'Cutting Rough Diamonds' The Transition Experiences of First Generation Students in HE

The ‘rough diamonds’, or ‘valuable gems’ in this chapter are first generation students at an English Higher Education Institution. The study, on which this chapter draws, tracked students as they negotiated their entry to a satellite university campus called, ‘The Centre’. The study analysed their experience of moving into and taking up a university place, looking at how they engaged, in their first semester with undergraduate study. The focus of the research was their experiences of becoming a student at The Centre and their transition to/and at The Centre. The students' experience of this transition demonstrates a complex interplay between the processes of becoming, being and achieving as a higher education student, forming their own cultural and social identity. Whilst the transitions and adjustments vary between individuals, all students experience some level of challenge in their first semester. Financial, motivational, social and emotional issues can all affect academic success (Pritchard & Wilson 2003).