The Struggles Of Being A First-Generation College Student | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

The Struggles Of Being A First-Generation College Student

Taking college and all of its good and bad head on.

169
The Struggles Of Being A First-Generation College Student
Photo by Jean Bertordo from Pexels

When many people think about the overall expectations of college most words that come to mind are fun, life-changing, and from time to time a type of stress that is beyond belief.

These ideals are common among all college students but are much more blurry for those students who are the first generation to attend college in their family. For many of us that blurriest is due to lack of preparation and resources to help transition us into the ever so changing college lifestyle.

Unlike many of our peers, first gens are both expecting these things and discovering these things we had not been exposed to from out families. For me and probably most others, the college experience is a bit of a trial and error process. You tried not going to class for the week thinking that just looking over the PowerPoint would be "enough."

You realize quickly that ain't really it chief once you get back a low grade on the first exam or quiz. That feeling we've all experienced once we seen that score or got that alert from Canvas saying so and so has been graded, its a feeling that first gens feel almost constantly as we journey through higher education: inadequacy.

As a J-School student at Mizzou, one of the top Journalism programs in the nation, I constantly feel like I'm behind the rest of the pack. A lot of my own struggles as a first-gen come from the lack of college preparation I got from the high school I attended. Despite the "Preparatory" in its name, it didn't do much in getting me ready for a life as a college student.

With a lack of preparation but an unstoppable drive, I and so many other first gens truck along to our desired colleges and do the same expectation game like everyone else. Hovering over our heads are all the countless statistics and articles on how we won't receive a bachelor's degree in four years or even more haunting, that we won't finish school at all.

After doing a little digging, according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institution 2018 First-Generation Students in Higher Education fact sheet there is a myriad of issues that first gens face. Many of those include demonstrating a lack of college readiness causes drop at rates to be much higher than their peers. Along with that is a history of low-income backgrounds resulting in a backlash of student loan debt for them to drown in after finishing college.

While this may all sound bad, I want to close out with the notion of resiliency within every first-generation student. Those same struggles are the same things that drive us to push beyond the statistics. Having the immense pressure of just being a college student is a hand full for all of us, but for first gens, that pressure is almost doubled because we want to be that first. That first in the family to go the distance and conquer college despite the lack of preparation.

Often times my roommate and I will sit and chat, okay more like complain, about how naive and clueless we were when it came to how college would go. Us both being first gens almost always comes up and after all the complaining and joking around about just quitting it all, we always end with how we got this! Amid all the struggles of first-generation students there will also be a sense of hope, relentless drive and a hint of a chip on our shoulder as we take college head-on.

Report this Content
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1555
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

950
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200126
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20834
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments