Dear First-Generation College Student,
More than 35 years ago, I packed everything I could fit into the old Pontiac Catalina my grandparents helped me buy and drove halfway across the country to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder). I did not know what I was doing. My parents had not gone to college. Three of my grandparents had not even graduated from high school. No one in my extended family could advise me about choosing or preparing for college, let alone navigating a large university once I got there. I had to figure college out on my own because I believed that I could become the first in my family to earn a degree, and I had to find it in myself to be brave enough to try.
Coming from New Jersey, I knew I needed to become an in-state resident in order to afford the tuition in Colorado. So, I got a new driver’s license, rented a tiny apartment and picked up three part-time jobs – working at Taco Bell, as a receptionist for an eye doctor and selling Avon door-to-door. This was my dream come true?
Many of you may have similar feelings, especially those of you who stepped onto campus for the very first time this semester. Your last few months have been filled with new experiences and emotions, lots of questions and maybe even a little doubt and apprehension as to whether you belong.
You do.
So as many of you prepare to return home to see your families for Thanksgiving and winter break, I urge you to reflect on what you have achieved during your first semester. Build on those accomplishments and continue to grow, keeping in mind that college is a learning experience for all students, particularly those like you and me – the first in our families to pursue a college education.
Here are six important lessons that I wish someone had shared with me when I arrived at CU Boulder. I encourage all first-generation college students to remember each of these points, especially during the first year:
