Being a freshman in college is scary. Being a freshman in college without your parents' college experiences to guide you is terrifying. From the outside, being a first generation college student seemed like something I would be ashamed of. Both my mother and father didn't complete their degrees. Besides my older brother, I would be one of the first in my family to graduate from college. I quickly learned that this is nothing to be ashamed of at all, but a privilege to be able to complete what others long to achieve.

My first year experience was a tough one. The transition from home to college life was a struggle for me to say the least. Long story short, I took advantage of my new found freedom, made some questionable decisions, stopped going to classes, and almost failed out of my first semester of college. Depression and anxiety got the best of me, but I was given a second chance. I turned my life around, but I don't know if I would have been able to do it if it wasn't for being a first generation student.

Being a first generation student at Eureka College is probably the best thing that could have happened for my college career. There's a program called "The First Generation Program" (First Gen) that has allowed me to encounter countless opportunities and led me down the road to success. So without further ado, here are a few things others failed to tell me about college, but what First Gen led me to discover.

They didn’t tell me how hard the transition from home to college would be. I always thought of myself as a pretty independent person until I was forced to live an independent life. I had never been away from home without my mom or other family members for more than a night, so living an entire semester on my own was going to be a real challenge. Since I was part of First Gen, I was able to partake in the Early College Program a few weeks before move-in day to give me and other first generations students a little snippet of what it would be like to live away from home. We stayed in the dorms for three days and two nights. I had a lot of fun, but needless to say, I was ready to go home.

They didn’t tell me just how intense college courses are. In high school, I took enriched and dual credit classes so I could get my foot in the door to see how coursework would be beyond high school. These classes did prepare me, but they were still nothing like the courses I have been enrolled in at Eureka. That was another way the Early College Program helped me. We were required to sit in a couple classes taught by professors that we would eventually have, so we could get to feel how a college classroom runs. Back then, I didn’t really see the point of it., and it was by far the least fun compared to the rest of the weekend, but reflecting back, it was the most beneficial.

There were positive things that others didn’t tell me about college though, and they really couldn’t have because these things are unique to Eureka. They didn’t tell me how caring and supportive the faculty and staff would be. I don’t think there is a single professor or staff member here that wouldn’t go out of their way to help their students. Being a part of First Gen truly showed me that.

They didn’t tell me what great opportunities I would have at Eureka. One of the greatest opportunities and most prominent memory I have of my time here has been something that I would have never experienced without First Gen. Every year, the First Gen students and peer mentors take a trip to Chicago. Part of this trip is attending the Joffrey Ballet. I’ve been a dancer for 17 years, 16 of which I have had ballet classes. It’s so cool that I’m able to go to my dance instructor and let her know how thankful I am for all that she’s taught me, because while sitting in the theatre watching the performance, I can’t help by smile and think to myself, “Hey, I can actually do that.” I never would have gotten the chance to see the Joffrey Ballet if it wasn’t for First Gen.

And lastly, they didn’t tell me that I would be assigned to my closest friends. That sounds kind of bad, but it’s true. Freshman year, I was assigned to a peer mentor, and she has continued to be one of my closest friends all throughout college. Now, I too have gained close friendships with my mentees, and I’ve made countless other lifelong friendships that I would not have made without First Gen.

With all that being said, being a first generation student is why I succeed at Eureka College. I have an opportunity to do something that my parents never got the chance to complete. That’s all the motivation I need to go and do great things. So thank you for pushing me to follow my dreams and achieve my goals, and thank you for allowing me to be a First Generation Student.