the parents that you feel pressure of attending college. Because the parents don’t realize that they are pushing their child to accomplish something that might be an extremely difficult task to accomplish. If college is not the right fit, then mention it to the parents about that and the reason behind it. College is not for everyone. Some are good at keeping up their classes and some lack the interest of attend college. Otherwise if nothing is mention and keeps everything to themselves then one day everything may snap. Making doing something nobody wants to happen like to commit suicide on oneself. Second is finance because majority of families have low income that makes their child to not be eligible to qualify for financial aid. Don’t hurt oneself with the large debt of loans that can’t pay back afterward. Its best to start at community college at first to know what class and skill that an individual are best at. This is good option because community college is affordable to the point where taking loans is unnecessary. That way an individual can find out if college is something they want to go after.

In contrast, the interview with Chelsea early on started with her rating her overall college experience at a solid 9 which is near perfect.  After conducting the interview it was very clear to see as to how and why she felt such a positive way about school, her parents, and her overall well being and happiness.  It shows that when nurtured and taken care of, a happy and supported child and student will produce the best outcome and be successful. Entering college is a intimidating time for young adults, and at times they leave their homes and feel very alone, even lost.  What recommendation to be had here would be to create workshops and even counseling for parents of not only first generation students, but of any student. Even if a parent had an older child go to college and is aware of what their child might need, it would only be beneficial for parents to have to attend a workshop at the campus of their child's college.  At the workshop parents can be informed and have real numbers to look at when it comes to what the student will need, and other positive influences and advice can be projected onto the parents. Ignorance is not bliss, nor is not knowing enough information acceptable at such an impressionable and growth period in a person's life. Hopefully this is something that can catch on and happen during orientations, rather than just a tour of the campus.

Bibliography

Adams, D. R., Meyers, S. A., & Beidas, R. S. (2016). The relationship between financial strain, perceived stress, psychological symptoms, and academic and social integration in undergraduate students. Journal of American college health, 64(5), 362-370. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5086162/

Belk, R. W., Fischer, E., & Kozinets, R. V. (2013). Qualitative consumer & marketing research. P. 33 Los Angeles: SAGE

First Generation College Students | Scholarships & Advice. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/first-generation-college-students/

First-Generation College Students More Engaged Than Peers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/26/re-evaluating-perceptions-about-first-generation-college-students-and-their-academic

Hadfield, J. (2018, July 20). Intellect: Study shows how much parents pay for college. BYU News. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://news.byu.edu/news/study-shows-how-much-parents-pay-college

Kozinsky, Sieva. “The Perks And Realities Of Working In College.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 Mar. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/under30network/2017/03/09/the-perks-and-realities-of-working-in-college

Unverferth, A. R., Talbert-Johnson, C., & Bogard, T. (2012). Perceived barriers for first generation students: Reforms to level the terrain. International Journal of Educational Reform, 21(4), 238-252. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.mimas.calstatela.edu/ps/i.do?&id=GALE|A319975034&v=2.1&u=calstate&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

VA, Sandy. “The Stress and Pressure of First Generation Students.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2017, highschool.latimes.com/garfield-senior-high-school/the-stress-and-pressure-of-first-generation-students/.

Appendices

Interview Protocol

Introduction

My name is _____________and I will be conducting this interview today. Thank you in advance for your participation. Here at Cal State Los Angeles, we are conducting in depth interviews because we want to hear directly from first generation college students.   The following questions are designed to a gain deeper understanding about some of the obstacles you were/are faced with and what your coping strategies may have been. Please answer each question honestly and to the best of your ability. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer.

Warm up

1. What are your family’s expectations of you being first in the household to attend college?

Probes:

• Did you feel pressured to go to college?
• Are they supportive?

2. Was financing for your education easy or difficult?

Probes:

• Did you receive financial aid or help from your parents?
• Were you able to be fully or partially covered?

General Questions/Topics

3.  What is the most difficult obstacle that you have faced during college?

Probes:

• Did it affect your academic performance?

4. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 as the highest rating), how would you rate your overall college experience?

Probes:

• What do you think could have been done differently?

Specific Questions/Topics:

5. Please discuss your experiences as a first-generation college student

Probes:

• Was it enjoyable?
• Was there anything specific that helped you get to this point today?
• Did it help you succeed?
• Was there anyone that helped you specifically?
• Do you feel like you are ready to get a job now? Are you looking to further your education?

6. How are your parents and families attitudes and beliefs about education?  Were you pressured into furthering your education and attending college or was this something you always wanted to do for yourself?

Probes:

• What do you wish they did more or less of to/or for you?

7.  As a first generation student, do you feel your experience is different from those that are not first generation students? If so how and if not how were they the same?

Probes:

• Were the students you were close to first generation students as well?

Closing:

8.  What have you gained the most out of attending college?

Probes:

• Did it give you any skills besides what was in the classroom?
• What did you gain out of college that wasn't  in you curriculum?

9.. What advice would you give to others whose parents did not attend college?

Probes:

• Was there any pressure you felt while you were in college?
• If you had the opportunity to go back in time, what would you change?

