What is research? What are graduate students? How do I get all of my work done when the quarter is going so fast? I really need to go home and be with my family, but should I? What should I do if I'm interested in studying something different than what my family expects? If you鈥檙e a , you may have questions you鈥檙e not sure who to ask.
You may worry about how to connect your major to a career and not have a clue about how to do it. You may not be aware of opportunities to connect to people and experiences that could shape a great future.
Here at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, you鈥檙e not alone 鈥 about 45 percent of our undergraduates are first-generation 鈥 and 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis is committed to connecting to you. We understand that as first-generation college students, you face particular challenges as you make your way through the unfamiliar culture with its own language and expectations.
Check out our ; find mentors among our ; and get inspired by and succeeded in college and their careers.
Nearly 400 faculty members were once in your shoes. 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis in their family to go to college to reach out to you. Here鈥檚 what some of them have to say:
You belong here!
There are resources to help you with your struggles, but identifying your needs early is key so that you can take that extra step to get the assistance necessary for your success. Having a mentor can be a great help. Education is still a great equalizer, and a kid who had no idea what an SAT test was can be just as accomplished as those being sent to prep courses. It just takes a little more personal initiative and fortitude to get there. 鈥
Connect as much as possible
Take advantage of meeting professors one on one and meeting other students. [If it鈥檚 hard to get started,] pick the class you find most interesting and make a point of going to the professor鈥檚 office and talking to them. This is a big opportunity to expand your horizons, especially if you come from a small town. 鈥
Work hard
Get to know your professors. Let them know you鈥檙e first-generation so that they can help you. Show them you鈥檙e serious. If there are clubs or activities related to your major, student leadership 鈥 get involved. That鈥檚 a great way to get to know people who are going to recommend you. It鈥檚 also a great way to demonstrate that you鈥檙e engaged. 鈥
Make a commitment
You don鈥檛 have to end up with what you start off with 鈥 you can change. But every time you change your goal, make a commitment. Have a good foundation. Get good training. Get into research. Learn about what research is all about. Get to know other people at the university 鈥 grad students, postdocs, professors. Find people to help you along the way. 鈥
It鈥檚 OK to make friends and have fun
It鈥檚 OK to not know and important to ask. Getting through requires just as much strategy as smarts. It鈥檚 OK to make friends and have fun! 鈥
Trust your pathway
It鈥檚 OK to have a little bit of trust in the pathway that you discover. 鈥
Find a way to go abroad
You鈥檙e able to dream bigger [abroad]. You鈥檙e free of the constraints of your environment. And you鈥檙e together with a bunch of other dreamers. 鈥 You learn Independence, responsibility for your own actions, immersion in another country and another language. 鈥 combined advice from , and , lecturer, husband and wife faculty in the
Says Lange, 鈥淭hink for yourself, trust your instincts about what you want to learn and follow your passion. I knew I had this passion to do something with food 鈥 and databases. Once I saw what I could do with databases I knew this is where I want to spend my time. 鈥 I used to get so mad when I heard people complaining about having to go to class. I would think, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 know how lucky you are that you get to go to class.鈥欌
Small jobs and volunteer work can add up to success
To fund a study-abroad trip, Barile went door-to-door signing up fellow students to participate. Lange also did door-to-door sales 鈥 he was top seller for his middle school鈥檚 March of Dimes candy sales campaign. The two agree that the experience helped improve their presentation skills.
Work of all kinds can contribute to success. Barile advises, 鈥淓ngaging in small jobs and volunteering can enable first generation students to build a dossier rich in strong recommendation letters and provide opportunities for lifelong mentorship.鈥
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Learn more about our university鈥檚 first generation initiatives by visiting the University of California鈥檚 where 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis faculty and students are featured, including from the Department of Communication and , a peer advisor in mechanical engineering. And celebrate on Nov. 8 the inaugural. #CelebrateFirstGen
Sharon Knox is director of communications for . She shares stories of the intellectual adventures of undergraduates at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis. Sharon has traveled the world and studied at University of Maryland, St. John鈥檚 College in Santa Fe and University of Chicago.