Being a first generation college student is difficult to say the least. You may feel like you have to figure everything out on your own — I know I did. I searched high and low for all types of scholarships and ended up applying to 35 of them and only receiving six. I went on college tours having no clue on what to ask or look for. I applied to many different colleges not knowing if I was going to get into any of them. Then, going into college it felt like a whole different ball park that I was not ready for. I had so many questions and so little answers. How was I going to be able to pay for each semester? How was I going to manage time between playing a sport, work, and school? Was I going to be able to pass my classes with having this much on my plate? And the list of questions goes on, but if you are in a similar position like I am then you are in the right spot. Here are some suggestions on how to make your college experience as a first generation college student much easier.
- DON’T STRESS!
I know. It’s the most basic advice that anyone can give. Plus, it’s a lot easier said than done, but it is one of the most important pieces of advice that is given. The more you stress the more likely the thing that you are stressing about could be completed in the time you spent on stressing. One of the ways that I calm myself down is to think about how long is this stressful thing going to affect my life. Is it going to matter in ten minutes? Is it going to have effects on my future self in a year? If I answer no to both then the stress is not worth the time. However, there have been a couple of times where the answer has been yes. With that being said, maybe some of the following techniques will help! - Don’t DOUBT yourself!
This can be one of the biggest downfalls that a student can have. You
must have confidence in yourself that you can do anything. Having doubts makes you second guess yourself and sometimes that does nothing to help you. For example, if you were taking a test and you second guess yourself on each question you would take forever to complete the test, and may then change the right answer to the wrong one. Number one, you have to decide whether or not it is really worth the time to second guess on and two, do not ask yourself what if questions. Every time I do this the more self doubt there is and the less confidence I end up having. So, by not doing this I am able to have confidence going into a similar situation and I do better. Sometimes
confidence is everything! - Time management is key!
This is actually one of the ways to improve that self confidence because the more you actually do what needs to be done the more you will feel like you have done everything that you could do for it. Once again, it is easier said than done. There are plenty of tips and tricks on how you can get the most out of your time out there, but these are some of the ways that I have figured out: I always use a planner. It is my LIFE SAVIOR! In my planner, I put all my deadlines that I know for all my classes along with work and practice times. I am able to put down the times where I can do schoolwork during the day. This way I know each day what time I need to do things, so later on I’m not stressing on an assignment that’s due at 11:59pm. There are plenty of ways that you can use your planner, which can also be found on this blog website. - Don’t OVERLOAD yourself!
Everyone is saying that you should get yourself out there, which is great advice. However, there are ways to over do this that result in you spreading yourself thin. And one piece of advice — spreading yourself thin is not a good thing! It can result in even more stress. Running around may feel nice because you feel like you are getting a lot done, but then at the end of the day you still have more to do. This can feel like an endless time loop where you constantly have things to do making you feel drained. This can be very unhealthy. Two ways to avoid this is to prioritize and to catch it in the beginning. Prioritizing the tasks that you need to do will help you make sure that you get things done in a matter that will result with less stress. However, sometimes we don’t realize and make plans prior. This is where the overloading starts, so as soon as you notice that you are doing all-nighters to get your work done, think back to what events during the day may have led you to staying up all night. It could be too many club meetings. It’s better to say that you can’t do it than be stressed out all the time.
Like I have said before, it is easier said than done, but when there is a will, there is a way. Also, if you ever need help our campus has many resources to do just that. Some of the resources that we have are at the Student Wellness Center, Student Learning Center, and Career Center. Do not be afraid to contact these resources when needing help because these people are there for students who need exactly that. Even if you feel like it’s too late it’s better late than never!
Written by LeAnne H., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.