Are you First-Gen? Great! Now FIRST, Breathe 🙂

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By Genesis Rosario, Health Professions Peer Ambassador

I felt clueless when looking at a syllabus for the FIRST time. 

I felt nervous while finding my niche at UConn.

Do you feel these ways too? If so, I’d like to introduce myself.

My name is Genesis Rosario and I’m a current senior majoring in Allied Health Sciences with a Health Sciences Concentration as a part of UConn’s Honors Program. I am an active member in the McNair Scholars Program, Rowe Scholars Program, Creating Caring Communities, Husky Insiders Program, and Pre-med/Pre-dent Advising Office as a Health Professions Peer Ambassador. Previously within my undergraduate journey, I have held impactful roles such as being a Resident Assistant, Academic Achievement Coach/Connects Mentor, Jumpstart Americorps Member, Intern for UConn Extension, SSS Peer Advisor, and HuskyReads member. Most importantly, I am a first-generation college student navigating the pre-med journey as the first in my family to pursue medicine.

Navigating college as a first generation college student is beyond impressive and I want you to know that you can succeed while at UConn! Firstly, a variety of college students develop a sense of academic ownership when transitioning from the realm of high school to a more freelance schedule (college). For instance, we assume we can apply the same study skills that we found to be useful for classes in highschool, and then feel overwhelmed once these skills aren’t as transferable as we thought. Or, we tend to prioritize our comfort zone (such as not limiting ourselves to hanging out with friends, partying, and/or areas outside of academia) so much that we tend to fall short on some academic tasks. I was there before, and you are okay!

Have you taken a breather yet? Let’s pause for a moment and recollect why we are pursuing higher education! If you’re still not sure what you want to pursue, I have the answer right here: there is no timer for your success and always remember to slow down and breathe when you feel overwhelmed.

Being overwhelmed is a major concern for first generation college students given we have an intersection of multiple pressures running through our minds. We ask ourselves questions like, “Why did I do so badly on this ‘easy’ quiz?” or “I studied for so long, what am I doing wrong?”. For all of the non-first generation college students reading this, sound familiar? The ideal concept I am trying to get at is that being a college student, in general, is where we can second guess ourselves once we try to compare the foundation’s to which we apply ourselves (or in other words, how our brains can retain and apply information). As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”, so for every first-generation college student who strives to be that A+ student in every class remember that you are doing yourself a disservice to compare. Nonetheless, there will be many obstacles, challenges, and unexpected events that arise in the life of first-generation college students so it is important to acknowledge the process to navigate this.

But first, let’s take another breather! Ready?

Going right back to the idea that there are “multiple pressures running through our minds”, first-generation college students carry a determinative attitude to make a statement and best represent themselves, their support system (families/friends/faculty), and any identified groups (such as culture or religion) that best correlate with their own identity. Regardless of whether you are a freshman or a senior, being a first-generation college student weighs heavily on your end-goal to graduate and dive into a career that best interests you! You may be the first person in your family to attend college or you may be the first person in your field of interest with a passion for a particular topic; regardless, both of these regimes defend the purpose of being a successful first-generation college student while embracing that weight you hold as the FIRST person to pursue it!

Some tips I have for first generation college students:

If you feel as though you are struggling, please reach out to your resources! Here are a few that I would like to highlight:

  • Academic struggle?
    • Attend your professor and/or TA office hours, reaching out if you have questions/concerns.
    • Check out the Academic Achievement Center (AAC) for more information on changing your study habits!
    • Be a sponge and connect with your peers! Rather than bashing yourself for not knowing information on a particular subject, learn from your peers!
  • Experienced Extenuating Circumstance?
    • Communicate your concerns with your professors, TA’s, and advisors/mentors.
    • Reach out to the Dean of Students Office for more assistance!
  • Health/Mental Health Concern?
  • Want to be more Involved on Campus?
    • Check out platforms such as UConntact for current student organization involvement and see where you can join in!
    • Check out the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Cultural Centers and Programs in the Student Union!
      • African American Cultural Center (AACC)
      • Asian American Cultural Center (AsACC)
      • Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC)
      • Rainbow Center
      • Women’s Center
      • Native American Cultural Programs
      • Middle Eastern Cultural Programs
  • Interested in Research?

You can find information on even more on-campus resources here.

If you ever want to chat about being a first-gen student or anything related to navigating your pre-health journey, feel free to reach out to me or come to my drop-in hours throughout the week!