As you will likely gather from a minutes-long stroll around campus, CSUN is a diverse melting pot of cultures, languages, religions and dreams. Students come together to pursue their desired paths, but this unifier does not equate to linear walks of life from student to student.
As of Fall 2024, 69% of CSUN students are first-generation college students, meaning their ability to navigate their college experience may be a lot less guided than their peers. As First-Generation College Student Month approaches in November, it is imperative that we shine a light on these underrepresented students.
I myself am a first-generation college student, and throughout my college career, I’ve struggled to make the best decisions for myself. This has been due to a lack of guidance, whether that be choosing my major, discovering the resources available to me on campus or figuring out what postgraduate options look like.
But just because first-generation students like myself may not have certain relatives to turn to for guidance, that doesn’t mean we are undeserving of that guidance. With a campus as diverse as CSUN, there are a number of resources available for first-generation students that can give them the direction they need and deserve.
The best resource that first-generation students should take advantage of is the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which “provides services to historically low-income, historically educationally disadvantaged students; a population that not only reflects the diversity of CSUN’s feeder communities but also the diversity of the University itself,” according to their mission page. For qualifying students, not only do they provide a grant depending on student classification, but they also provide necessary resources catered to the personal needs of the 2600 students it serves each year.
As a student within EOP, I’ve personally found the mandatory Transitional Programs to be of major assistance for me. Newly admitted students get the choice of either completing a bridge program over the summer or a semester-long course. Both options do the job of educating students on the various resources available to them across campus in addition to establishing the necessary academic skills needed to acclimate students to university life. Other resources, such as their College & Service Satellites that offer exclusive counseling services and the one-on-one holistic academic advisement from dedicated staff advisors and peer mentors, are also offered to EOP students. This resource is especially beneficial for first-generation students by giving them a number of people to turn to for advice.
The PODER program within the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a paid employment program focused on providing opportunities for undergraduate students to become research assistants in preparation for graduate studies or careers. Since it is funded by Federal Work-Study (FWS) and OUR, eligible students get paid to conduct research led by their mentors, and all these connections created within the program give first-generation students a headstart in establishing themselves within their respective career paths.
The Academic First-Year Experiences (AFYE) program helps ease the transition to CSUN for incoming freshmen and transfer students by introducing them to key parts of campus. From building a sense of belonging by introducing them to campus life to increasing long-term retention and graduation rates, their goal is to integrate “skill-building, wellness, community engagement, and identity-affirming learning communities, allowing students to develop critical thinking, time management, and self-advocacy skills while fostering meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and campus resources,” according to their mission statement. They achieve this goal mainly by providing introductory 100-level transition courses to support first-year CSUN students in addition to community support.
These are just a few of the many resources that would significantly support first-generation students. As a campus known for its diversity within its student body, it is crucial that these resources stay alive to uplift one student at a time. Just as much as students need these resources, the resources and programs cannot serve their purposes without the necessary support of students in need.
Resources like these made me realize that I am not alone in my journey through college as I figure out what the next steps are in my college career. They were of great use to me, they will likely be of even greater use for future first-generation students. First-Generation College Student Day lands on November 8, so make sure to check up on those that have overcome a number of challenges to pursue their college career.
