Strangers without Codebooks

Abstract

In their own voices, Mai and David, both first-generation (FG) college students at a large, predominantly White midwestern research university, describe their concerns about college. Mai captures the confusion and apprehension about her impending arrival, while David describes his first day of college. Mai confirms that the road to college itself has been unclear and expresses fear about how she will measure up in comparison to others in her peer group. Both express anxiety and concern about this new place, and more importantly, their place in it. It might be argued that it is not uncommon for any college student to feel “lost” as a freshman. However, unlike their counterparts who come from college-educated families, Mai and David are lost in a different way. They are not merely lost in the expanse of campus; rather, they have arrived without the “codebook.” Both must now traverse an alien landscape while simultaneously figuring out the rules and expectations, both implicit and explicit, which shape every facet of the collegiate experience. In addition, it is unlikely that they will find many familiar markers that reinforce their lived experience, further solidifying the concern that they have, indeed, come to this new territory unprepared (Jehangir, 2008).