During my senior year of high school, I was terrified of going to college. Graduation was approaching, and it seemed as if all of my friends had already attended several college tours, committed to their dream schools, and were repping their college attire during spirit weeks. I, on the other hand, felt very behind. As a first-generation college student, I did not have parents or older siblings to guide me through the application and decision-making process. Additionally, my perception of college felt skewed; I was completely unprepared for how college was going to be, as the only time I had ever had any exposure to college was how it was portrayed in movies (which is completely unrealistic). Below I’ve listed some of the challenges I’ve experienced being a first-generation college student and what I would do if I had to do it over again.
College Admission Process
As mentioned previously, I did not attend a single college tour. My parents didn’t feel that it was necessary to tour during the fall semester of my senior year, because it felt “too early,” but as spring approached and the pandemic came into full swing, I was left with no choice but to commit to a school that I had never visited before. I would definitely recommend that high school seniors tour universities that they are interested in before, during, or after the application process. It will help you decide whether or not you want a big or small school, and how far away from home you would like to be. It will help immensely when it comes to committing to a college, which I had a very difficult time doing.
Financial Aid
Another hardship I had to face was figuring out financial aid. I had no idea what a FAFSA was or that completing it early would benefit me. I would recommend starting the FAFSA as early as possible because the organization often prioritizes applications that come in early, and I would recommend applying to UMass scholarships through AcademicWorks. AcademicWorks is where UMass alumni and other organizations supply scholarships targeted toward students who match certain criteria. Filling out one application automatically applies you to all of the scholarships you are eligible for, and it has really helped me out throughout my college career.
Networking, Internship Searching, and Lab Work
This has been the most pressing challenge I have dealt with as a first-generation undergraduate in the STEM field. My first year was remote, so when I finally arrived at campus as a sophomore, it took me a long time to adjust to my new life. College is incredibly different for everyone, and I had a very hard time assimilating to life in a dorm and in-person classes after nearly two years of remote learning. When it came time to apply to internships, I realized that I hadn’t really joined any extracurriculars or done anything that would set me apart from other candidates. Additionally, I found it rather difficult to look for research opportunities on campus during what felt like so late in my college career. I did not understand the importance of networking, how to network, or even what networking was. Attending professor office hours, applying for labs early, and joining extracurriculars are all great ways to build connections and add to your resume.
It has been rather difficult for me to navigate college without any advice from my parents or older siblings on how to be successful and how to enjoy the ride. There are many resources on campus for first-generation college students that I would recommend checking out in order to help with some of the challenges that first-generation students face.
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