10.  Is there anything else you would like to share or opinions you may have that were not covered?

Verbatim Script/Interview/Transcription with Chelsea Zelaya

By Jacqueline Aguilar

Jacqueline:   My name is Jacqueline Aguilar, and I will be conducting this interview today. Thank you in advance for your participation. Here at Cal State LA, we are including, I mean conducting in depth interviews because we want to hear directly from first generation college students. The following are, questions are designed to a gain deeper understanding about some of the obstacles you were or/are faced with and what your coping strategies may have been. Please answer each question honestly to the best, to the best of your ability. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer. See its recording. Um… What are your family’s expectations of you being first in the household to attend college?

Chelsea:       Um…they, well they expect me to succeed and not to have any distractions. Um, in particular my dad, he’s always um…on my case that I have to finish my my school, not to be distracted by boys or by um like um others things in life, and so he’s always telling me to continue and always supporting me.

Jacqueline:   That’s cool, same, my, my grandpa even calls me, “Jackie just make sure you finish ok?”, and I’m like one semester away and he literally still says, “Jackie, please, do me a favor and make sure you finish school!”, Grandpa I’m almost done, I’m going to finish, don’t worry! Um did you feel pressured to go to college?

Chelsea:       Um…no. When in, my senior year in high school, I was very involved in clubs, and so  I was like college ambassador so I was telling other people to fill out your college applications and so I also felt that I was next to my parents who were also supportive, always gave me the idea and were also supportive, and that’s how I came to be.

Jacqueline:   Nice. Well my next question was are they supportive but you already answered that.  Um was financing your education easy or difficult?

Chelsea:       Um…I think it was, it was kind of easy, but it was thanks to the government. Because financial aid, I’ve got everything covered for here at this school, the whole time.  I’ve always applied early, and they say first come first serve, so I do it the first day or first week when they open, and later on when I get back the grant package, it’s a lot of money that they give me.

Jacqueline:   Wow…nice, ok, so you answered all my probes too, what is the most difficult obstacle that you have faced during college?

Chelsea:       I think it would be balancing all the school work with the work that I have to do at home. Because as a typical Hispanic, I have a lot of chores!

Jacqueline:   A lot of chores!

Chelsea:       Everyday! Like my mom and dad tell me, you gotta wash dishes, pass the vacuum, we used to have turtles so we used to have to clean the water all the time!

Jacqueline:   Oh yea that’s difficult, turtle tanks!

Chelsea:       yea and also, put water to the plants, make our beds, that’s a long list of chores, and still having to balance, studying for a midterm and I still have to wash dishes. So I try to balance…

Jacqueline:   Are you the only child?

Chelsea:       No I have a younger brother, he’s like 3-4 years younger than me, but he sometimes helps but he sometimes helps but its very hard for him…

Jacqueline:   and he is younger and you are the older sister gotcha! Did it affect your academic performance? That’s a perfect probe to ask!

Chelsea:       Um…kinda not much…

Jacqueline:   But it just stressed you out?

Chelsea:       It stressed me out a lot, and so I would see that in my body I wanna sleep already, I’m like extremely tired and am like yawning in class. And but not not not  much, because I did pass all my classes…

Jacqueline:   You still did well

Chelsea:       Yeah, I still did well

Jacqueline:   Good, good, good! Um… on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 as the highest rating), how would you rate your overall college experience?

Chelsea:       Uhh…I think uh…I’d like to think about this…Ima go with a 9.

Jacqueline:   A 9! That’s very good! Um and I just want to put on the record that you have been going since your freshman year to your senior year the whole time to Cal State LA right?

Chelsea:       Yes

Jacqueline:   Ok cool. What do you think could have been done differently, is there anything you would like to change?

Chelsea:       To change what?

Jacqueline:   Your, your experience, your time here?

Chelsea:       Oh, um, I think the only thing I would change would is being more involved earlier on?

Jacqueline:   Oh really, you weren’t?

Chelsea:       I wasn’t involved in the first…what…the first, what…last four years?

Jacqueline:   So this year you got more involved, I see.

Chelsea:       Yeah, I was, I wanted, I had that desire to be involved but I just, I didn’t know a lot of people and I was afraid to go in by myself and so that why I didn’t really participate in extracurricular like clubs, or…but now that I’m on my last year and I know how important it is to actually do something besides just school I was thinking I need to do it.

Jacqueline:   I know…I think I’ll join MARS next semester.

Chelsea:       Yay!

Jacqueline:   You’ll still be in it right?

Chelsea:       Yea I’ll still be in it

Jacqueline:   Ok, yeah I should, especially if I don’t have to take five classes again and I just have to take three if all goes well then I should join MARS.

Chelsea:       Yay!

Jacqueline:   Side note! …Please discuss your experiences as a first generation college student. Was it enjoyable?

Chelsea:       Yeah I think it was, I was always just a studious person, I’ve always been like that, and I give that thanks to my parents, because they always pushed me to study and to actually do my homework, and so since I didn’t have extracurriculars, the only thing I focused on was on school so I did very well.

Jacqueline:   Nice

Chelsea:       So yeah I enjoyed it.

Jacqueline:   Good! Was there anything specific that helped you get to this point today, you mentioned your parents but is there anything else is there like a motivator?

Chelsea:       Mostly my motivation does come from my parents because their the one who work really hard for me to be here, so that… because I don’t work.  And my dad is very strict about, if Im…

Jacqueline:   If your not working then you have to be focused on school…

Chelsea:       Tell me like not to work, so I don’t have to be like worrying about bills, I should be worrying about…

Jacqueline:   Aww…

Chelsea:       So the only thing I have to worry about is school and getting good grades.

