A institution of first-technology university college students has released a brand new podcast aimed toward supporting others in comparable conditions easily transition to college life, imparting advice, non-public stories, and sensible pointers for potential college students. The initiative, dubbed “First Steps Forward,” turned into created at George Washington University (GW) with the help of college personnel and kicked off with its first episode in January.
The creators—college students who’re the primary of their households to wait university—say they drew on their personal struggles with applications, economic resource confusion, and adapting to a brand new environment. “First Steps Forward” seeks to offer a useful resource those trailblazing college students want that they’d whilst beginning their journeys. The podcast specially discusses navigating the admissions process, demystifying economic resource paperwork, and addressing the imposter syndrome frequently felt via way of means of first-technology college students beginning college life.
Zendmeni Ganzorig, a sophomore and the podcast’s president, spoke candidly approximately her early days at GW. Coming from a low-profits place of Maryland, she defined demanding situations in becoming into the campus lifestyle and community. Ganzorig explains, “There is a massive gaining knowledge of curve, and a distinction in priorities and lifestyle that quite a few us don’t sincerely understand till we’re proper withinside the center of it.” She hopes the podcast gives consolation and readability for the ones following in her footsteps, adding, “Now I’m simply seeking to provide again due to the fact they sincerely helped me closing year. I need to pay off my debt.”
Co-host Careld Cruz, who moved to america from Central America 8 years ago, remembers the extra task of gaining knowledge of a brand new language even as making ready for university. Dealing with paperwork just like the FAFSA frequently felt like an unbiased observe project—with her, in place of her parents, frequently taking the lead in information and explaining each detail. Cruz emphasizes, “I felt like I turned into going via that via way of means of myself… I needed to research the whole lot after which cross train it to them so that you can understand. They didn’t even realize what FAFSA turned into.”
The podcast delves into subjects which include purchasing university, navigating resource, locating expert opportunities, and constructing a social life—topics the hosts address with humor and honesty. Senior co-host Emma Hawryluk factors out that first-technology college students often juggle economic burdens and continual emotions of now no longer pretty belonging, referred to as imposter syndrome. “We communicate approximately it a lot—each internship rejection or each elegance I’ve overlooked provides up,” she says, underlining that the podcast ambitions to normalize those studies for listeners.
While “First Steps Forward” operates with out professional college popularity or investment, the crew statistics episodes in a workforce office, the usage of gadget furnished with the aid of using podcast director Justin Liu, a senior majoring in crook justice. Liu notes that the dearth of investment creates logistical obstacles, however so far, teamwork and aid sharing have saved the venture afloat. “If I leave, I am satisfied to allow the crew use my gadget, however that creates a barrier for them due to the fact then they want to shop for greater gadget, or they need to await me,” he remarks.
Despite those hurdles, the organization stays devoted to liberating new episodes monthly, overlaying the whole lot from interpreting complicated economic files to recommendation on thriving socially and academically. The crew’s humor, honesty, and first-hand revel in make “First Steps Forward” a treasured guidebook for the developing variety of first-technology college students coming into college—presenting the type of network guide and clear-eyed steerage that wasn’t to be had whilst their trips began.
