With the first month of college coming to an end, I have been thinking about how fast time goes by. It is hard for me to believe two years ago that I was a freshman in college. We all come to college not knowing what to fully expect, but part of me felt more lost.
Now, I don’t mean lost as in I could not find my way around campus. Truly, all you need to do is search up your school name and add the word “map” after that, and you will find what you need. And it helps to explore your school’s website to get accumulated with what you might not have known.
I was lost in terms of knowing how to navigate through college. A lot of my friends had parents or siblings who had gone to college. Now, I had people in my extended family who I could have asked, but it was always easier for me to figure things on my own. We are in the age of the Internet where certain questions could be answered from a simple search.
However, as a first-generation college student, it was and still is intimidating. Your feelings are absolutely valid. I am lucky for some guides along the way, but I know how the beginning may have been uncomfortable. But you are not alone. There are still moments now where I have questions, and I am unable to go immediately to my family to ask.
I am assuming that those who are first-generation probably had to figure out a lot of the application process on their own along with other things. At one point, that was definitely me. One challenge that I had to overcome was relying on people for help. When we are so used to being the one responsible for these kinds of things, it is easy to fall into this place of not knowing how to ask for help. Maybe it might not be easy to do at first. I got a little more nervous if it was something that required me to ask in person. Therefore, check around and know who to email if you need some assistance. I think that is a step forward.
I learned to rely on my advisor over the years. They are there to help you, and if things are not working out, you are able to get another advisor. An advisor should be helping you make sure you are on track during your years in college. Therefore, it is good to get to know them and see if they are the right person for you. This is the person I went to when I needed to ask questions. It helped that my advisor was able to give me good advice or knew who to refer me to.
This is also a reminder to allow yourself to grow your circle. I found that it helped me a lot to meet other people. It made the experience less lonely, especially because going to a new place can be daunting. I met a lot of friends who have taught me a lot somehow. For instance, with the help of a friend, I learned that my school has a collection of old syllabi that students can access. That was great for helping me figure out what classes I wanted to take.
I admit that I have been pretty stubborn with relying on others. I also acknowledge that I somehow got lucky with my college experience. However, I have been able to get through these years because of others. And I believe that you will too. It does take time to get used to a new environment. Nothing comes easy. However, you will thrive. And my last reminder: as long as you are following the path that you want, you will get through this time period.