From The Projects To College: Two Sisters Share College Success Tips

By Cierra Griffin

When you are a first generation college student, meaning you are the first in your family to attend college, you likely have no idea how to navigate the college world. We, my sister and I, are first generation college students, and we learned how to navigate college by watching each other, by watching others, and ultimately by trial and error. One of the many goals of this book is to offer guidance to new college students on how to benefit from college and make it work for you. The information in this book is especially for students who grew up like we did: ambitious, but financially poor, with limited access to information that could have truly prepared us to navigate college. This book by no means guarantees that what worked for us will work for you, but when you have no idea how to "college", having a resource like this book will make all the difference for a first generation college student. My sister and I want to see every student succeed in college because not only does this have the potential to improve your financial status, it also helps to improve the world that we live in. We hope that this book will help new college students who simply have no clue on how to navigate college.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cierra Griffin
• Release date: Sep 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005766139

Cierra Griffin

I am an educator and I believe in equity, equality, and education for all.Originally from Thomasville, GA, I received most of my primary and secondary education in Thomasville, where I was educated by some of the best. However, I graduated from Amos P. Godby HIgh School in Tallahassee, FL. In Tallahassee, I was able to grow and mature, thanks to family, church and an amazing high school counselor. I am a graduate of The Florida State University where I earned a bachelor's of science in interdisciplinary social science. I am also a graduate of Liberty University where I earned a master's of education in leadership. I am currently a doctoral candidate in Florida State's educational doctoral program.Aside from my professional work, I am a wife, mother, and a veteran. I have been married to Mr. Griffin since 2013 and he currently serves our country as a soldier in the US Army. I am the mother to an amazing toddler. Additionally, I served our country for 10 years in the US Air Force Reserve and 2 years in the North Carolina Army National Guard.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION:

Freshman year of college is the most exciting, thrilling, and frightening time of a young person’s life because you have just graduated from high school, where you have been for the last four years of your life. You go from the well-known upperclassman to just a face in a sea of faces on a large campus with little direction on how to maneuver in your new environment. Fortunately for my sister and me, our college provided us with campus maps, which were very helpful. (I may still have a copy from circa 2008, but it wouldn’t help us navigate the campus today because much of it has changed drastically.) If I could do freshman year or really any of my college years over again, I would because there is so much that I did not do or take advantage of. I won’t go into detail, but try to steer clear from long-term relationships in college, especially those that don’t allow you to enjoy being a college student and prevent you from having a social life. Longterm, romantic college relationships could be a hindrance that limits your full undergraduate experience and you don’t want to have any regrets from your undergrad years. Beyond that there is so much more that you need to know as a college freshman, so let’s get into it.

1

WELCOME TO COLLEGE

Cierra:

If you’re reading this book it is probably because you either plan to attend a college or university after you graduate from high school OR you have been admitted to a university and you are trying to prepare yourself for a successful undergraduate experience OR you are already enrolled in college and you want to make sure that you are taking every necessary step to be successful. If you agree to any of the reasons listed above, then this book is for you.

College is a place for people who want more knowledge. More specifically, college is for everyone to find the thing that might make them happy and might make them financially better than they were before they enrolled. College is a place of exploration. For young adults, you have just left the proverbial nest and you are trying to find your place in the world. For older adults, you are trying to get back to happiness and do the things that you always said you would do. College is for everyone, no matter your race, ethnicity, social economic status, and no matter how you grew up.

This book is especially written for those individuals who have made it to college, but need a simplistic layout of how to navigate it. I am writing this book for individuals like me. When I was accepted and committed to attend Florida State University (FSU) in 2005, I had no idea what to expect and I had no one to tell me what to expect. In fact, even if there were people who could tell me what to expect, there is nothing like first hand experience; trial and error. I definitely went to college and was immediately overwhelmed by all the greatness that lay before me. I took advantage of most opportunities, but I grew up in the projects of Thomasville, GA, so while I was excited and ready to explore, I was also cautious of everyone and everything. However, college changed my life for the better and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to attend an amazing institution as Florida State. In this book I am using my personal and professional experiences to help students like me navigate college.

2

REVIEW YOUR

FINANCIAL