Stephanie Santos/The Cougar
UH is home to 44% of first-generation students with several of them facing struggles when pursuing higher education.
From the paperwork, financial aid and familial obligations, a lot of them are unaware of the resources available through the application process.
Art senior Lourdes Flores is the first and oldest of her two siblings to attend college. She prioritized staying local for school to help her family and as a transfer student, the flexibility UH offered helped her balance her job and academics.
However, she admits to encountering difficulties in her process of entering UH as a transfer student.
“Admissions wouldn’t take my transcript and they confused me as two different people which made me get accepted pretty last minute before that semester started,” Flores said.
UH was an hour away from her, and she had to drive to campus often to talk with the admissions department to get the matter resolved.
Her frustration is common amongst other first-generation students like computer science sophomore Nevin Patel, who find themselves overwhelmed with the admission process.
“Applying to universities was a little difficult, I don’t think my high school advisors helped much, but I was able to get through it,” Patel said.
Students also have to deal with the pressure from their families to succeed.
“The pressure on me is always high as my family expects a lot more out of me,” Patel said.
Finding ways to cope with the pressures of being a first-generation college student is vital to keeping academic success. He suggests prioritizing mental health to deal with such issues and relax every now and then.
“I will take a break, go for a walk or just try to concentrate on myself,” Patel said.
The diverse, friendly environment and affordability that UH offers were a key factor in deciding to choose UH over other top Texas universities, Patel said.
He felt satisfied with the University resources offered to him but he believes UH could still improve the communication between students and the school.
“UH already has many programs for first-generation students, but they could improve by hosting more events where students can meet new people and discover the programs UH has,” Patel said.
Flores has not accessed any of the UH resources targeted for first-generation students as she was not aware they existed.
“Honestly, I haven’t searched for any resources, and UH hasn’t offered me any—probably because I haven’t looked,” Flores said.
Students like Flores often have to rely on their own means because of the lack of guidance and familiarity from the University to push the resources available.
Despite these shortcomings, Flores and Patel admit that they would recommend UH to other incoming first-generation students.
“My experience here has not been perfect but I think it is still worth it. I have gotten so many opportunities here,” Patel said.
UH First Generation Resources pushes for school involvement, offers mentorship programs and provides counseling and psychological services to help ease the experience for students adjusting to college.
