College Can Be Difficult For First Generation College Students

 By Nicola Coq

                                    

                                                   First Generation College Experience

        As the first member of her family to attend college, Sade Ratcliffe wasn’t sure what to expect when she first came to Stonehill College.

“There were a lot of things about college I had to learn first hand when I first came to Stonehill,” Ratcliffe said. 

“There was definitely a lot more pressure on me knowing that I was the first in my family to go to college. Everyone had high expectations of me and I didn’t want to let them down by wasting the opportunity.” 

About 33% of college students are the first in their families to attend college, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

At Stonehill College, the number of First Generation students is growing. Between 25% to 26% students are First Gen at Stonehill. And many are trying to navigate college on their own.

“The problem with First Gen is that a lot of students don’t know they are First Gen,” Teddi Lyndon, assistant director at the Office of Intercultural Affairs at Stonehill College, said.

 

Lyndon said it is important to help first generation students navigate college careers on paths they are most comfortable with.

Ms. Ratcliffe, who is a Political Science major and a member of the Student Government Association, said First Generation college students often share the same experiences such as dealing with financial aid forms, academic struggles, and feeling as if they are at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t First Generation students.

Lyndon agreed, saying some of the basics of college life are new to First Gen students and their families. There are different forms and paperwork such as FAFSA. First Gen students also have to navigate college experiences without having someone else to help teach them. “‘Imposter  Syndrome’ is also something First Gen students often go through,” Lyndon said.

“Our main goal was finding ways to make students feel that they should be more proud of their independent achievements,” she said.

Ratcliffe said she found support with other First Gen students from the start of her college career.

“There was a social for first gen students that was available not long after the start of my freshman year. Though I wasn’t on the mailing list, I had heard many things about it, and ended up connecting with the office that hosted the program,” Ratcliffe said.

“I was lucky in the sense that a lot of my friends also identified as first-generation students,” she said.

She said there are a lot of additional hurdles for First-Generation students to go over that often without guidance will simply go uncompleted.

“I find it really important to emphasize the financial aspect of being a First Generation student. As a First Generation college student, I am off and not aware of different processes and programs in the financial aid office. I am also unaware of the exponential growth of the cost of college,” she said.

“So say, I had a relative that was in college five years ago, that I am using as a reference for my college applications. The price and process is not the same as it was back then that it is now.” 

“There was definitely a lot more pressure on me knowing that I was the first in my family to go to college. Everyone had high expectations of me and I didn’t want to let them down by wasting the opportunity,” Ms. Ratcliffe said.

First Generation college students often share the same experiences such as financial aid forms, academic struggles, and feeling as if they are at a disadvantage compared to other students who aren’t first generation.

Ahmed Samudeen, a senior in the class of 2023, says that he has also found that he has shared the same experiences of First Gen college students here at Stonehill.

“At first it was very overwhelming to have to start college not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do and if I was doing things right but after hearing that there were First Gen students that were going through the same experiences as me I felt more at ease being in school,” he said.

Samudeen is a Marketing major, member of the club volleyball team, and leader of MOSAIC which is a student-led organization for men of color. Originally being born and raised in Takoradi, Ghana, he came to the U.S as a teenager attending Dorchester High School.

 “I definitely did not know how many resources were available to help students in the same situation as me. I had thought that all these things that were expected of me were for me to solve on my own,” he said

Lyndon said it is important to identify first gen students. 

“Another issue with helping First gen students at Stonehill is trying to figure out how we reach out to First Gen students,” Lyndon said. 

“Our main goal was finding ways to make students feel that they should be more proud of their independent achievements. Imposter syndrome is something First Gen students often go through,” Lyndon said.

Adam Gomez, a Finance major at Stonehill college, said he initially thought he was the only first gen student

“I did find myself feeling like I was the only one in class that I had to take on the additional challenges of being First Gen. Having these challenges did bring self doubt when I was in the classroom,” he said.

Adam Gomez is also a senior in the class of ‘23, and has overcome the many obstacles that he had originally thought to be overwhelming.

“As a senior, I can look back at my accomplishments and say that I actually benefited from being a First Generation college student due to the fact that there was so much I had to learn on my own that it prepared me for the responsibilities I inherited as I grew older.”