Low-Income Students: 4 Psychological Tips

The world is full of diversity, and sometimes it is so hard to find a way to balance or unite it. However, according to Nelson Mandela saying, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” It seems that he was right. Nowadays, we aim that each of us has the equal opportunities for the fair and successful education despite the fact where we are or how rich or poor we are. It is our challenge to give the low-income college students the same equal possibilities to get good education as the high- or middle-income students have. Furthermore, it is not only about increasing college opportunity for low-income college students through the financial support, but also through the psychological assistance. Therefore, we highly encourage you to read this short article, in which our experts have gathered the most useful ways on how to cope with financial and psychological challenges that low-income college students usually face.

1. Are you “hangry?”

“Hangry” is the word with which you can describe people who are very angry or emotionally unbalanced because they are hungry. Many low-income college students cannot concentrate on their study because they are simply hungry. Maslow’s theory claims that no one can focus on something if he\she is suffering from hunger, thirst, cold, etc. Therefore, the first thing that we should do is to satisfy all low-income college students’ physical needs. It means to provide them with free meals at schools\colleges, discounts on clothes or even free clothes, low price accommodation, etc. Thus, it may be the first step that leads to increasing college opportunity for low-income college students.

2. The question of the psychological and physical safety

The next step is to provide the low-income college students with both psychological and physical safety. According to the latest research, the low-income college students suffer even more often from violent and aggressive behavior than middle- or high-income students do. They face the cruelty at school, outside of it, and at home because of their poverty. Usually, the low-income college students cannot cope with bullying alone. They are seeking for support. It means that each teacher should be responsible for their students’ emotional and physical condition. In a case of any suspicions of emotional or physical violence, we should immediately report and protect each student, especially the low-income college students. The primary school teachers’ task is to ensure their students that they are protected and can trust them. Therefore, we should build up a strong hierarchy based on the trust. Remember that the central principle and evaluation criterion of each education system is whether students feel safe and trust you. Otherwise, all other things do not matter if there is no this fundamental point.

3. Teacher-students relationship

Each teacher is not only a person who knows and teaches some subject perfectly but also a close friend to each student. According to the latest research, students spend at least 6-7 hours at school, which is even more than the time they spend with their parents. That is why it is highly crucial to set up the trustful, fair, and emotional bond between teachers and students. In this case, the low-income college students are the main category who often feels the lack of understanding, support, and encouragement because of different social status and home problems. However, the same thing could happen with middle- and high-income students. The rule is very simple: if the teacher does not care about their students, students will not care about the teacher’s subject.

4. Social networks

It is not about Facebook, Tweeter, Pinterest, and other media networks. It is about bonds between students. It is not enough to build up a strong relationship between students and teachers. It is highly significant to create a good atmosphere in the classroom. In this case, the low-income college students often face a lot of problems with their classmates, especially if they change their schools very often. Also, usually, the low-income college students may simply not have the first layer of social network that typically includes close friends, parents, etc. Thus, each teacher should aim to teach their students how to set up strong and fair bonds wherever they are. It means that the teacher shows them how to socialize more effectively. What is even more important is that teachers should not solve local problems but give each student tips on how to survive\adapt in a new collective without significant issues. In this case, each teacher becomes not only a teacher of a particular subject but also a life-teacher. Hence, we see how the role of the teacher is vital in the education system, especially when we are talking about the low-income college students who need even more support than others.

Use these straightforward tips to make our world better!
Wish you all the best!