Jacqueline:   Did it help you succeed? YES!

Chelsea:       YES!

Jacqueline:   Um was there anyone who helped you specifically? YES! Your parents.

Chelsea:       My parents

Jacqueline:   And do you feel like your ready to get a job now? Are you looking to further your education?

Chelsea:       Yeah…

Jacqueline:   Will you get your Masters? Probably huh?

Chelsea:       Yeah actually I’ve been thinking about that, like debating it if I should. I wanna get my masters, I probably do want to.

Jacqueline:   But after you find the field right? Like that lady said…

Chelsea:       Yeah, yes exactly like I was wanting to apply because I’ve been hearing about that. Like you should first go into the field that you wanna work, get experience, then come back and get a masters so you have something to give back, something like that. So that’s what I’m thinking.

Jacqueline:   Right, yeah, definitely, cool! Um…How are your parents and families attitudes and beliefs about education?  Were you pressured into furthering your education and attending college or was this something you always wanted to do for yourself?

Chelsea:       It’s a little bit of both, umm but my definitely my parents did.  It wasn’t like super pressuring me do it, it was more like you should and you need to, because its gonna help you to have a better future, so that you wouldn’t have to work like like  hard labor like my dad did, so I think…

Jacqueline:   Right because its either education or labor right? Um… what do you wish they did more or less to or for you?

Chelsea:       I think I would have had my dad less… like um not to be on my case all the time telling me ok…don’t do, don’t be going to parties or something, or don’t be going out all the time…

Jacqueline:   Do you still go out?

Chelsea:       At times, but…

Jacqueline:   uh huh… It’s limited…

Chelsea:       Yeah its kinda limited, because I can't go out late and I can't go by myself…

Jacqueline:   Right, right and you get home all late and you’ll be busted?

Chelsea:       Yeah but with just me personally, I don’t like to go out in the night…cause I don’t…

Jacqueline:   Uh huh, that’s so good your not rebellious, like you go with their plan

Chelsea:       Yeah, like hey like I’ll do it, it's fine,  I agree with it.

Jacqueline:   Do you plan to move out anytime soon after college or will you stay home till your married?

Chelsea:       I think I’m probably gonna stay home!

Jacqueline:   I think so too! Might as well right??

Chelsea:       Yeah haha

Jacqueline:   That’s good, so you are happy where you are because if your weren’t then would want to get out, you would have an exit plan.

Chelsea:       Yeah

Jacqueline:   Um as a first generation student, do you feel that your experiences are different from those that are not first generation students, if so how and if not were they the same?

Chelsea:       I’m sorry can you repeat that?

Jacqueline:   Haha As a first generation student do you feel your experiences different from those who are not like first generation, do think that there's any difference?

Chelsea:       I feel like yes kind of, for someone who is not first generation, they might not see the value as to how hard it was for us to get here, and they might have it more easier than we do.

Jacqueline:   True, mmhmm, gotcha, or maybe their parents are different towards them as well. Okay, what have you gained most out of attending college?

Chelsea:       I’ve gained a lot, in terms of professionalism, I’ve been taught that like very since the very beginning of beginning even before freshman year of college, I had to email a professor even before school started to ask about a book, and it was in a very professional manner, and as I went along through the years, I have been picking up on skills to perfect the emails and that helped.

Jacqueline:   Nice, the skills…yea that’s what you learned…professionalism.  And what did you gain out of college that wasn’t in your curriculum?

Chelsea:       That’s a hard question!

Jacqueline:   That is a hard question! It's good, I’m like whoa okay!...Like what did you learn yeah that wasn’t on paper or wasn’t assigned…

Chelsea:       Something that I did because I wanted to?

Jacqueline:   Or just, just gained out of coming here. Like maybe having a schedule made you more punctual or just uh an extra thing you may have learned.

Chelsea:       I guess my time management skills?

Jacqueline:   I was just gonna say that!

Chelsea:       Yeah, I remember that I went to a workshop here and the University was offering it and it was about time management and that kind of helped me…

Jacqueline:   Nice!

Chelsea:       Oh I should get a planner and write things down, do to do lists…

Jacqueline:   …have direction, that’s nice, ok cool.  What advice would you give others whose parents did not attend college? Was there any pressure you felt while you were in college…we kind of went over that…if you had the opportunity to go back in time what would you change?

Chelsea:       Wait so the first part of the question was, what…

Jacqueline:   You said that… you didn’t really… it was a half and half deal, you felt pressured but then they’re supportive and it is something you do wanna do… that’s ok, we can go onto if you had the opportunity to go back in time what would you do different? Is there anything you would wanna change or has everything kinda been good?

Chelsea:       …mmmmmm I think…

Jacqueline:   Oh I guess you mentioned being more involved since the beginning…

Chelsea:       Yea, that’s one thing, being more involved, I think…what else…being more involved…um… I think…what else…being more involved…I think that’s the only thing I can think of right now, being more involved trying to be more involved earlier on…I can't think of anything else…

Jacqueline:   No that’s good! That means you’ve done a good job! Is there anything else you would like to share or opinions you may have that were not covered?

Chelsea:       um…

Jacqueline:   ….no? Okay, and we did cover a lot and we went off into other questions too!  Okay, thank you so much for your time and your participation Chelsea!

