The Relatable Struggles of First Generation Students by Elizabeth

The Relatable Struggles of First Generation Students by Elizabeth - April 2019 Scholarship Essay

There are many struggles one must overcome as part of the college experience. Some challenges may be financial, personal, or academic. I am a first generation college student, daughter of immigrants and I face these challenges daily. I persevere because my motivation to continue my academic career is hearing about the challenges my parents faced solely to be able to provide me with the opportunity to attend college. First generation students and children of immigrants face similar obstacles in regards to our academic challenges. The most difficult ones we face begin from grade school for some of us when we do not understand the content of our homework. The second challenge we face comes later in our academic journey once we attend high school or college. Persistence, hard work, and dedication are what have led me to overcome my personal academic struggles, and what many other students in my position have also used to overcome theirs.
My parents immigrated to the United States without knowing any English and without a basic education. They did their best with instilling core values in me and teaching me Spanish as my first language. I learned English as a child when my mom enrolled me in a head start program and was forced to learn English to communicate with my classmates. I only spoke Spanish at home with my parents and English at school which was not an issue until I began elementary school.
I felt like I had no one to turn to when I needed assistance in understanding my homework because English was my second language, and there were still some words I did not fully understand. My parents bought me dictionaries; however I would end up sometimes using words in the wrong contexts or I would still be stuck in oblivion and get points taken off my homework for my mistakes. I understood my parents’ frustrations with them wanting to help but not being able to. My parents were able to resolve the issue when my grades began to plummet once I began middle school. My parents did not have the opportunity to attend school after fifth grade because for them going to school meant not being able to put food on the table. They worked long days and nights to afford paying a tutor to assist me with my homework. My grades improved and I was qualified to enroll in honors courses in middle school and all through high school thanks to my parents’ sacrifices.
I overcame the struggle of not being able to go to my parents for assistance with homework thanks to their sacrifices and once I had the resources in high school I began attending tutoring workshops and forming study groups in order to not make my parents feel guilty for not having the ability to help me. They taught me to always find a solution to my problems which is a value I carry with me today and has led to me achieving my aspirations. Once I began college I too had to work just like my parents to be able to sustain our household. Working full-time and being a full-time college student was extremely difficult. My motivation was not wanting the current lifestyle I was in, not because I was ashamed of it, but because I knew I had the potential to do more and my parents deserved more from me.
I had a difficult time balancing my study time with work and personal life. Like many college students I did not sleep some nights to stay up studying for an exam or finishing an essay. There were days that I just wanted to give up and either quit my job so I can focus on my education or give up in school in order for me to be able to financially help at home. I found motivation by frequently visiting my college advisor who always instilled the opportunities that awaited me if I completed college. Meeting frequently with someone I confided in motivated me to work harder and dedicate my time to what mattered—working to help my family and school to help my family and myself.
I found any possible time I had to study. I took the train to school and during my one hour commute I would study flash cards, write essays, and read textbooks. During work I would also work on my homework while I was on my lunch breaks, listen to audiobooks, and if work was slow, review study guides I created. I understand that my struggles are not different and many students can relate to them. I just want other individuals who are thinking of attending college or are about to start to know that where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a determination to attend college it is possible. Nothing is handed and hard work makes up for what talent lacks. Thanks to my parents instilling persistence, working hard, and dedication as part of my core values, I have been able to overcome any obstacle that has come between myself and my college degree, and I will continue to do so.