Once it becomes clear in your mind that graduate school is the right path for you, you must begin to prepare yourself both personally and professionally for the journey ahead.

This means building and maintaining confidence in your ability as a scholar, finding a network of individuals who can support you in your studies and being proactive in acquiring the tools you will need for a successful tenure in college. Because most graduate programs are extremely competitive, it is imperative that you exercise strategy in the academic and professional decisions you make.

An appreciation of the three elements mentioned above – mastery of self, mastery of your academic future and mastery of the university environment – can ensure that you are properly prepared for admission into and success while in graduate school.

A rigorous approach will allow you to maximize your four years in college so that not only will you be attractive to prospective graduate admissions committees, but you will also experience the personal growth needed to endure the rigors of graduate work. But first, you will have to have a successful first year.

Here are some of the things you should keep in mind as a first generation college student in your first year of college.