What it’s like to be a ‘first gen’ student at Vanderbilt

A first generation college student is usually someone who is the first in their immediate family to attend college. But I’m a little bit different.

Both of my parents received secondary educations: my mom went to a university in Egypt and my dad went to school in Sudan. That really makes me the first in my family to go to college here in the United States. Unfortunately, my parents’ experiences on a completely different continent did not prove very useful on my journey to college.

Navigating application season, financial aid, and enrollment was its own hell. Once at college, it’s maddening when your parents want to do everything in their power to see you succeed, but really have no control.

When initially coming to Vanderbilt, the idea of being “the first” induced a multitude of emotions. In some ways, I was intimidated. I was entering this new territory without a guide.

Me and my dad after my high school graduation

As an immigrant, however, this feeling was not new. Although my parents will always be there for emotional support and motivation, I learned at a young age that it was up to me to take initiative in finding the resources I needed to succeed. This trend didn’t stop when I came to Vanderbilt.

During my first semester I joined a few mentorship organizations in order to get help with things such as choosing classes — something that might be more simple for someone whose parents aren’t first generation. My mentors were also able to give me other general advice about the college experience, from social to academic, which I wasn’t able to obtain from my parents. I tried my best to take advantage of other resources such as office hours and the Writing Center (although not as much as I could or should have).

Me with my ‘Project I Am’ mentor.

One of the most difficult aspects of being a first generation college student in the U.S. has been the pressure to succeed. My parents sacrificed everything for me and my siblings’ educations: their high-paying jobs and the place they called home. Due to this, for me, excelling has never been optional.

On top of this, the odds aren’t in my favor as a low-income, first generation, minority student. The most terrifying part of this is not knowing what I’m doing or what I should be doing much of the time.

It’s even more frustrating when your parents don’t understand much of what you’re going through — such as why you’ve had three emotional breakdowns in a week or why you’re averaging three hours of sleep a night during exam season.

While being a “first gen” student is not always the easiest, I wear the label with pride. I constantly remind myself of what it took to get here and how I’m making use of everything Vanderbilt has to offer. Knowing just how rewarding it will be to cross that stage and give my future children everything my parents wanted to give me, but couldn’t, is what helps me push through.