What To Do If . . . you’re the first in your family to go to college
By Paul Adams
The transition from high school to college, like the other changes that occur in our lives, can be daunting. Students often wonder . . .
• Can I succeed at college?
• How will I decide which college is “right” for me?
• Will I be comfortable in my new environment?
• How difficult will it be to live away from home?
This last question is really important, especially to students who will be the first in their families to attend college.
The search for the “right” college may be a little frightening for “first-generation students” because their parents, brothers, and sisters are less able to help them prepare for the experience of leaving home.
Your search should focus on a handful of colleges—perhaps just two or three. As is indicated in other articles on this site, you’ll want to evaluate colleges on such important things as location, size of the campus, sports, nearness to towns and cities, extracurriculars, and majors.
Karen R. Foust, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, suggests that students ask lots of questions and ask the same questions at all the schools they’re considering. Comparing colleges based on the same criteria will help prevent students from comparing “educational apples” to “educational oranges.”
Although decisions about attending a college or university are ultimately yours to make, first-generation students need to involve their parents in the process for practical reasons—your parents may be sacrificing financially, and for emotional reasons, you’ll need their support throughout your college years.
But you’ll get lots of encouragement at college, too. “Colleges and universities offer students a support system that picks up where their parents leave off,” says Diana Ramey, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Operations at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. At Baylor, Ms. Ramey and others “adopt” a half-dozen first-generation freshmen each fall and meet with them weekly to offer encouragement. By spring, these visits diminish, as the students become involved in clubs and other activities and develop their own support systems.
This kind of formal and informal support and encouragement is available at virtually all colleges and universities, and it helps first-in-the-family college students to make a successful adjustment to college.
What if, after you arrive at school and begin your life there, you have trouble making the adjustment? Give yourself time: it could take weeks—even a semester or two—before college feels like home. Don’t be afraid to express your doubts and difficulties. Make your advisor and your professors aware of your concerns; they can offer you advice and understanding to help see you through any crisis, and they can point you toward other academic and support services the college provides.
As the first in your family to attend a college or university, allow yourself to be the innovator. After all, someone must take the first step, so take pride in the opportunity to get a college education. And remember: you aren’t alone.
Paul Adams writes about education and business issues from his home in Brimfield, Massachusetts.
