[Kristin M.]

What is it like to be a low-income student entering college? Do you feel uncomfortable in the college environment because you aren't part of the middle or upper middle class?

User Detail :  

Name : Kristin M., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, City : Bowling Green, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Graduate Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[ACC24009]

The short answer is, 'It's intimidating as hell.' More well-off students stare at you like you're packing a knife or a gun. Some openly look frightened or disgusted, no matter how much you smile. It's one of the most clear examples I can find in my life of class (as well as racial) hostility in America. I get disgusted enough by it to sometimes to want to lash out or tell them to quit staring at me like I'm a freak. I just have to keep reminding myself, 'I'm not here to care what they think of me, I'm here to learn so I can eventually serve my community.' The more positive side is that many are not like that, and those that are can sometimes be changed. Coming from mostly homogenous backgrounds where no one has ever challlenged their worldview, many are quite curious to learn about 'the wrong side of the tracks'. Once they get over their intial shock ('Hey, poor people can actually be smart! Who woulda thought it?'), many can overcome their class (and other) prejudices.

User Detail :  

Name : ACC24009, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : W Lafayette, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : Grad student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Sue]

I started off in community college, where it seemed that the majority of students were struggling with school work while trying to support themselves, as I was. Now I'm at Cornell, living next door to a sorority with a parking lot full of shiny new SUVs. I don't know if I feel uncomfortable as much as left out. I'll never study abroad; I'll spend spring break working instead of on the beach, and I am responsible for paying for my education - not my parents.

On the other hand, I'm glad that I'm living more in the real world than all these wealthy folks around me seem to be. Paying for college and room and board on a $3,000 annual income isn't easy, and I wonder if they appreciate what they have. Money and education are simply not handed to me, so I've learned to work for them. I'd be interested in comments by others, rich or poor, who have been affected by the class differences at college.

User Detail :  

Name : Sue, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 20, City : Ithaca, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Lucy-H22655]

I went to a state university where the tuition was low, but the education was very good. The school was not prestigious, so it did not attract a lot of the wealthier students. Most of the students worked to pay for part or all of their education and did not have a lot of extra money. Most of us were in the same boat, poor, studying hard, working hard, and having a great time. Of course, when money was really tight, or I was feeling very overworked, I would think about how much easier it would be if I came from a family with money. The flip side is that I do not owe my success to anybody else. My success is mine and mine alone. I also did not have any familial pressures as to what to study or what career path to take because I was financing my own education.

User Detail :  

Name : Lucy-H22655, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 25, City : San Jose, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Albert]

In my experience, it all depended on the college that I chose. I remember back in high school when this rich dude who had started going to college came back to visit a teacher whose class I was in and was standing there wearing these expensive clothes the likes of which I could not possibly afford to convert my whole wardrobe over to. It sort of freaked me out because I thought that if this was how everyone dressed in college then I had no chance of being accepted. I don't know for sure where he went but looking back now I would guess that he went to this private school in my state where 94% of the people are in the Greek system, and from which one of my friends transferred to my state institution because he got sick of how 'high-schooly' (his words) it was there. I only applied to one school but when I went on that campus I saw that there was a whole spectrum of people from all classes, races, and backgrounds, many of whom wore jeans and t-shirts just like me. I could tell that making friends with genuine, sincere people would not be a problem here where by virtue of the sheer size of the student body it was statistically inevitable if I looked hard enough. So my point is I don't think all campuses would be as open to po' folk as others. You have to get a feel for a campus to see if it will offer you the kinds of people and opportunities with which you can be comfortable. P.S. I put 'middle class' as my own because, as I learned it, the American class system is divided more on social and financial _attitudes_ than actual monetary incomes. By this definition, no one who goes to college could be considered lower class.

User Detail :  

Name : Albert, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 24, City : Indianapolis, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[John-B]

There are so many differences caused by social class that it's very hard to generalize. I'm from a small town struggling-to-stay-middle-class family, and went to a pricey private university on scholarship. The big difference to me wasn't social; thanks to a high student activity fee, nearly everything on campus was free, and there were few barriers to participation in any activity I really wanted to try, or at things like parties and dances. But there was a huge difference in preparation; I'd had classes labeled 'Calculus' and 'College English' for example, in high school, but they weren't anything like the prep that was available to people from better off families, and the academic competition was pretty fierce until I caught up. OTOH, one good friend of mine was socially traumatized at a state university because, being pretty, outgoing, and smart, she was pledged at a sorority that was about a class and a half up from her, and her lack of the right label, the right experiences, the right tastes, etc. was constantly mocked. And yet again, a smart poor kid sometimes suffers more than anything else from the frustration of not having time to do as good a job on academics as s/he knows s/he could. That's something I see in my own students all the time; if you're smart, motivated, and upper middle, you can spend a weekend in the library getting a really fine paper together; if you have to spend Saturday painting a house and Sunday night turning over burgers, you do what's possible in the time, not what's possible with your mind. It's extremely demoralizing to some very good students.

User Detail :  

Name : John-B, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 42, City : rural, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : college professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[joshua goldin]

Different students have different problems. For some, it is simply a question of money, and this may manifest itself in various ways. A very bright individual who will probably do well in life may have poor grades because he or she just does not have time to study. A person may do something unusual because they need the money, such as be a stripper, escort, etc. A much bigger problem is people who come from a background in which education and even intelligence are despised and where they have to hide such tendencies in order not to get beaten up or worse. Similarly, middle-class social values and styles would be very inappropriate and self-destructive in other situations, and a person may have to learn how to be very different person at different times and locations. If a person is capable and intelligent, they may have to deal with the hostility of those who feel such gifts are wasted on people from the wrong social class. If they are intellectually slow but have other gifts, they may have to deal with systems designed to make them feel inadequate, etc.