Chelsea:       Okay, no problem!

Verbatim Script/Interview/Transcription with Luis Aguilar

By Aaron Rodriguez

Aaron: My name is Aaron  and I will be conducting this interview today. Thank you in advance for your participation. Here at Cal State Los Angeles, we are conducting in depth interviews because we want to hear directly from first generation college students.   The following questions are designed to a gain deeper understanding about some of the obstacles you were/are faced with and what your coping strategies may have been. Please answer each question honestly and to the best of your ability. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer.So first off what are your family's expectation of you being the first in your household to go to college? Are there any expectations coming from them?

Luis: Well at first they expected me to become a doctor. Because on my dad’s side all of his brothers and sisters are educated they  lawyers, physicians and I think one of them is like a judge… something But yeah.. It’s like a lot of high expectations education wise. But umm.. Once I went into college I decided to switch my major from I think it was bio-chem to sociology. The first thing I could see from them was a little bit of disappointment because they thought I was going to go into social work or something like that where I would not be making money. Maybe wouldn’t be able to support myself as well. So I guess just high expectations and I guess disappointment when I decided to like go down my own path.

Aaron: Ok So umm.. As of now are they supportive of your decisions or ?

Luis: yeah so over time they became more supportive. It was like a gradual. Caus like they didn’t understand what I wanted to do with sociology and as I kind of gave them my plan of where I wanted to go with it and what I wanted to do, they were a little bit more supportive. But it took a while. It wasn’t like ammediate

Aaron: So as long as you explained it more to them

Luis: Yeah. Because they didn’t really understand like my end goal or like yeah.

Aaron: ok… umm so was financing your own education easy or difficult

Luis: It was difficult. I have been out of high school for I think 8 years and I have been attending college for 6. So finance was a big problem for me

Aaron: so is there umm. Did you receive any financial aid from uhh. Your family or your parents

Luis: At community college probably for a couple of quarters. I would say like a year but for the most part it was just out of pocket.

Aaron: so umm were you able to be fully or partially covered by any programs. Here on campus or federally or that kind of stuff

Luis : I mean aside from financial aid. No. I didn’t. I didn’t meet certain requirements. Because my family mad just enough to where we couldn't reach those. I can’t remember specifically but yeah

Aaron: So then how are you financing school?

Luis: Right now it’s just work like in the past. And then.. Loans

Aaron: ummm … what is the most difficult obstacle that you had to face during college

Luis:  ummm. So my parents were only there for like. Like They were supportive but . After high school.. After middle school they couldn't really help me at all with my future in order  to go to college. Including my high school the counselors weren’t really like good at doing their job. So like along the way I basically learned everything myself. So since then I haven’t really felt too much support from them aside from like maybe offering me a place to stay If I wasn’t able to or stuff like that. And financially sometimes  I was able to stay if they could they would but aside from that there is not really much support

Aaron: So you mentioned counselors ummm.. In High school  is there any like people that helped you once you got into college?

Luis: Once I got into college.. A couple professors kind of gave me some information on resources that would work well for me. One example was of a professor I had when I started taking sociology. I was just going to transfer straight off the bat after 2 years. But I was able to get to AA’s  because I wasn’t aware of other programs. I was just doing the general GE requirements to transfer to cal state. so I . Through that they gave me some information and resources available to acquire those 2 AA’s prior to my transfer. Which I think worked well for the most part and aside from that not really much. It was all me doing everything. I am like learning as I go. I am probably missing out on opportunities but yeah..

Aaron: umm..so having all the obstacles did it ever affect your academic performance

Luis: yeah mostly when it came to working like especially at community college. When I transfered here it wasn't as bad. I was working full time at community college and uhh full time at school that was really tough.  Sometimes I got on a good night I would get like 2, 3 hours of sleep. But once I transferred here it wasn’t as strenouse because I was taking my major courses, so it wasn't that difficult to adjust.

Aaron: So the more you go interested the more you uhhh..got like it ended up being easier?

Luis: yeah

Aaron: on a scale from 1 to 10. 10 being the highest rating. How would you rate your overall college experience

Luis: I would say like  a 7

Aaron: a 7? Alright so  what makes it a 7?

Luis : What makes it a 7 is obviously I had the financial issues and those things were kind of holding me back mentally and physically and uhh what kind of mad it a 7 for me was programs I tried to get into when I was at community and at Cal state LA was like the sociology department. There was the sociology club at ELAC and here as well. I met people  and discovered programs that they were offering when I first transferred and just along with that organization and clubs was kind of something worthwhile for me because During the whole time at community it was. kind of just myself. I am not the kind of person that seeks help just because of how I grew up. So I think those things made it more umm worthwhile to me

Aaron: Was there anything that you feel like you could have done differently?

Luis: looking back, putting more effort into finding resources to assist me through college. Whether it’s just asking questions to counselors or just like professors or even in those clubs people I would talk to I think that was something that was difficult for me. Asking for help.

Aaron: umm what is your parents beliefs on education?

Luis: like I was saying earlier their attitude was that it was very important but because of their lack of education. They can’t do much to support me aside from the love and support. Where they are like you can do it but it’s not like not really much after that.

Aaron: so then umm.. so then is there…. you mentioned that. You couldn’t really go to them for anything because they never experienced it. So then umm from knowing this now. Is there anything that umm… you would hope they would do more. Or less or.

