Celebrating First-Gen Day by Dispelling Three Myths About First-Generation College Students

In 2017 the Center for First-Generation Student Success and the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) established a national day to celebrate first-generation students' experiences and outcomes. The purpose of this day is to amplify the experiences of first-generation students and the systemic barriers that many first-gen students face in navigating their college experience. Despite these barriers, some students still find success and thrive in college and beyond.

There are varying definitions of first-generation, and many adopt the definition of federal education programs: First-generation college students come from families where their biological parents did not complete a four-year college degree. 

As a proud first-gen college student, I wanted to take this opportunity to #CelebrateFirstGen and dispel 3 myths about first-generation college students that draw on my lived experience and scholarly expertise. 

Before I get going a quick reminder - when speaking of the experiences of any group, remember they are not a monolith. Experiences will vary across the spectrum of first-gen students.

My dad, mother and I following my graduation from The Ohio State University

Myth #1 - First-Gen Students Don’t Have Family Support

One common myth that I've heard that I would like to dispel is that first-generation college students don't have familial support.

From a young age, I can remember my parents always stressing the value of education. They encouraged me to get good grades, pushed me to take advanced course work and to always do my best academically. I was inspired to attend college by my eldest brother who was the first in our immediate family to attend a four-year college. I believed that if he could do it I could do it. My family encouraged me to go to college because they believed that this would allow me to have a better quality of life. Although my parent's financial means were limited, they were always emotionally supportive of my college journey. They always believed that no matter what obstacles I faced I could be successful and finish. At different times my brother and cousin provided guidance and financial support to help me navigate my journey. There was never a time when I didn't feel supported, there was always somebody I could call. 

When I was enrolling students in a first-year support program at new student orientation, I talked with families who reminded me of my own. Some talked about their child being the first to attend college and how proud they were. They were looking for opportunities to support their child’s journey. They asked for my business card to call if their child needed support. These students had familial support. Too often the narrative around first-gen is deficit focused, rather than focusing on how to amplify the strengths in their experiences.

Myth #2 - First-generation students' parents have no experience with college

In the past century, we have seen different waves where different types of postsecondary education have been promoted and prioritized for different generations. My parents were encouraged to find a good job or attend a trade school. My father took a few trade-focused classes after high school before entering the workforce. My mother didn’t finish high school, married young, later received her G.E.D., and then entered the workforce as a factory worker. When I was a college freshman my mother was laid off from her job and went back to school at a local community college to pursue a certificate. She completed this certificate in my sophomore year of college with magna cum laude honors. During that time, she would share with me some of her experiences in the classroom, especially from the perspective of being a non-traditional student.

My parents had postsecondary experiences. A common myth that people assume is that if you are first-gen, your parents had no college experience. Statistics tell us otherwise. Many people who started their college journey, unfortunately, leave without a credential. We also know that community colleges enroll almost a third of all undergraduate students.

Again, the most common definition of first-generation hinges on the parents' bachelor's degree completion. Most community colleges do not award bachelor’s degrees. I recognize the cultural and structural setup at community colleges is different, however, it is still a college experience. We cannot assume that first-generation students' parents have no experience with college at all. Their parents could have attended a community college, their parents could have started their postsecondary journey but left before completing their credential. Do not assume that because students are first-gen their parents had no postsecondary experiences at all.

Myth #3 - Being first-gen ends when you graduate 

The last myth I would like to dispel is that being a first-gen college student ends once you graduate with your undergraduate degree. Many of the things that make navigating a college campus a challenge for some first-generation college students continues when they enroll in graduate programs and into their professional career.

Knowing social norms is often a huge factor in success. In my own experience, I found being a first-generation professional difficult at times. I studied my environment, colleagues, and leaders who I aspired to be closely. Why? Because I wanted to excel, and this helped me to adapt to unspoken expectations. Some individuals have the privilege and charisma to operate outside of norms and flourish – that was not my experience. I have leveraged observation and relationships with mentors to excel professionally. My learning curve was larger than most of my continuing generation colleagues who were socialized to certain behaviors early on, such as the importance of networking and how to do it properly.

First-gen students’ families may have hard more blue-collar and labor-intensive jobs. Navigating these environments are different. This is a lesson that many first-gen grads learn fast.    

How can you support first-gen students?

As we are starting to grapple with the many ways that first-generation college students need support in their undergraduate experience, we must also extend that thinking and support to graduate programs and professional environments.

If you work in education or and education-adjacent field, you have a great opportunity to ask clarifying questions to gain a full understanding of the type of familial support and experiences with post-secondary education in its various forms. 

Are you a leader in your organization? Look for opportunities to support first-gen students beyond in the work environment. Are their hidden agendas for success that can be shared more openly? One strategy can be to establish employee resource groups to allow space for first-gen professionals to share their experiences. Another strategy can be to make a financial commitment to coaching and leadership development programs for first-gen professionals.

I am happy to #CelebrateFirstGen and being first-gen - it drives my professional and scholarly focus and motivates me to look for opportunities to mentor and support others. Without the support I received, I would not be where I am today.