User Detail :  

Name : joshua goldin, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Humanist, Age : 60+, City : College Park, State : MD Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[rachael mcdougall]

i am writing about this very topic in my dissertation. some good reading on this: working-class women in the academy: laborers in the knowledge factory (tokarczyk & fay) strangers in paradise: academics from the working class (ryan, jake, sackrey) classism and feminist theory: counting costs out of the class closet: lesbians speak this fine place so far from home: voices of academics from the working class (dews & law)

User Detail :  

Name : rachael mcdougall, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 44, City : newton, State : KS Country : United States, Occupation : psychology intern, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Ginny Z.]

I was pretty comfortable going to college (a pretty costly, liberal arts school at that) in spite of coming from a low-income family. Most people I knew didn't flaunt any wealth they may or may not have had, and the majority of students there had some sort of work-study job, even if some didn't really need one. Class differences would come out in subtle ways, like who had a nice computer or stereo and who didn't, whose parents were professors and whose parents never went to college (like mine). But I never felt like I was out of place because of this, probably because I had a number of friends who were in financial situations similar to mine (although maybe I unconsciously gravitated to those people?). Towards the end of my college years, however, my school switched from a 'need-blind' admissions policy to what they called 'need-sensitive': for a small percentage of each incoming class, they would decide who to admit based on how much an applicant could afford to pay. This still upsets me; I realize it costs a lot to run a college these days, but an education is still the big equalizer for people like me, if you can manage to get one. I recently read an article about how this need-sensitive thing is a growing trend in colleges in this country, which I think might push the average family income of a college student upward and make those low-income students who do get in a tad more alienated. I can see this happening already in the school my sister attends - she feels the class differences between her and her classmates a lot more than I did. Oh, and by the way, I did recently finish paying off my student loans; hopefully that money will continue to help students in need.

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Name : Ginny Z., Gender : F, Race : Hapa, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : scientist/aspiring sociologist, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Tammy]

I grew up in NYC, hile I was not really a 'poor student' I did not have the material things that other students enjoyed. I went a public college where a variety of students from different economic classes also attended. I dont think that money was a really big deal...except in some greek organizations. I can remember times seeing other students driving around in nice cars and other things, I did feel a bit jealous. I felt that some things in life are unfair, and its true. Students who are wealthy have their parents pay for tution and other expenses while I had to take out loans. So when they graduate they will be off and running while I have a hefty debt load. The rich just get richer. However, I have had many great experiences like when I studied abroad in Asia, but I did miss one study abroad chance in Germany since they offered me a partial scholarship and I couldnt come up with the other half. But I have learned that in some instances hard work does not discriminate as I have a B.S. in Economics and International Business. Not bad for a 'poor' kid from New York.

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Name : Tammy, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 22, City : DC, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : financial analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[N–Chambers20223]

Personally I never felt uncomfortable around people who are believed to be in a higher economic or social class. Put simply, those without money have a different set of worries than those with it. For me, even finacial aid was a problem because my EFC(expected family contribution) was based on what my mom and stepfather (who had nothing do with me finacially due to the existence of children from a previous marriage)made. His income inflated our house hold income and as a result I didn't qualify for various finacial aid programs/work study (efc was too high). Unfair since what I pay for school is based on what they make.My mother didn't make enough to pay for my schooling. That meant 2jobs for me and finding my own devices in getting money for school. Things weren't exactly smooth sailing. Too poor to pay and too rich for aid!!!!!-damn

User Detail :  

Name : N--Chambers20223, City : Columbus, State : OH Country : United States, 

[andrea31625]

I have supported myself by working at coffee shops and i attending a community college rather than going straight to a four year--which was fine. When I transfered to UCSC as a junior, I was awarded financial aid, and I couldn't have come here without that benefit. The rich kids are easy to spot because they are generally unnappreciative and wasteful of the money and of the opportunity here. I have felt that all of my choices... even down to the classes i sigj up for ... might be pivitol to my carreer (whatever it may be) and I carry a lot of anxiety with me about being competant and capable of 'making it' on my own. I feel like I need to keep up my GPA and to receive recognition for scholarships. does that help answer the question?

User Detail :  

Name : andrea31625, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 25, City : santa cruz, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Simone28017]

My first year of college was horrible. Through out high school my mothr gave me a choice. Go to college or move out. She did not take into consideration that I could not afford college on my own. She was not in the financial situation to help me at all. When I get to Hofstra University I had no meal plan, my tuition was due, and I was constantly getting letters to vacate my room beacuse that wasn't paid for either. My roommate on the other hand came from a very wealthy family. She had went to an elite boarding school and eveything was paid for. Sometimes she would rub it in my face. Like ' Simone did you eat today?' 'No' would be my reply. Then she would go on and on about what she ordered and what she didn't like and decided to throw out. The final straw was one night we got into an argument and she finally said ' You don't belong here, can't you see that'. She made me feel horrible but she also gave me the strength to prove her wrong. Maybe I didn't belong there but I sure did belong at Columbia University, who accepted me with open arms and lots of finanacial aid. Just a message to you young wealthy college students: Don't make people feel like they don't belong just because you have more money than them because everything you have can be taken away from you in an instant.

User Detail :  

Name : Simone28017, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : White Plains, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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