My experience navigating college as a first-generation student
March 23, 2023
Blog written by Jasmine Ramirez
Being the first in my family to graduate high school and receive a full scholarship to college was the most profound moment in my life. As a daughter of immigrant parents, who couldn’t finish their education, I knew that I had made them extremely proud. Through their eyes, they saw a brave and excited young woman ready to take on her next chapter in life. I was excited to step into college, but what my parents didn’t know was that fear, anxiety, and terror overshadowed my excitement.
Being a first-generation college student meant that I was stepping into a new chapter of life with no familial guidance. Although my parents have been — and always will be — my mentors, I knew that they couldn’t give me the best college advice. They would say things like “Just work hard and you’ll get through it,” or “Si se puede mija. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” But who should I ask for help? Who is there to help and how do I find them? There was so much that I didn’t know that I began to question if I was ready for college.
With fear crawling into my mind, I was desperate to prepare myself for college. As I walked across the University Center on orientation day, I walked up to a table that said, “Student Service Support Program.” A woman was there to greet and inform them about the program and how they help first-year students settle into college. Happy to have found an organization that would benefit me, I signed up to attend their Summer Bridge Program. The Summer Bridge Program was a weeklong event that I attended before the Fall semester started. Throughout the event, other students and I were given tours of different buildings across campus. A wave of realization came over me as I walked around the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. This is where I will begin my path to my future career. Classes will be harder, professors will be more strict, research papers will be longer and I will be dealing with them all by myself. However, we were given different presentations about the resources UM-Dearborn offered such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Writing Center, and the Kochoff Language Lab. Learning about these resources lifted a large amount of weight off my shoulder. Not only was I happy to start my first year at college, but I’d be attending a college that wants its students to succeed.
During my time at the Summer Bridge Program, I became close to many other first-gen students. All of whom were nervous as well. We shared many thoughts about the struggles of starting college and how we can overcome them. Hearing what many of them had to say I remembered that I am not the only one who is afraid of starting at a new school. From this, I learned that it’s okay to be scared of something new and that I can always find someone for help.
Although I was able to gain friends before the start of the school year, I was still apprehensive on my first day. I had no idea who my professors were and if I could handle college-level exams and assignments. Because I had done well in high school, I didn’t change the way I studied— which didn’t work out so well. I failed my first exam. With this, I knew I had to fix my time management, or else I would lose my scholarship. This meant breaking the bad habits that weighed me down. So, instead of doing everything last minute, I dedicated 30 minutes every day to drafting essays and studying for exams for each class. In addition, I set up appointments at the Writing Center and asked professors for help during office hours. After repeating this new strategy for a few weeks, my grades got progressively better.
As a first-generation student, I wanted to be surrounded by people who were in the same boat as me. Through Victorslink, I found a Greek organization that caught my eye. Alpha Psi Lambda is a co-ed fraternity that was based on Latino heritage. Coming from a Latino family, I was interested in joining the fraternity. During my membership process, I met more friends to who I could relate. The events that I and other members had, gave us the chance to create a strong bond. We all were able to relate with each other based on our cultural backgrounds. It is difficult to know where and how we all became extremely close because everything that we did as a group was full of love, acceptance, and understanding. Joining a fraternity/sorority was something that I thought I wouldn’t do in college, but I can say that it was the best decision of my life. I am proud to call everyone in Alpha Psi Lambda mis hermanos y hermanas.
My first semester as a first-gen college student was not perfect but it was the best experience. Walking into college and feeling scared is completely normal. It is what you do to overcome your fear that will benefit you throughout the rest of your college life.