Choosing to venture beyond a high school education is a huge step, especially when you are doing it for the first time with parents who have little to no background in post-secondary education. From the first time you tour your favorite college, to the excitement of opening your acceptance letter to begin the process of joining your Alma mater, you already know that your excitement may not be fully understood by those around you who never experienced college life.
A plethora of emotions may overwhelm you as you realize that this is a crucial moment in your life. The standardized tests and applications were one thing, but now who is going to see college the way you do? Who will you go to when your usual A+ statistics test score in high school suddenly becomes a C+?
These stresses might make you feel like you're the only one doing this alone as you realize you don't have anyone with any experience to turn to. But really, you're not alone.
Over half of the college population is first-generation students!
Knowing that almost half of your college population is doing college for the first time is a comforting feeling. Some campuses around the country even have programs specifically catered to first-generation students to meet up and attend workshops to benefit them during their first year to college, some even sticking with students throughout their whole four year experience.
If you are unsure of finding the help you need in a college setting as a first-generation student, never feel afraid to ask around campus and see if there are any programs for first-generation students. If there are none, find similar people with around you with the same concerns of being the first of their family to attend. There's even the chance of you and some new friends making your own club or organization to meet up and support one another as you go through classes and different school experiences.
Remember that just because you're the first one out of your family to go to college, you are not doing it alone. You are the student going further on a path not many take after high school. Graduation will be here before you know it and you will be an awesome model for any siblings, cousins, or any family who may one day be following the same path as you.
