Not gonna lie, being a first-generation college student is important to me.
There are so many other important groups of people out in the world who learn through struggle in order to pursue a better life, and I mean millions. There are those with who have disabilities, those who didn't grow up with one (or both) of their parents, those who suffer because their skin is not white, those who suffer because they live in a third world country... the list goes on.
I believe that no group should be subject to trivialization. People downplay ideals because they believe there are more important purposes to support in the world. That's just human nature - not everyone or everything is going to agree with an individual's morals.
Most of the time, I hate to say that I support or dislike a cause because there really are two sides that join together to form an assembly. Disagreements are important for evolvement, and they'll always exist no matter what adjustments we make around the world. I feel like there are more important things to talk about than why being a first-generation college student is significant, and this is because there aren't that many people I feel like I can relate to.
So I want everyone to know that it's hard. Until I was sixteen, I didn't understand the importance of getting a college degree because both of my parents settled for high school diplomas. Then again, times were different, and the percentage of jobs that require postsecondary education degrees has almost tripled from 28% to 65% since 1980. Though I never saw how much they struggled, my parents have done really well with supporting my sister and I the way that they have.
With that said, they've been pushing my inherently stubborn ass for as long as I can remember. I have been forced to learn through experiences rather than being forewarned as to what possible outcomes would come out of me actually wanting to pursue my education.
My parents have always had high expectations, but I've ruined them ruthlessly and constantly throughout the entirety of my life. They were not prepared due to their own past, therefore I have come to the conclusion that they were ill-prepared as to knowing how to encourage me to love learning. This does not mean that they didn't try - but due to lack of experience, they behaved the only way they knew how to. It was a known fact that they were only trying their best to help me with studying to pursue the passions I didn't even know I had. The funny thing is that they knew!
As time went on, I learned that when my grades went down, my father would become more temperamental and would lose his mind trying to figure out how to make me grasp how my lack of rigor would hurt me in the long run. When I realized why my parents were pushing me so diligently, I was a sophomore in high school reaching the point of dropping out. The highest letter grade I had achieved in the past two years was one B-, while the remaining majority consisted of D's and a couple F's. I was screwed and my parents were begging my teachers and my Dean to give me just a little bit more time to shape up - and thank God I did.
At the end of my high school career, my grades created an uphill trend on paper. My lowest grade was now a B-, and I had opened six acceptances to colleges that I had no idea existed until two years previously. Once those letters started tumbling in a couple days apart from each other, my parents broke the news to me that the supposed funds that were there to pay for my college had to be applied for, and fast. I had no problem with finding the scholarships to apply for, but if it weren't for FAFSA, Sallie Mae, and the scholarships rewarded by my current school, I wouldn't be on the road I'm currently traveling down.
Ultimately, I wasn't prepared. It's difficult not only to find the ready money to carry my college career, but I didn't have the knowledgable support system that most people my age do. My parents know nothing past the knowledge they've obtained from high school and the real world, so when I turn to them for advice that pertains to getting past milestones for my major such as constructing a resume, interview preparation, or simply being overwhelmed by my work load, I get a constant, "I don't know how to help you."
It's crucial that to know that if you're a first generation student, you reach out to those you know who have achieved a degree higher than what you currently have, whether it be a high school diploma, bachelor's degree, masters, etc. I also cannot express how important it is to have those who love you surround you at all times for the comfort and encouragement you'll need when you're at an all time low. Though my parents don't know how to help me with college, they still support and love me and that's what pushes me to keep trying, no matter how depressed I get.
You are the one who sets the bar for your future, and it's up to you to find out what your passion is.