Luis: umm I guess be more understanding. I was always doing it on my own. When I reached high school and college because it was more strenuous on me. I was taking harder courses. And I was also the first generation. I was the first on ever going into it. So I didn’t really have that support. I guess you can call it more pressure than really support.

Aaron: so like umm since you are like the first to go through it do you feel like your experience is any different than any other student that has had their parents go through the same thing

Luis: yeah. I feel like for me it was the financial issues was the biggest thing I felt like I couldn’t really do anything cuz applying to colleges at first. I got accepted into Berkeley. Which was the school I wanted to go to. But then when I started looking at finances and how much it would cost to go there per year, per semester. That’s something that I realized I couldn’t afford. Even if I would’ve taken loans. That path wasn’t a choice I wanted to make. Like it wasn’t a choice for me. Then that’s like the biggest thing for me financially.

Aaron: uhh where there any other students that you found that were first generation college students. That you felt like you were closer to them because of this or?

Luis: yeah uhh actually when I was at ELAC I got a little bit jaded towards first generation students. At least the ones I was around. Because umm  a lot of them weren’t taking school seriously. They were just using financial aid for what ever they. They where attending school just to receive financial aid. They used for other things and I wasn’t really getting a good uhh I guess vibe from my surroundings in regards to first generation students.  Because the ones that I was uhh around weren’t like the positive influence. After that I kind of stuck to myself. So it was just bad experiences like that that kind of forced me. Not really forced me. I chose to isolate myself. I didn’t really focus on school cuz I didn’t really want to go down that path.

Aaron: when you say that path you. Can you be more specific on that.

Luis : well not just.. not taking school seriously at all basically abusing the system to take advantage of financial aid. That’s what a majority of the students. Not the majority. The students that I was like talking to or around were mostly doing that.

Aaron: do you have an examples of how they kind of took advantage of this

Luis: so they would attend full time and then they would get the money and then use that money for other things and I don’t really know exactly how that works. I assume if you fail your classes they take the money away?  So I am guessing what happened was since it’s ELAC and since it’s fairly cheap. Umm the money that was left over was what they used to purchase whatever they wanted to like a tv or something. And they didn’t take their education seriously. They probably just did the minimum so they could keep taking advantage of that. Like they had no goals no future. It was something I didn’t really want to take part in. That for me was just kind of put me in a bad mood when I was trying to be focused. I would be sitting in class and they would be talking about parties and stuff like that. Specifically that situation I didn’t really want to take a part in. That for me was just kind of put me in a bad mood when I was trying to get to know people. Because I would be sitting in class and they would talk about parties and specifically that situation where like oh I can’t wait to get my financial aid money so I can get a ticket to a rave or something. So that was more of like why I decided to disassociate myself with umm.. most people in my class and just focus on school. Because I wanted to try my hardest to get out of there as quick as possible.

Aaron: so umm I only have a couple more questions left umm… so what have you gained the most out of attending college.

Luis: gained the most? I feel like what I gained the most is realizing that yeah I may have had all these like I had to face all these adversity but it made me a stronger person and it made me realize that. I guess I got through all of this and I am almost done. I am going to graduate soon and regardless of all the things I went through like I am just the same as any other student. Even though I felt yeah financially it was an issue but. I am not the only person that goes through this. It made me a little bit more open minded instead of being resentful or. I guess unhappy with people that had the money and education but we’re taking advantage or not taking school seriously. I guess it was more about becoming more open minded. I got through it and. I should have been focusing more on myself versus like my umm. Can’t think of the word right now…. my shortcomings.

Aaron: so do you feel like you gained any like besides the things you learned on the book and all that kind of stuff. Do you feel like you gained skills by going to college

Luis: gained any skills, with regards to my major yeah uhh like doing outside research because I am a sociology major. Some courses I feel like I did learn how to like really take advantage of qualitative or quantitative like research studies or be in like out in the field even though that’s not where I am going to go with my major. I am going to be going into counseling. But I feel like some courses gave me the outside experience. Where like I feel like it’s more than just everything in theory. But if it was just in theory. I feel like it’s just things I would have to remember to get to the next course which felt like high school.

Aaron: so then what advice would you give to others whose parents did not attend college?

Luis: I guess just to ask questions. For me it was more of everything I was doing in high school I was kind of like go with the flow.  Not really doing more than I could and kind of like losing motivation early. Where I didn’t know why I was getting good grades I just did because of the fear of not getting good grades.i didn’t really know why I had that fear  Which was like mostly from my parents but umm yeah.

Aaron: so was there ever a point in time where you said you felt like you had to uhh get good grades for your parents so then was there ever a point in time where it wasn’t for your parents?

Luis: that was later into community college where I was. I finally decided that I wanted to switch my major. Because when I started I was bio chem like I mentioned earlier and that was not like what my parents wanted on my dads side. Because he had to stop school to take care of his family when he can over here. That was like his purpose so he didn’t like get an education.  So his family for the most part are educated and I felt forced. I felt like I had to be a doctor. I had to be something that was important or something that was reflective of his family in order to receive any kind of appreciation. So when I switched to sociology it was a big point in my life because I wasn’t doing things for my parents anymore I was doing something for myself. Something I thought would make me happy and in the end I felt like it did.

Aaron: if you could go back in time and knew everything you know now is there anything you would want to change? About your experience?

