Extensive qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 first-generation college students. Profound changes to the students resulting from exposure to academic liberal arts course content were documented. Specifically, this study explores evident thematic trends and specific examples of how liberal arts course work provided students with profound senses of freedom and liberation from emotional/psychological issues and ideological/political constraints. Exactly how exposure and learning resulted in these changes, and what these changes mean to the individual students, is explored in detail. What faculty can do to more effectively teach and retain these students is also discussed.
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