No one can really understand the complexity and the struggles of being a first generation college student. It’s a mixture of happiness for the astounding accomplishment, along with much anxiety being that you’re about to enter unknown territory. Even before entering college, first generation students must take on the exhausting college process, often alone due to the minimal amount of resources and guidance. Being a first generation college student myself, it’s tough to explain all the struggles so I decided to conduct a few interviews to try and explain the process. The interview contains four questions in which the four students, Alexa, Amy, Sobeida, and Wendy answer in regards to their experience.
1. What college do you attend and what is your stated major?
Alexa: I attend University at Albany, SUNY and my stated major is Biology.
Amy: I attend Boston University and my major is behavior and health on the occupational therapy route.
Sobeida: I attend Ithaca College and my major is Journalism.
Wendy: I attend Clark University and my stated major as of now is English and a minor in Education.
2. Did you have struggles with the college process itself?
Alexa: The college application process was very difficult for me because it was something completely new. I didn’t know what to expect and the only knowledge I had was what I heard in school: " This is what colleges want to see", "Grades are not the only thing they look at but they are really important." School gave me a general overview on what the application, but it wasn’t enough. It felt very foreign because of the fact that I did not know anyone who had gone through this process. I also didn’t know what colleges to apply to and what to look for on college websites. Looking back now, I realize there are so many things I could have done differently like visiting schools before applying. Additionally, I wish I would have known from earlier on how important my SAT score and my extracurricular activities were going to be when applying to college.
Amy: I did have many struggles during the college process. I had to do a lot of the process on my own because my parents did not go to college and they didn't understand how it worked. It was very stressful because it was a lot of learning on my own and then also having to translate anything that was important back to them. They offered a lot of moral support, which was great but it wasn't enough.
Sobeida: YES! Throughout the college process, I didn’t have enough resources available to me to have the smoothest transition. The application process was difficult. I had minimal guidance of how to apply and the do’s and don’ts of what to put on a college application. I mainly did all the work myself. I researched the best schools in my field and looked at other options if those didn’t work out. I further researched and applied for scholarships and received a fair amount of money. I made sure to meet all of my deadlines and when I didn’t know something, I would ask for help or find out the answer for myself. Throughout the college process, I was self-driven and self-motivated. I researched all the schools, I asked all the right questions and got accepted into a great college.
Wendy: Yes, as a first generation student I wasn't adequately prepared to start the college process. I felt very unmotivated in the beginning of my senior year. I think it was because being the youngest in my family, I felt a lot of pressure to accomplish what no one in my family has accomplished, which is getting a degree. Sometimes I felt silly to think that I could possibly be the first. I felt like an amateur and the thought of college scared me. In order to motivate myself, I would tell myself that this is something I had to do, not necessarily for anyone, but mostly for myself. I think everyone gets to a point in their life where they have to jump and take a chance and that is exactly what I'm doing. I want to prove to my senior year self that getting a degree is possible and I hope to look back to the past and laugh at how naïve I was to think that I couldn't achieve what many are able to. Additionally, I had my mother, friends, and college counselor to guide through the process. If it weren't for my friends and my college counselor, I don't think I could have push myself to make the decision of leaving NYC to further my education. I'm still not certain if it's worth it, but I would regret it if I never took a chance.
3. Do you have struggles now in college?
Alexa: Starting college has been a stressful change in my life, especially because I am dorming. I felt homesick my first weeks here and felt like I was not going to last longer than a month here. I have also encountered difficulty with the workload. Being in large lecture halls, I’m just another person surrounded by another 500 faces. It's a little overwhelming especially because I was not prepared and had not been told first hand what it would be like.
Amy: I think my biggest struggle in college now isn't anything like academic wise. I think my struggle is just getting used to being away from home and such. Another thing is keeping up with deadlines for paperwork or payments and making sure my parents are aware of those responsibilities.
Sobeida: The transition to college hasn’t exactly been the easiest. Being from a tight knit family, it’s hard to be away from your support system. They help you up when you’re down and help you to keep moving forward when times are tough. Without them here, it gets challenging. Also the cultural shift of living with students that you’re going to school with is challenging as well. Going to a predominately white institute makes me hyper aware of my ethnicity, as a female Latina. I notice a lot of the cultural aspects about my behavior and demeanor that seem absent in the environment around me, which makes me feel odd. Academic wise, the workload in college is manageable but it’s just a matter of managing your time. I personally am involved with clubs and have an on campus job on top of 15 credit hours.
Wendy: It's already been a month of my college and I find myself still adjusting. The hardest part is adapting to a new lifestyle without my loved ones. It's easy to get lonely, but manageable to fix. I surround myself around people who motivate me to finish my work and so far I have made a couple of good friends who distract me from such loneliness.
4. What does going to college mean to and your family?
Alexa: Attending college to me is very important and it's a sort of iconic step for my family and I. Although I am not the oldest of my generation, I am the first one to graduate high school with honors and make it to college. Nobody in my family knows what it felt to have someone away studying for a better future. I have faith in myself and know that by working hard, I will be able to go on to medical school,and hopefully earn a career in the optometric field. Not only do I have to strive for myself, but for my family as well. Coming from a family that is considered a minority, I want to be able to change the perspective others have of latinos. Neither my mom or my dad were able to graduate high school and they, as well as I, am proud of my accomplishments. My entire family has faith that I will be able to succeed and I know that I have to strive to be the best that I can be.
Amy: Attending college is a huge huge deal. I know it means a lot to my parents and obviously to me because I am doing what they couldn't. In a way it comes with a lot of expectations and pressure. I have to do good and try my hardest and make sure that I don't let them down. I am also setting an example for my little brother and showing him that hard work pays off and that anything is possible. I think for me it's more about proving to myself that I can do it and that I am capable of a lot of things. I am doing this in part for my parents, but mostly for me because this is so huge and I haven't quite grasped the idea that I made it here. Also a big thing my parents always say is that whatever I set out to do shouldn't be for them, but rather for me and for my future. I think I definitely owe it to them big time for believing in me and pushing me to be better.
Sobeida: College represents hope for a new beginning. College also represents opportunity for me to accomplish my dream and to become successful.
Wendy: Attending college allows me to further my education in order to prosper as a Mexican-American. My parents don't put as much pressure on me as I do to myself. They are very supportive of my dreams and only with their support would I be able to accomplish them.
To be a first generation college student is an immense accomplishment. Despite the obstacles we face throughout the process, we are blessed to achieve the next academic chapter of our life. We are first generation students and proud.