Luis : I think it’s like what I said earlier its ask more questions on where are more of my resources. There’s like a lot like taking the SAT that’s something that was a minimum given to us. You have to take the SAT to apply for college and aside from that they didn’t really help us much. They being the counselor . I wasn’t aware of scholarships or how you got them. It wasn’t really something I was thinking of. Because I was more focused on o I have to take this SAT. I have to apply for college. I have to keep doing all this school work. I have to think about things at home so yeah I would just change that. Like being a little bit more. I guess umm . Be a little bit more forward and willing to ask questions and ask about how like just yeah questions. More like what resources are available. And what things I could do aside from what was given to me.

Aaron: I s there anything else you would like to share on your opinions? That you may have ? That umm?  Wasn’t covered on this questionnaire?

Luis: not that I can think of off the top of my head

Aaron: ok thank you

Verbatim Script/Interview/Transcription with Cristopher Senteno

By Spencer Kok

Spencer:  My name is Spencer and I will be conducting this interview today. Thank you in advance for your participation. Here at Cal State Los Angeles, we are conducting in depth interviews because we want to hear directly from first generation college students. The following questions are designed to a gain deeper understanding about some of the obstacles you were/are faced with and what your coping strategies may have been. Please answer each question honestly and to the best of your ability. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer. So, first question is What are your family’s expectations of you being first in the household to attend college?

Cristopher: So, my family expectations well. My dad didn’t have any expectations.  He didn’t go to college himself so he was like kinda like eh, about it. But my mother, she was really hard on me from the get go. Anytime I get less than a B. She was like, what are you doing. And she would reprimand me. She sometimes hit me like physical reprimanding. But uh, yeah, she was very supportive when I was doing good and she reprimanded when I was doing bad, but she was hard on me thought my whole time. So as far as my family’s expectations, they’re all proud of me. They all expected me to go to college because I did well and my mother was very supportive. She was always there for me. My Dad didn’t really care.

Spencer: Did you feel pressured to go to college?

Cristopher: Yes. I definitely felt pressure to go to college for my mom and that was it. She was only my impression of me pushing me, but at the end of the day it was a good thing because I am where I am.

Spencer: Are they supportive?

Cristopher: Yeah. Like I said, my mom was supportive. Uh, my family is as a whole, is supportive because I did well in school and they knew that my dad didn't really care.

Spencer: So, was financing for your education easy or difficult?

Cristopher: financing for my education has been pretty difficult because my mom makes right around the amount where I don't qualify for any financial aid. She doesn't make enough to support me going to college. My little brother's going to go to colleges next year, my sister. So, um, yeah. So, it's difficult. I've been taking loans, a couple scholarships here and there, like the middle-class scholarship. But, but other than that, um, my mom, she's been having to finance everything and my first year I domed especially, so she was definitely covering all of that. Just recently I've been having to work and pick up the slack, but, but she's still taking care of my tuition. One hundred percent. I really teach to take care of myself.

Spencer: So, that be like you receive financial aid or help from your parents?  Based on previous answer I don’t think so.

Cristopher: I don't receive financial aid, but my mom helps me as, as the best of your ability and she's the only one who helps me.

Spencer: What is the most difficult obstacle that you have faced during college?

Cristopher: Now that that can be a question of academically or socially. Let’s say socially living on my own being an adult and time management really. Because usually like growing up, like I said, my mom was really hard on me, so my time management was better because my mom was hard on me, you know, but now that I've been on my own really time management, it's been my most difficult obstacle. Um, regarding academics, I would say accounting. Yeah, that's it.

Spencer: Did it affect your academic performance?

Cristopher: As far as time management. Yes. It definitely affects my academic performance 100 percent. However, I still do well.

Spencer: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 as the highest rating), how would you rate your overall college experience?

Cristopher: How can rate my college experience? I'd give it around a seven. And the reason I gave it a seven is a combination of one. I've had some pretty decent professors, pretty good professors, um, two I've made good friends. Now okay.

Spencer: What could have been done differently?

Cristopher: Okay. So now we talking about anything you've done differently. So, the reason I give it a seven and not a 10 are simple things. Like, I've had a couple professors who are very, very biased towards a political leaning and they don't really teach more so than you do. Just talk about that. There's no, there's no structure. You know what I mean? I ended up having to teach myself and with that being said, the other problem I think on this campus as a whole is the fact that, you know, I just have some, some objections to the them trying to stifle some people from coming here and speaking stuff like that. Little things like that. Like I don't, I don't appreciate that at a, at a university on the campus that they don't respect the diversity of thought. Don't challenge that and debate. It's logically with reason instead of trying to shut it down. That's, it.

Spencer: Please discuss your experiences as a first-generation college student

Cristopher: It's been one hell of an experience. However, it's gone by really fast. Has been the fastest time of my life. Um, as a first-generation college student, I didn't know what to expect. Um, all I had was my mom support. I have my mom's support and uh, yeah. So, when I got here, you know, I had to learn things like time management, you know, how to take care of myself and how to do things on my own. You know what I mean? That really it.

Spencer: Was it enjoyable?

Cristopher:  Very enjoyable, enjoyable in the sense that I've grown, I've learned to become a better person, a more well-rounded and knowledgeable person.

Spencer: Was there anything specific that helped you get to this point today?

