Advice for First Generation College Students

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B eing a first generation college student is both an exciting and frightening experience. Thus, aside from being your family’s most celebrated icon, you will have to learn how to cope with extreme culture shock. But, if you are smart enough, then, you can eradicate the ugly side of being a first generation college student and instead, experience only the good. To make this happen, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Attend College Fairs and/or Fly-in Programs

To make sure that you enroll in a college that meets your precise education needs, take the initiative of visiting it beforehand. Since most colleges offer fly-in programs (whereby prospective students are let to see the school for free), it wouldn’t hurt to go experience how life in college is really like. Also, if the college happens to host events like college fairs in your locality, make sure that you attend. In here, you can learn almost everything you have ever wanted to know about the college you’ll be attending, even without being physically there.

Don’t Miss out on the Orientation

To enable you fit in fast, never miss out on the orientation activities. This is because these activities are designed to help you get familiar with the college surroundings and how things are run. At the same time, attending these activities will give you a chance to meet new people and learn about a lot of things, including the clubs and organizations to join.

Find a Mentor

To help with your transition, it’s always important to make friends with fellow students, or ask your friends to connect you with friends that attend the same college. The person(s) you find can then offer you the required guidance and support that will see you getting through the many ups and downs that you are bound to face during the first semester. In case you are having a tough time finding a mentor, you can join the ‘I’m First’ organization. One of the many roles played by this organization is helping connect first generation students attending the same college.

Apply for First-Generation Scholarships

Since a lot of colleges, national groups and community organizations offer scholarships to first-generation students, taking advantage of these opportunities would come in handy. This way, you will be guaranteed to pursue your studies without having to worry about money. And just in case you haven’t applied for the Federal Student Aid, then, you certainly should.

Come up with a Schedule that will enable you Find and Maintain Balance

With so much going on around you, you will need to find ways to help you manage your time. That way, you can achieve your academic goals, have a healthy social life, be there for your family and probably, get a part-time job. But while trying to find the right balance, you ought to prioritize your needs. Hence, no matter what you may have going on, you should never let anything come before your school work.

In essence, emulating these important tips will see you blending in a whole lot faster hence, enabling you have a splendid experience in college.