Is anyone else here the first person in their family to go to university?

Question

Would love to hear other people's experiences or how it made them feel.

I grew up in an environment where all the women only had children and all the men worked in skilled trades. I feel like I'm sometimes venturing into unknown territory with no one to ask for directions.

Answer 1

Yes. My husband and I both are in that situation. We are both the only ones with successful careers.

we are stuck in a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. when it comes to gift-giving, if we give large presents, we are showing off and if we give the type of presents that everyones else can afford, then we are being stingy. All our siblings resent our wealth until it comes time that they need something.

all that crap aside, do your own thing!!! Good luck!!

Answer 2

I come from a farming family in a small town, and it really does seem all that women there do is breed and gain weight! When my parents split, my siblings and I moved to the city, but I'm the only one that's gone to uni. I've found going to uni is a great experience, even if I do have to work on the side and still live on bugger all money (my parents couldn't/wouldn't pay for it). Honestly, I've had limited guidance on how to cope with it all, but you muddle through and the tutors and often other students are pretty supportive when you do get a bit overwhelmed by it all. Your average uni campus or website will have services available to new students for orientation, councelling and general advice.

It's nice to know, coming to the end of my studies, that my family's proud of the direction I've gone in. My dad's a bit confused by the whole idea of uni, given he didn't finish high school, but he's come to see the merit of it for someone like me who just isn't satisfied in a manual labour kind of job (which I'm doing now to pay my way through uni... I'd go nuts if my colleagues weren't so wacky and fun).

Answer 3

I was the first one in my family to go to college. While my parents were proud and encouraging, there were many things they couldn't give advise on. So I depended heavily on my college advisor, who I developed a good relationship with. I also looked toward older students and asked for their advice. Hang in there, you will raise the bar for the other members of your family and for your future children. I believe each generation will have more and more graduates because you put the ball in motion.