Cristopher: Um, one thing that's helped me is my fear of the Lord. What might happen if I don't get a degree?

Spencer: So, moving on did it help you succeed?

Cristopher: most defiantly. scared to death to get bad grades.

Spencer: Was there anyone that helped you specifically?

Cristopher: My girlfriend, we’ve been together for two and a half years, so like throughout this whole time and she works for the school too. So, throughout this whole time she's been helping you with like talking about financing, like student loans. She helps me, she just talks about graduation and she keeps me updated on things that I know I wouldn't normally keep myself updated on. So, she's definitely been somebody who's helping.

Spencer: Do you feel like you are ready to get a job right now?

Cristopher: I think I could start now. I think I should start out now. As an accountant. I'd probably try and get an internship at stuff account or something. I should probably be getting into that asap.

Spencer: Are you looking to further your education? After that like maybe master degree?

Cristopher: So, for me, what I, what I'm thinking is getting internship, work, get my bachelor's. Now I probably won't go into my master's necessarily right away. And the reason that is because I want to, I want to have experience in my field. I want to want to have, you know, a practical knowledge of my actual expertise. So then, you know, maybe a couple years down the line I can go back and get my masters. I have a masters and the experience that I can call myself a master, I can call myself a subject matter. A subject matter expert, you know, if you have just have a degree but no experience. Are you really a master of your subject?

Spencer: How are your parents and families attitudes and beliefs about education?  Were you pressured into furthering your education and attending college or was this something you always wanted to do for yourself?

Cristopher: Now my Mom's attitude to our colleges is a must. An absolute must. Um, everybody else. I mean as far as the family; besides my dad, my dad didn't really care, but everybody else besides my dad and my mom, they were kinda like 50/ 50 about it. Like they'd be like, oh, whatever, you know. But they're also proud of me at the same time they cared still. I was pressured a little bit by my mom for the most part. Was something I always wanted to do for myself no. Especially in today's day and age, I feel like somebody can truly make a good living for himself by learning a trade and being very good at it.

Spencer: There’s always different routes.

Cristopher: There's different routes and people think that, you know, a bachelor's the way to go. But in reality, it's not. You kind of have to go beyond your bachelor's.  Bachelor's, just a first step. But it definitely wasn't what I, what I had planned for myself initially.

Spencer: So, as a first-generation student, do you feel your experience is different from those that are not first generation students? If so how and if not how were they the same?

Cristopher: Now, I can kind of go both ways with that because my experience as a student has been the same as all other students here on this campus. However, I feel the difference lies. Familial support and things like that. You know what I mean? Things that, you know, the parents are telling them, oh, you should be doing this, you should be studying this.

Spencer: Like they are prepared.

Cristopher: They prepared. That's what I say. The differences are much more prepared. However, we're going through the same things. We're learning the same subject matter. It is what it is.

Spencer: Were the students you were close to first generation students as well?

Cristopher: Um, yeah, a couple of them. It's because uh, I domed that, you know, I had a couple of students who weren't first generation, a couple of who were. So yeah students I get pretty close to all kinds of students.

Spencer: So, question 8. What have you gained the most out of attending college?

Cristopher: What I gain from attending college? I feel like my ability to reason and think logically. To take a problem, break it down, step by step and you know, find a solution, not just in accounting or in whatever subject, but just in life in general.

Spencer: Did it give you any skills besides what was in the classroom?

Cristopher: Yeah, definitely. I would say my social skills, you know, I can go talk to people, I can talk in front of large group of people without a problem. I'm still nervous but I can do it without a problem. But um, other than that, like I said, my logic, reason, maturity.

Spencer: What did you gain out of college that wasn’t in your curriculum?

Cristopher: Surprisingly, I like to question people a lot. Now I want to hear professors tell me things. I, I go and I look into things and I, I look into it for myself, you know what I mean, aside from the curriculum or what they necessarily taught me. Um, sometimes I find what they're saying is right. And sometimes I read things that challenge, that thought. I mean, I read things that challenge that, that, so what I've learned that wasn't in my curriculum, I think is, is the ability to take something and question it and break it down and to find a truth for myself, you know what I mean.

Spencer: Um...What advice would you give to others whose parents did not attend college?

Cristopher:  What I would say, is do not feel pressured to go into college. If you want to pursue a career that requires college, then you have to work hard. You gotta hit the books and that's, it is what it is. But if you don't feel like college is a route for you, there's so many different things that you can learn. You know, you don't have to go to college to your real estate agent. If you're a really good real estate agent, you'll make a decent living for yourself. You don't have to go to college to learn how to invest. If you read a couple books and really understand it, you can do very well for yourself. You know what I mean? So really I feel like a lot of people are pressured into college and they do what they don't like and they don't pursue something that they could really be good at it.

Spencer: Going to college it’s not a guarantee you will get a degree. It's not 100 percent.

Cristopher: Yeah, definitely it’s not. Especially if you're going into social science, so like that. Like you're going to a stem major, science, technology, engineering, math, yeah go to college.

Spencer: Was there any pressure you felt while you were in college?

Cristopher:  Um, I feel like I pressured myself. Nobody else pressure me more than I pressure myself up to. Well I got into college. It was my mom pressuring me, but when I got into college and it was kinda like, Oh, you're on now. You made it, you know what I mean? You made it, you're here. It was like, dang, now I got to keep going. So, I just, I, I've always been the one pressure myself.

