With October right around the corner, every student is dreading one major thing—filing a new FAFSA. I don't know about you, but I find asking my parents for their tax documents very uncomfortable. Not only that, but the fact that they have to find the document from the previous year makes it a very time-consuming process that some first-gen students' parents don't quite understand. An estimated 50% of the college population is compromised of students whose parents didn't attend college, leaving a lot of us with questions. Just to clarify, I don't look down on my parents for not having attended college; it wasn't as necessary for them as it is for the younger generations. I wish I could get a job without getting a degree, but in today's world, that's a pipe dream.
Along with FAFSA, there are a ton of things we first-gens need or want to know about college in general but our parents don't have the experience to answer for us. Here are a few of them.
1. How do I fill out FAFSA?
I think my parents are just as confused as I am about FAFSA. Oh, you're middle-class? Nothing for you. Next.
2. What are assets?
Assets? Like what? I know they offer definitions on the website, but I swear they're written in some kind of code. The FAFSA application lacks proper definitions for those of us who are inexperienced.
3. How do I get scholarships?
I know there are "so many out there," but where exactly are they? How do I know the websites are legit? Don't let your desperateness compromise your personal information.
4. What is college like?
The culture shock was too real. Going from being the only child in a house to walking a campus of over 20 thousand students was, and still is, quite the adjustment. I had a small sense of what college was like, but when I got there, my expectations were extremely surpassed.
5. How can I be successful in college?
This one no one can answer except yourself. Success is such a fluid and personal thing. Everyone's definition of success is different, and college is a great place to discover yours. Whether it be developing great study skills and making perfect grades or simply finding happiness, you will unearth your own.
My parents and I at my graduation.Katelyn Callahan
Although my parents can't answer most of my questions about college, they have supplied me with all the tools necessary to enable me to get the answers. Their support and love have encouraged me to reach the level that they didn't, and that's more than I could ever thank them for.
