“Academic Culture Shock”: Adjusting to College Life

In my work at the Academic Services Center, I work a lot with first-year students, many of them the first person in their family to attend college. There are certain aspects of being a first-generation college-goer that can be both wonderful and stressful, including the emotional investment a student’s family might have in their success, the feeling that one is rebelling against expectations, heightened awareness or pressure about the financial costs of school.
I came across a website today, First in the Family, that discusses some of the challenges and rewards of being a first-generation college-goer. Here’s one of the slideshows, “Academic Culture Shock,” from the site. I think it might be informative for any new student.
http://www.firstinthefamily.org/collegeyears/soundslides/AcademicCultureShock/index.html