{"id":4064,"date":"2020-04-24T12:16:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T16:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/imprint\/?p=4064"},"modified":"2020-05-08T08:58:24","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T12:58:24","slug":"how-four-first-generation-students-navigated-ucf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/imprint\/how-four-first-generation-students-navigated-ucf\/","title":{"rendered":"How Four First-Generation Students Navigated UCF"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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By Tiffany Magoutas<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applying to college and finding a community within that college is challenging enough for most people, but imagine if you had to do all of it on your own without knowing if each major decision you make along the way is the right one? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Realistically, none of us truly know<\/em> which decisions we make will produce the results we desire, but a majority of students are fortunate in that they have at least one parent who went to college and can advise them on which resources to utilize and, sometimes, which major may be more suitable for them. For first-generation college students, these major life decisions can be very challenging and stressful to navigate. As a first-generation college student, I empathize with this sentiment wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since starting college, I have always worked part-time (at least 20 hours per week) while enrolling in 12 to 15 credit hours each semester to be able to afford gas and other expenditures I incur as a commuter. I\u2019ve always tried my best to avoid burdening my family financially, which has usually come at the opportunity cost of joining RSOs, attending sporting events, and living the \u201ctypical college student life\u201d we\u2019ve seen in movies like The Neighbors<\/em>. I commute 45 minutes from my house to UCF, so I often opt to leave before peak traffic times and choose to miss networking opportunities on campus, lest my 45-minute commute turn into an hour or more (Although, if UCF were like The Neighbors<\/em>, I\u2019d trade a speedy commute for a glimpse of Zac Efron).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study conducted in 2017<\/a> by the U.S. Department of Education found, among other trends, that, when compared to their continuing-generation counterparts (students who are not the first-generation college students), more first-generation college students come from lower earning households, leave college due to lack of affordability, and take longer to complete their bachelor\u2019s degrees. These statistics clearly show that first-generation students are at a disadvantage, which is why UCF\u2019s Multicultural Academic and Support Services (MASS)<\/a> has a First Generation Program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UCF defines students as \u201cfirst-generation\u201d<\/a> if they fit at least one of three criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Neither of the student\u2019s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) earned a bachelor\u2019s degree;<\/li>
  2. The student lives with and received support from only one parent or guardian who did not earn a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/li>
  3. The student was\/is a homeless youth, in the foster care system, or a ward of the state.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    I was curious to know how other first-generation college students at UCF have navigated their journeys here, and if they\u2019ve used resources on campus that helped them along the way. I interviewed three other first-generation Knights about their stories–each one unique–and their advice to other first-generation students paralleled in many ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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