Preparing for Higher Education: A Study of First-Generation College Learners in the Darjeeling Hills

Abstract

First-generation college learners (FGCLs) may enter higher education with limited access to family-based experience of college study. This study compared the academic preparation of FGCLs and continuing-generation college learners (CGCLs) in the Darjeeling hills. It draws on the quantitative component of an ongoing mixed-methods investigation involving 825 second-year college students from three subdivisions of Darjeeling district, comprising 641 FGCLs and 184 CGCLs, selected through disproportionate stratified sampling. Academic preparation was assessed using 12 items from a researcher-constructed scale. An independent-samples t-test identified a statistically significant difference between the groups, t(823) = 28.77, p < .01. FGCLs had a lower mean academic preparation score (29.29) than CGCLs (47.55). Responses to selected items indicated that many FGCLs reported insufficient guidance from higher secondary teachers when choosing colleges, limited awareness of their intended courses before admission, and few discussions of higher education plans with relatives. They also reported searching for courses and colleges independently without parental assistance more frequently than CGCLs. These findings identify differences in access to preparatory information and guidance before college entry within the study setting. They suggest that earlier school-based guidance, clearer information about courses and financial assistance, and collaboration between schools and colleges may help prospective learners navigate the transition to higher education. The findings should be interpreted within the regional and cross-sectional scope of the study.