If you’re the first one in your family to go to college, you’re what’s considered a “first generation student.” It’s a special designation that some students might think implies disadvantages, but that’s not necessarily the case. Most colleges recognize, however, that first generation students may not have had the mentorship and guidance that students with college-graduate parents and siblings may have had. For instance, the family may be unfamiliar with the following:
- How much work is involved for a college student to succeed.
- What sort of advice to give as to selecting a college or choosing a major.
- What types of financial aid are available, and how to find out about scholarships, loans, grants and other financial assistance.
- Guidance for residential matters – i.e., living in a dorm vs. living at home, or perhaps living in off-campus housing.
- Guidance for meeting financial obligations that may involve parents, siblings and children.
- Basic information about how college works – as in why professors aren’t in a classroom all day long like a high school teacher (some students don’t even know that college profs keep office hours) to the way college classes are scheduled – MWF, TTH, etc., rather than taking place every day of the week.
One out of every three first-year students is a first generation student, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Among those students, as well as many students with a family member who’s a college grad, feelings of being overwhelmed, confused and lost are not unusual. Many students go around suffering in silence, not wanting to show that they don’t understand now to navigate classes, programs, financial aid, whatever.
Be assured that OU goes all out trying to create an atmosphere of inclusivity so that those 30 percent first gen-ners learn how to navigate college successfully. First Gen Fridays (held the first Friday of each month) have been held throughout the fall semester and will continue through the spring as a way to build community among the “First Gen? Me Too!” student body. Check out the schedule and take a break from the homework (or intense partying in your university rentals Athens Ohio), and meet and mingle with other First Gen students just like yourself.