There is limited research on the experiences of first-generation students who have completed their second year and enrolled for a third year in order to continue their studies even though this population of students are the most likely to drop out of college in their second year. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how current first-generation college students, who are enrolled or completed the second semester of their sophomore year, experience college as a first-generation student and made the decision to persist toward completing their bachelor’s degree. Through first-hand accounts of participants’ experiences of their time at the university, this study highlights what factors students contributed to their persistence toward graduation. The findings have the potential to facilitate a deeper understanding of what stakeholders working with first-generation college students can do to assist in retention efforts of this population.

尽管第一批学生已经完成了第二年的学习，但为了继续学业而入学了第三年，但对他们的经历的研究却很少，尽管这一年龄段的学生最有可能在第二年辍学。这项定性研究的目的是了解目前已入学或已完成大二学期第二学期的第一代大学生如何将大学作为第一代学生来体验，并决定继续努力完成学士学位。通过第一手了解参与者在大学期间的经历，本研究突出显示了学生对毕业后的坚持不懈做出了哪些贡献。