Being the first to go to college brings with it a tremendous sense of pride. You and your family have invested a lot of energy and resources to get you here so that you can pave the road to a better future. This opportunity brings with it great excitement about the possibilities that can open up ahead for you.
For many 1st gen students it also means that you carry the dreams of your family and your community with you. That can feel like a lot of pressure! For some 1st generation students, pressure to succeed and make your family and your community proud may lead to increased stress and fear of failure, and in turn this will negatively impact your health and your ability to meet your academic goals. Check out these tips about how to handle this pressure:
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- Talk to your family and important others about what is really going on. Some 1st generation students hesitate to tell their families, community supports, or past mentors about the challenges they are facing. They fear that admitting to struggling will disappoint others. Remember, those folks helped you through past challenges so that you could get here. They want to see you succeed. No one succeeds without support. Let them continue to be your sounding board to solve problems and be your cheerleader to encourage you when you feel discouraged.
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Watch our video that our Mental Health Peers made to meet some of the first generation faculty here at UCSB and here their advice looking back at their university experience!
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UC Santa Barbara First Generation FacultyOver 40% of UCSB students will be the first in their family to graduate from a four year college. A significant fraction of our faculty were also once first generation students.
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