Neither my parents or grandparents went to college making me a first-generation college student. This means there's a lot of pressure. Going to OU I've been surrounded by students who have parents that went to college at OU. Legacy.

Once I started applying for colleges I never really thought about everything that went into it; the financial, emotional, and intellectual strain. Most students applying have people in their lives that know how this works. It truly took a toll on me Freshman year. I almost had to leave. But thanks to my roommate she convinced me my college time wasn't up yet.

(Freshman Roomie & I)

Now as a second semester Junior at OU I have some experience under my belt.

The key is to visit the bursar office constantly. Let them learn your name and face. Find out every single thing you can about financial help. Do you qualify for a pell grant? What scholarships can you get? Then apply to everything. Money is always stopping students from attending college. Don't let it.

I applied to be an RA (resident advisor) which paid for my housing and food for two years. This helped me tremendously. If you don't have this opportunity, finding a work-study program helps. They will work with your class schedule and it will help you pay for school. Joining organizations at your school is the key to getting good grades, building friendships and creating a bomb resume. Even if you don't get accepted into some clubs, don't give up. Keep applying and re-applying. Plus most college clubs are free.

If you're worried about academics, don't fret there is plenty of free tutoring around plus you can make study groups with friends. You don't have to be the smartest person to go to college you just have to work hard for it.

Find a major that you're passionate about. Don't go to college with a major that will only make you money, but in return make you miserable. Also, you don't have to know exactly what you want to do once you get here. There's plenty of time to find out what you love and what you want to make a career out of.

C's get degrees. Yes, this is a phrase. I don't recommend blowing off studying or classes but sometimes classes are hard and sometimes it's overwhelming to balance work, school, social life, extracurriculars, and sleep. It's okay to not have straight A's constantly. (unless maybe you want to go to med school.) Don't be so hard on yourself. Most jobs don't care about your GPA. They care about experience.

Apply for internships as soon as you can. Nothing can beat hands-on experience. Plus they might eventually hire you!

Being a first-generation college student is hard but there's nothing more beautiful to me than working hard for yourself all while making your family proud of you for defying the odds.