I have had the good fortune of attending a great university. It has been everything that I've imagined and has even held a few surprises for me through the almost four years of attendance. It's incredible to think that in the next year I will be walking the stage and receiving my college degree. But, being a first generation college student is not easy. Like many FG college students, I had to fight some odds to get where I am today. I attended a high school where the education was great and I appreciate everything that the faculty did for me as a student. It just felt that we were taught to pass only the standardized tests that were administered to us at the end of the year. I did not feel adequately prepared for college once leaving high school.
This is the first of a couple disadvantages I had when it came to attending college. Another was the most obvious of them; no one in my immediate family attended college before I did. I did not have anyone to give me advice about the dos and don'ts of college; I wasn't given any life-saving tips. I didn't have a mentor that was going to be my safety net when I arrived to college. Of the 250+ people I graduated with in high school, only two of us attended Texas Tech, which is a good five hours or so from my hometown. In a nutshell, I was on my own.
I wouldn't be able to drive home on the weekends when I felt like having a home cooked meal. I had to depend on the dorm food to give me that feeling of being home (which it didn't). I definitely had some growing pains when it came to my first year in college. For the first time in a long time, I had to sit by myself for most meals. My study habits were mediocre because I never had anyone show me how intensive college would be. Although college is rewarding and challenging, I was losing that experience because I was getting so far behind in everything. I went through the motions my freshman year. I had no aspirations to put my name out there. I had no idea that I was supposed to join clubs or organizations that would look good on a resume. I didn’t even know that I was supposed to already be working on my resume. Being a first generation college student is terrifying in its first year. There were so many moments where it seemed easier to drop out of school and just settle with a decent job back home that didn’t require a degree.
This eventually changed when I joined a Christian fraternity, and they adopted me into a long running brotherhood. The church I attended regularly is blessed with some of the best people that I know. A couple of months in, I finally had people to sit with at meals. Although my first year was a collection of struggles and very little triumphs, I survived. For a while there, I wanted to give up, but as cliché as it sounds, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. As mentioned before, I will be a senior this upcoming fall, something that seemed like a long shot almost four years prior. Because of all of this, I am becoming a person that I can be proud of.
To anyone that will be an upcoming freshman and is a first generation college student, I offer this advice to you: stay diligent in your mission. The thing that kept me going was the vision of one day walking out of commencement and embracing my family as I had my degree clutched in one hand. The countdown to that day has begun, and this is what makes me get up and get to class, even on the worst days. My family has been my support system and my biggest fans on this four-year long journey. Let your families know if you need anything, they will always be there for you, even if they live hours away. Take advantage of the multiple resources your school offers, such as tutoring and even counseling services. Try to be part of a better statistic.
There are more first generation college students dropping out than there are that graduate. I encourage you to seek a better life for yourself and your loved ones. Pursue that degree without ever stopping to take a break. Being a first generation college student is a struggle and it is a fight, but it makes you a better person for it.
