[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/FGS.jpg” caption=”The First Year Experience Office is offering an essay-writing seminar for first generation students. Photo courtesy of FYEO.”]Are you the first person in your immediate family to attend a post-secondary institution? If so, by definition, you are a first generation student.

With up to 30 per cent of university applicants being FG students, both schools and the government have realized that these students have a more unique university experience than their peers who have a family member that embarked on education at the post-secondary level.

First generation students vary from so-called “traditional” students in that their assumed knowledge of university, personal commitment and familial support is disadvantaged.

The First Year Experience Office has developed a plan specifically for FG students. The aim of the program is to bridge the gap between these students and their “traditional” peers. The curriculum offers support from upper-year peer mentors, who are also FG students.

In addition, the program gives FG students comprehensive knowledge of all the services and resources available to them on campus. The FYEO is positive that the project will encourage and support all FG students with completing their academic goals.

The first course available for FG students is a writing workshop. The goal of this session is to help students enhance their academic writing skills. The emphasis will be on the academic writing process, which includes thesis development, structure, argumentation, clarity, flow, style and paragraph structure.

This workshop will be facilitated by Joanne Buckley, TESL, M.Ed., PhD. She is an academic skills counsellor in the Centre for Student Development (CSD). Buckley is the author of Fit to Print: The Canadian Student's Guide to Essay Writing and has been on the Canadian Best Seller's List. She has also written Checkmate: A Writing Reference for Canadians, which the FYEO recommends that all students should have as a resource to help them write research papers effectively.

The seminar will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 9 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and Thursday, Oct 11 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. If you would like to attend, please send an e-mail to firstgen@mcmaster.ca. The deadline is Friday, Sept. 28, and we encourage that you only pick one session.