AMA:作为Skidmore第一代学生的生活

Hello! 我叫布莱恩，我是 social work and Spanish 纽约的双学位. 我们最近询问了未来和即将入学的学生 to submit questions via Instagram, and I’m excited to answer some of them here.

Just a few things about me: I am a first-generation college student, and I came to 火博体育来自一个低收入家庭 机会计划(OP). I’m also a BIPOC student, and I was the president of Raíces, our campus Latinx cultural club. I used to work at the dining hall, and I currently work at the information desk 案例中心，我们的学生中心. I am also a 第一年的经验 peer mentor.

问:你是如何选择专业的? 你为什么选择社会工作和西班牙语?

A: I came to Skidmore thinking I was going to major in international affairs with 辅修性别研究. It turns out that I was wrong, but that’s okay — it wasn’t 很适合我. 美国的情况.S.-墨西哥边境对我来说很重要.

I was attracted to social work and Spanish because I want to help people in detention centers around the United States, particularly those who are undocumented and seeking asylum. I want to be one of the people who advocates for them, helps them access resources, 并帮助他们适应美国的生活.

Q: What was is it like to be a first-generation student at Skidmore?

A:首先，它很棒. Really. 我们和其他人一样都是学生，而且 社区在这里支持我们. 作为第一代可能意味着我们可以携带不同的东西 with us — or more than those with families who have already been through college.

I sometimes feel guilt that I’m leaving my parents behind and pursuing this privilege of continuing my education, something my parents didn’t have. 另一种感觉是 有时会出现冒名顶替综合症. 有时当我在学业上挣扎时， I can fall into a spiral of questioning my abilities and think “Oh no, did Skidmore 做出错误的决定? 我不该在这里吗?”

Once I got closer with my professors, utilized office hours, and started opening up to friends about what I was experiencing, these feelings started to subside. I also learned that a lot of people have similar experiences, and not just first-gen students.

你绝对不是一个人. 火博体育选择了你. 这意味着什么.

Q: Are there clubs and other opportunities to talk about our countries, culture, politics, education, etc.?

A:校园里有一百多个俱乐部! 我是Raíces的总裁，我们的拉丁人 culture club, and there are a number of others including Ujima, Asian Cultural Awareness Club, and African Heritage Awareness Club, just to name a few. 还有 学生多样性项目办公室，简称OSDP， 哪一个经常举办活动或以其他方式聚会.

With our club, we try to create space where our Latinx students can feel comfortable 并认识其他有相同身份的学生. 我们有自己的拉丁宴会， which is very popular during the fall semester and is our showcase event during the spring semester. If you can’t find the right club for you, there’s even a way to create 你在火博体育的母校.

Q: How do you know where clubs meet and how do you get involved?

A: The best way to get involved is to go to Club Fair at the beginning of each semester. It’s a huge showcase of all our clubs and is a Skidmore tradition. During the year, 俱乐部还使用一个名为SkidSync的网站. 你可以去那里看看发生了什么 在校园和时间和地点的活动或会议.

Some of my favorite clubs are Ujima, Raíces, Skidmore Women in Business, and the Skidmore 袋熊，我们的飞盘队.

Q: What are some of the challenges of being a first-generation college student?

A: A big part of being first-gen is just navigating the college system. What is work study? 什么是经济援助办公室? 什么是学术服务? Little things like that.

Skidmore has a ton of resources to offer, but I had to find them. 值得庆幸的是,词 travels fast, and OSDP does a great job of introducing you to things. Sometimes I 会想，“我可以用这个吗??答案总是“是的。!”

As I’ve alluded to, there’s also some pressure; I want to achieve, and I have high expectations. But I think Skidmore, my friends, and my professors have helped build 我的自信心大大下降. Now that I’ve got the hang of it, I’m like, “You know what? It’s OK. 犯错误是正常的. 问问题是可以的. I’m OK.”

问:你最喜欢的Skidmore回忆是什么?

A: Skidmore has a program called Alternative Spring Break that allows you to sign up to do service work and travel to some really cool places. 我去了危地马拉 to volunteer with Planting Seeds International, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to reduce poverty by working with communities to provide high-quality, comprehensive 儿童和家庭教育.

问:你最喜欢的社会工作教授是谁?

A:这是个很难回答的问题! 我爱社会工作部门的每一个人. Someone I’ve become close with is my advisor, Assistant Professor June Paul. I love them, 他们帮助我度过了一些艰难的时刻. 他们是我要找的人 everything. If I’m ever questioning myself, they give the best advice. They’re always 短信或电话.

问:你能谈谈你作为同侪导师的经历吗?

A: I was a peer mentor this past fall for a Scribner Seminar called Chaos Finds a Voice. It’s the same Scribner Seminar that I took as a first-year student. I worked 和我喜欢的15个学生在一起. 我是他们回答问题的人 any questions they had as they transitioned to college life. 我帮助指导他们 给他们需要的任何办公室或人员. 我们还一起旅行，包括去 Saratoga Race Course, where I had recently interned, and I helped with schoolwork 以及其他火博体育生命的问题. 能帮他们减轻一些忧虑是件好事. I know it can be scary to leap into this big change, but you have a nice support system.

问:你的OP暑期学术研究怎么样?

A: For those who don’t know, OP students are brought to campus over the summer for 暑期学术中心. 这是我们交流的机会，了解火博体育， and get us all feeling confident about joining in with peers, who may have come from 有更多大学准备的学校.

For me, it was about transitioning from high school to college. 我学会了如何阅读 a syllabus and what academic resources are available to us. 我也很喜欢火博体育 and 萨拉托加温泉市 during the summer and bond with 39 other students like me.

The typical schedule was Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. with breaks 中间还有一些有趣的活动. On weekends, we took trips around the region and enjoyed 远足，湖泊，餐馆，电影，和更多. 我交了很多很棒的朋友，我真的 今天和很多人都很亲近.

问:你对即将入学的学生有什么建议?

1. 拥抱你自己.
2. 不要让自己负担过重.
3. 建立你的支持系统.
4. 不要怀疑自己.
5. "Embrace the broken" (everything doesn’t always need to be perfect all the time).
6. Ask questions.
7. 上班时间.
8. Join clubs.
9. 承认你的特权.
10. Stay humble.