Being a first generation student is a strange experience. On one hand, it represents a huge family milestone and can be the first step to creating a lineage of educated people in your family, and on the other hand, it’s an isolating experience that no one in your family can relate to and can lead to some frustrating, yet funny, moments. Here are some situations that most first-generation college students can relate to.
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Your family telling everyone they meet your autobiography “have you met my granddaughter, she’s going to college.”
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Running into issues with your application and having no one to ask.
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Having all future questions about school directed to you, aka, you’re now the family guidance counselor.
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Having a huge amount of fear about succeeding in college because the odds are stacked against you.
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Having no one to relate to at family functions because college is such a weird experience.
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All in all, being a first-generation student carries a lot of weight and can feel like a huge burden at times, but if there’s something that I’ve learned, it is to respect your journey and to acknowledge the obstacles that you’re gonna face, but also not letting that stop you. If you’ve gotten this far there’s nothing you can’t do. Keep swimming regardless if you’re first-gen or just a struggling undergrad. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.