Under resourced and under pressure

The wealth gap between the richest and the poorest in the U.S. continues to grow year after year. According to The Week, the top 10% of earners own about 69% of the wealth in the U.S., while the lowest 50% own 2.4% of the wealth. One factor driving the gap is education, as explained by Fisher and Mattson.

It is no surprise that individuals from wealthier backgrounds are more likely to be more educated than children of low-income families. But, it does not mean one cannot move up the socioeconomic ladder. In fact, these ambitious and hardworking individuals will be known as strivers, as described in Elizabeth Spiers’ "A Defense of Jeremy Strong (and all the Strivers With No Chill)." So-called strivers are usually first-generation college and graduate students. Spiers explains how strivers feel uneasy at higher education institutions because they tend to stick out and feel like they do not belong. Thus, a first-generation student is likely to encounter many obstacles on their path to earning a degree.

One obstacle that first-generation students face is the lack of network and resources.

A study by Andrew Van Dam revealed that 78% of Ph.D. students had at least one parent with a graduate degree, while only 6% of the students were first-generation. This meant continuing generation students had built-in networks, resources, knowledge, and a head start unknown — perhaps even unimaginable — to first-generation students.

As a first-generation law student, I did not realize how under-resourced I was until the moment I stepped foot onto my law school campus. I remember how my classmates would talk casually about getting outlines from upperclassmen and how their parents had connections to certain law firms. During the search for my 1L job, my lack of resources became apparent. I did not know anyone working at law firms nor did I know the importance of networking in the legal profession. It was thus harder for me to get my foot in the door.

These passing moments would often lead me to question whether I had made the right choice by going to law school.

Lisa Pruitt shares similar sentiments about being a first-generation law student. On one occasion, she remembers how her classmates biblically recited text from the book One L. She stated that she was not familiar with the book until the end of her first semester at law school.

A second obstacle first-generation students face is increasing pressure to do well in school.

Pressure can form from many stressors, and one factor in particular is income. An article by Hardy documents that the difference in the median annual income between college and high school graduates is about $22,000, which is the highest difference on record since the 1990s. Although all first-generation students are not low-income, Kristen Renn, a professor at Michigan State University, states that about 50% of first-generation students come from low-income backgrounds. After seeing their parents struggle to make ends meet, these first-generation low-income students will take it upon themselves to build a better life by pursuing high-paying jobs or living in a better neighborhood.

As a child of immigrant parents, this feels especially true for me. Both of my parents immigrated to the US from Punjab, India, and their journey to building a life within this country was not easy. I remember seeing my parents working really hard to make enough money for food and rent.

So, as a first-generation Punjabi American and the eldest daughter, I face an immense amount of pressure to get a good job and make good money. Otherwise, my parents may feel like their sacrifice was for nothing.

Other times, the pressure comes from learning how to balance being a good student while also being a good daughter or son.

Jennifer Morton, who teaches at City College of New York, sees an array of first-generation students striving for a middle-class lifestyle. On the podcast Hidden Brain, she explained that these students “end up feeling torn between doing the things that would seem to be required by being...a good grandson and doing the things that are required to be a successful student.”

During my first year of law school, I was constantly trying to learn how to balance school and family together. Oftentimes, I would spend countless hours on schoolwork throughout the week, just to allow myself some time to spend with my family on the weekends. I still remember feeling immense guilt when my grandmother told me, “I do not see you much anymore.”

Despite being under resourced and under pressure, I have always kept pushing. I have constantly reminded myself that it will all be worth it.