Spencer: If you had the opportunity to go back in time, what would you change?

Cristopher: That's tough because accounting, still reasonably good profession. It's teaching me what I want to know. So, you know, if I had to change anything, I probably want to take that midterm I just took again. Um, I think I might have not gone to college. I might've, I might've gone to something else. Yeah. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you know, I'm not doing

what I want to do. I'm still learning what I want to learn. However, I’m going to get a degree too and have that.

Spencer: Is there anything else you would like to share or opinions you may have that were not covered?

Cristopher: One thing that I'd like to share, the one thing I'd like to share is that it does not matter what school you go to. Does that matter? If you go to Cal state, UC JC,

Spencer: Harvard, Yale.

Cristopher: Harvard, Yale, Stanford at the end of the day. Education is what you make of it is what you make of it. And that's the one thing I'd say that it'd give advice to anybody. Um, and that's the only thing that I'd like to share, in my opinion.

Spencer: Well thank you.

Cristopher: No problem. Thank you for the interview

Verbatim Script/Interview/Transcription with Peter Vo

By Francis Dean

Francis:  My name is Francis Dean, and I will be conducting this interview today. Thank you in advance for your participation. Here at Cal State LA, we are conducting in depth interviews because we want to hear directly from first generation college students. The following are, questions are designed to a gain deeper understanding about some of the obstacles you were or/are faced with and what your coping strategies may have been. Please answer each question honestly to the best, to the best of your ability. There is no such thing as a right or wrong answer. Ok uh... What are your family’s expectations of you being first in the household to attend college? Did you feel pressured to go to college?

Peter: Well my parents made it seem like college was the only option and there was nothing else after that. They also have this expectation that I would be making loads of money after college. I felt a lot of pressure from them.

Francis: Did your parents care what major you picked?

Peter: Yeah, I switched around a lot but seeking validation in accounting was the easiest.

Francis: If you had a choice, what major would you have done?

Peter: I’m not sure, I tried everything and I’m pretty bad at everything the same.

Francis: Ah I see. Was financing your education easy or difficult? Did your parents support you financially?

Peter: Difficult. I actually moved from San Jose to Orange County after I graduated high school so my parents didn’t really support my financially. My financial aid helped me out a lot though.

Francis: Wow how did you like the move down here? I actually went to school in Northern California for 2 years and it was pretty cool for me. The people were different but the weather was really cold.

Peter: I liked the move a lot, I definitely miss living in Southern California. The weather was warmer and I could actually wear shorts.

Francis: Ok, so what is the most difficult obstacle you faced during college? Did it affect your academic performance?

Peter: Honestly it did, it was hard for me to pay for everything while keeping up with school.

Francis: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 as the highest rating), how would you rate your overall college experience?

Peter: 5, I had a neutral experience. I had academia but didn’t really do much outside of that.

Francis: Hm, what do you wish you could have done differently?

Peter: Probably study more and spent money wiser. I could have been more focused and more organized with my time and prioritize things better. Wish I didn’t go out drinking as much as I did.

Francis: Yeah I could definitely relate to you on the spending money wiser part. I remember the first two years of college I spent so much money on worthless dorm decorations and blankets I don’t even use or have anymore. So, please discuss your experiences as a first generation college student. Was it enjoyable for you? Was there anything specific that helped you get to this point today?

Peter: It was somewhat enjoyable. I met most of the close friends I have now at college actually. Yeah I actually had a counselor in college. They helped me when no one else could because I was by myself mostly. I honestly had no guidelines without a counselor. They helped me stay focused.

Francis: Well, did you feel like college helped prepare you to get an accounting job?

Peter: Yes and no. I feel like the American system is failing, we pay $30k for a piece of paper that doesn’t guarantee a job. The system makes us believe that college is the only way to success and graduating is the only way to get a good job. I didn’t land a job right away after graduating, I actually worked as a server at Gyu Kaku for a while and a vape shop to pay rent. My degree did help me land an internship working for a LA Mayor Campaign for a few months. The guy was pretty shitty though. He just took all the tax free donations and left. I’m not really using my degree now. My current work requires me to just have a bachelors degree and some experience in supply chain.

Francis: Wow. That sounds terrible actually. What do you do for work now then?

Peter: I do purchasing materials in and out for a supply chain company. I handle outside processors to hire them to do some machining that we can’t do for our product.

Francis: What are your families beliefs and attitudes about education? Was going to college something you wanted to do for yourself?

Peter: They have this belief that college is the key to have a better life. I didn’t really feel forced or pressured to go to college because I know this generation is going to take over. The more you know about technology the better off you become.

Francis: As a first generation college student, did you feel like your experience was any different than those who are not first generation college students?

Peter: I don’t feel different because everyone as the same goal. To get a BA and a job.

Francis: What have you gained most out of attending college? Did it give you any skills besides what was in the classroom?

Peter: Doing revenue reports in excel and writing clearly.

Francis: If you had the opportunity to go back in time, what would you change?

Peter: To be willing to sacrifice more than others for success.

Francis: Sacrifice what exactly? Socializing? Time? Money?

Peter: All of it. I feel like my life would have been different now if I focused on other things more.

Francis: We covered a lot. Is there anything else you would like to share?

Peter: Not really.

Francis: Okay, thank you so much for your time.