Meet, connect, reach out and build a support network!
One of the things I will take away from my undergrad experience is the importance of building a support system. I remember feeling very lost and disconnected my first year of college. It felt like no one understood me or what I was going through. What helped me overcome those feelings was connecting with people who I felt understood me and who I could be myself around. Those people soon became my support system.
I am constantly asked by my friends, mentors, other students and even my professor how is it that I always find other students who share “my same struggles.” I would not necessarily say that I go out and look for students who I can mentor and serve as a resource to, but I often attract personalities who I can relate to. Often times this leads to me connecting with a lot of students who share a lot of the “struggles” and challenges that I face because of my personal identities, including being a first generation college student and being a student of color in a predominantly white institution.
With that said, here are a few things to keep in mind to start building your support system in college:
- Find a mentor- This might sound a little scary, but it really isn’t. Your mentor could be a professor or even just another student. I personally like mentors who I can relate to and who understand what it means to be a first generation college student. You can also serve as a mentor to other students.
- Join clubs/ dialogue groups. This year I am involved in three clubs/ dialogue groups. I am involved with GenOne, which is catered to first generation college students. I am also involved with R.I.S.E. (Radiant Inspirational Sisters Empowered), which is a club exclusively for females who identity as women of color. I am also involved with M.A.T.U. (Mundus Apartes, Tieras Unidas), which focus on embracing Hispanic and latinx culture. I have found that most of my support network has come from these groups.
- Reach out- Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who could answer some of your questions. Just remember that at some point they were in your shoes and they had questions they wanted to ask too. Connect with students who you think you might be able to serve as a resource to.