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It’s holiday time, and many of you are going home for the first time since leaving to come to university. As you pack your bags, take a moment to pause and breathe. In this year, starting your studies, you’ve crossed a threshold that few in your family may have crossed before. Even though it might not feel like it every day, that’s a remarkable achievement. You’ve made it through your first semester — navigating not just coursework, lectures, and exams, but also unfamiliar systems, new social dynamics, and probably a hefty dose of self-doubt. That took strength. That took courage.
Going home can bring a mix of emotions. You may be excited to reunite with family and childhood friends, to return to familiar routines and comfort food, to sleep in your own bed again. But below the surface, there may also be questions. Will they understand how much you’ve changed? Will they expect you to still be the same? Will you feel caught between two worlds — not fully at home in either one?
These feelings are valid and common. Many first-generation students experience a sense of “cultural dissonance” — the subtle but powerful shifts that occur when you start to see the world through new eyes. You’ve been exposed to new ideas, new disciplines, and new ways of thinking. You’ve been challenged to grow. That growth doesn’t make you disloyal to where you come from. It doesn’t mean you’re “better” than those who didn’t take the same path. It just means you’re evolving — and that’s something to be proud of.
Still, you might find that the people back home don’t fully understand what university life entails. They may not realize how exhausting it often is. They may not see the pressures — to succeed, to represent, to prove that all this effort is “worth it.” You might hear comments like “You’ve changed” or be asked why you’re studying something “impractical.” These moments can be hard. But remember this: you are allowed to grow, and you do not need to apologize for becoming more fully yourself.
Take your return home as a chance to reconnect — not just with people, but with your roots. Home can ground you in ways the university cannot. It reminds you why you started this journey. Maybe it’s to build a better future for yourself or to help your family. Maybe it’s to break a cycle, to pursue a dream, or to show others what’s possible. Keep that reason close. It will sustain you during the hard days.
Also, use this time to rest. You’ve likely been running on high gear, adjusting constantly, and pushing yourself to keep up. Allow yourself moments of stillness. You don’t need to have all the answers right now. You don’t need to “perform” your success or convince others of your progress. Your presence — your effort — already speaks volumes.
If you find yourself feeling disconnected from the people around you, try to remember that love often looks different in different families. Support might come in the form of a shared meal, a quiet moment together, or someone asking if you’ve eaten. Try to notice those gestures, even when the words you hope to hear aren’t spoken aloud.
And when you return to campus, remember this break wasn’t a step backward — it was part of your path forward. You are building a life across two worlds, and though that can be exhausting, it’s also powerful. You are a bridge. You carry stories, histories, and hopes that enrich your learning and your presence in ways others may never fully understand.
So take pride in what you’ve done so far. Take pride in every lecture you sat through when you felt overwhelmed, in every paper you turned in when you doubted yourself, in every small moment you kept going when it would have been easier to give up. You belong at your university. You’ve earned your place. And you’re not alone — there is a whole community of first-generation students carving out new paths, just like you.
As you head home, go with grace. Rest, laugh, reconnect. Reflect on what you’ve learned — not just academically, but about yourself. Then come back ready for what’s next, knowing that every step you take is opening doors for those who come after you.
You are seen. You are enough. And you are just getting started.
Enjoy the holidays!
From the GRAD team
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