Future First Generationers,
Now is the time to remind yourself why it is you’re working so devastatingly hard for. The road for our education is a narrow one that many people cannot identify with. The struggles, complications, and hardships for our education will make the end so much sweeter. By now, there must be an annual epidemic plaguing the senior classes of high schools everyone; Senioritis. But you my friend, have too much at stake to be infected. You must develop the vaccination now and here are some reasons why:
Your current investment: Remember all those late nights editing essays and researching the schools with the best financial aid packages? Do you know how much strength it took to balance all your coursework from your advance classes so you can be a competitive applicant? What about the teachers, coaches, mentors, etc. who invested their time into writing your recommendations and detailing the positive light they see you in to admissions counselors. You may not realize now that we are approaching the waiting phase, but you’ve worked very hard to stop short of the end goal. There is still much work to be done so don’t let the momentum you gained over the last few months fizzle away.
Revocation: For some who have applied for early consideration, you may have already gotten into your dream school. And for those still waiting on decisions, if you get in, that does not mean the school has to keep you. The acceptance letter is really only a notice that the institution believes as of right now you are qualified to attend their institution. You must stay qualified throughout your whole academic career, including before you enroll into the institution. There have countless cases where students thought their journey was over and they can now relax, or even worse, not do anything. As a results, their grades dropped and the university decided not revoke admission. Universities are interested in your retention ability. They are not going to invest in someone who is just satisfied with getting to the institution and then becoming lackadaisical. You have to continually prove that you are worth the investment and your work ethic is consistent. This is also true for those who are wait-listed. The difference between you and the next candidate could very well be how competitive you maintain so keep working hard.
Civic Duty To Others: Being a first generation student means so much more than earning a college degree. You are among a distinct population that has a unique perspective. You are the continuation of a legacy of folks who have striven for and obtained higher education against the odds. You are not the first and you will definitely not be the last. There will be first generations students after you who will need your story. Your triumphs, setbacks, accomplishments, failures, teachings, and lessons will help those who will in fact depend on you. Believe it or not, you are inspiration and a testimony of success. You deserve higher education. Don’t ever forget that you are part of a bigger picture and your actions matter. I believe that you can continue to accomplish great things as a first generation and I can’t wait to continue to read about future success stories. It will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it.
Finish Strong,
Carlton Hassell Jr.
I’m First Blogger