The First in Family (FIF) group held their first in-person meeting last Thursday to discuss ways to improve university life for first generation students.

 

The group, founded by Ashleigh Taylor, aims to act as a support network for students struggling to understand the technicalities behind the transition from high school to university.

 

"Often many FIF students struggle to ask for advice and don't know whom they should ask," says Taylor. "There are feeling of doubt about whether their work matches the standards of others, even feelings of isolation, creating a lot of stress which in some cases leads to students dropping out after their first year." 

 

Members discussed ways to make the experience less stressful, with most agreeing that a specific orientation day for FIF students would be beneficial, especially when it comes to understanding the enrolment process.

 

"I struggled with the enrolment process so much," says Angelica D'Amico, a first year BA student. 

 

"The part where I had to choose the units was just an absolute cause of stress and confusion for me. In my opinion, the instructions just weren't clear. It helped calling the university help centre, but to me...they could only do so much on the phone. It would have been awesome if I could have possibly actually gone into the uni and had someone to speak to face to face [with]...but that option wasn't offered."

 

Most FIFs also believed that Access subsidies would help them participate more in university life, with the current fees placing unnecessary strain on already tight financial situations.

 

"To take part in many social events, join societies, you need to pay a hefty fee, but due to financial difficulties, many FIFs don't get it," says Taylor. 

 

"That's one of the reasons the FIF group isn't a formal society. Anyone who doesn't have an Access card would be excluded, and we're all about including FIF students."

 

Being able to participate in the group is important to several students, often helping them feel less isolated.

 

"Having as group of people who are in the same position as me, being the first in their family to attend uni, really does mean a lot," says Abby Molloy, a second year BA student. 

 

"It's nice to know that there are people out there that may have had similar experiences, struggles and pressures in regards to attending uni, and it's really comforting to have a platform with which we can communicate."