Disclaimer: I am not a first generation college student.
So, my mother, at the age of 45, went to a community college then transferred after 2 years to do online classes at a small university where she obtained a bachelor's in drug counseling. My dad did not even graduate high school. The thing is, she did not receive exposure to academia, did not do a science degree or grad school, and did not go into a high paying job (only $15/hr for a bachelor's degree and lots of debt...). In these regards, even though I am a second generation college student, I feel that I did not receive the advantages that second generation students get, and I feel more like a first generation college student. My mother was not able to help me through my college path, and had no knowledge of expectations in the medical field, connections, etc. Should I talk about this in interviews/on essays?
So, my mother, at the age of 45, went to a community college then transferred after 2 years to do online classes at a small university where she obtained a bachelor's in drug counseling. My dad did not even graduate high school. The thing is, she did not receive exposure to academia, did not do a science degree or grad school, and did not go into a high paying job (only $15/hr for a bachelor's degree and lots of debt...). In these regards, even though I am a second generation college student, I feel that I did not receive the advantages that second generation students get, and I feel more like a first generation college student. My mother was not able to help me through my college path, and had no knowledge of expectations in the medical field, connections, etc. Should I talk about this in interviews/on essays?