Parents and Families of First-Generation Students

Thank you for visiting this section of our website and encouraging your student to become a college graduate!

Tips for Parents and Family Members of First-Generation Students

• Learn more about Marion Technical College.
• Set up a campus visit to go visit Marion Technical College campus with your daughter or son.
• Remind your students to make copies of all important paperwork and to make sure to write down the name, department, date and comments of the person they are speaking to when they contact different departments on campus with questions.
• Remember that pursuing higher education does not mean that students will lose the values they were raised with.
• Learn about the college process and what to expect – by learning about campus resources you will be able to become more familiar with what your student is experiencing. Please visit the “Student Resources” tab for more information about campus resources.
• Be patient with yourselves and one another, especially since this is a learning experience for everyone (both you and your student) – you will all be learning about this transition process together!

What some of our current first-generation college students at MTC wish their parents would know:

• The pressure and stress that often comes with being in college.
• To support me and try their best to understand what I am experiencing.
• It is important for our parents to understand how hard college is and that the student will be under stress. The family should be supportive.
• At times, students may feel overwhelmed and parents can be right there to support their children with words of encouragement. This goes a long way knowing that you believe in us!