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Going to college is an absolutely amazing feat and something that you should always feel proud for accomplishing. As a first-generation student, however, there are many added pressures that many of our peers have a hard time comprehending.
This guide is aimed to provide useful tips and tricks on navigating college, and hopefully, help you avoid some of the mistakes I made when I first started college!
When I first started college, one of the things I wish I did was come up with a list about credits and registration that I could ask my advisor during our first meeting. When I met, I explained some of my goals for the first year and I ended up taking less credits than I should’ve.
So, during my second year, I was forced to take the maximum credits possible to catch-up and be on track. Now, I find it helpful to track what classes I take, the major it contributes to, how many credits it counted for, and my final grade for the class.
I do this all in a simple Notion database. This helps me stay on track to complete my general education courses, courses for my Political Science major, and for Ethnicity and Race Studies major. Below is an example of a database setup that could be useful to have as you begin your college journey.
<aside> 🪴 Link to Degree Tracker Template: https://vnksxa.notion.site/Degree-Tracker-3009d4dd10194d71bdbcb93416871e94?pvs=4
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During my senior year of high school, I worked super hard to submit as many applications to scholarships as I could. I am extremely fortunate to say that I was able to get enough scholarships to cover my four years at Columbia, with only a few expenses coming out of pocket. One of the best tips I can provide is going through your school’s financial aid website and reviewing what their policies are for outside scholarships! Last year, I faced scholarship displacement because the amount of money my scholarships paid the school exceed what my total cost of attendance was estimated to be. Thankfully, I was able to negotiate with my financial aid office and everything worked out!
Every school is different and it might be worthwhile to reach out to a current first-generation student at your school to get hidden insights! For example, I always tell incoming freshman to ask for a grant to cover their medical insurance, which has helped lower their financial aid bills by over $1k! Columbia also has emergency aid you can apply for called the Dean’s Emergency Fund, which students have used to pay for winter clothing, emergency flights home, and more!
To sum, here is a checklist of things to check before you arrive on campus:
During my freshman year, I did not join a single student club and it is something I regret. The clubs I am a part of mean so much to me now, and I truly could not imagine my life without them.
Currently, I am a part of the executive boards for 3 Latine student organizations and I also am a peer mentor in two other organizations. I also am a Notion Campus Leader. Each of these organizations have taught me so many different lessons. With some, I learned how to manage big projects and fundraise. With Notion, I’ve learned social media managing skills and how to crowdsource!
These are skills that can be utilized during interviews. When I interview, I almost always reference an experience I have had in one of my clubs to answer the question and it really helps me stand out. So, I really recommend joining at least one organization during your freshman year. Finding out if and when your school hosts a club fair is a great opportunity to discover student organizations that you may not have known exist. For Columbia, over 100 organizations participate in our Activities Day!
Recommendation letters are a vital part of applying to internships and jobs in the future. So, the best way to prepare yourself is finding a professor or teaching assisstant that you connect with and investing time into that relationship. One of the best ways to do so is by attending office hours! For me, I try to stop by on a bi-monthly basis, which is just enough for them to remember who I am without feeling like I am bombarding them unnecessarily every week! My freshman year Literature Humanities professor, to this day, writers the majority of my recommendation letters; his help has led me to so many interviews and it is a relationship that I am grateful for every day.
To help build a relationship with industry professionals, try to do the following:
Apply to internships early, but do not feel like a failure if you do not get one your first year! Internships are a great way to learn about an industry and get hands on experience on what day to day work is like. However, most internships are really geared toward upperclassman, so it can feel extremely intimidating to apply. However, it is not impossible! I landed a finance internship as a freshman who had ZERO experience and it was great exposure.
These are helpful websites to check for internships:
The best way to be a competitive applicant is starting early! Take the time to research roles you are interested and create a timeline for applying.