Being the first person in your family to go to university is an enormous achievement. It is also, for many students, a profoundly isolating experience at the point of decision making. When your parents, grandparents and wider family have no personal experience of university, the informal guidance network that many students take for granted simply does not exist.
This post is written specifically for first generation university applicants — and for the schools, parents and Careers Leaders who support them.
Students from families with a strong university tradition have access to a wealth of informal guidance that is completely invisible to those on the outside. They can ask older siblings and cousins about specific universities. They can get honest assessments of courses from family friends. They have seen what university life actually looks like from close range, heard the real stories about adjusting to independent study, understood the financial realities from people who have lived them.
First generation students have none of this. They are navigating a completely unfamiliar system, making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information, guided primarily by prospectuses and open days that are explicitly designed to attract applicants rather than inform them.
The consequences of this information gap fall hardest on first generation students. They are more likely to make uninformed degree choices. They are more likely to experience the kind of culture shock that comes from arriving at a university that is significantly different from their expectations. And when things go wrong — when the course isn’t what they expected, when the social environment is harder than anticipated — they are less likely to have the support network to navigate it.
Already Doing It gives first generation university applicants access to the same quality of honest, specific guidance that students with established university networks take for granted. By connecting them with a current student or graduate from their chosen subject at their chosen university, we give them the conversation that levels the playing field.
We specifically target Pupil Premium students in our school pilots — the group most likely to include first generation applicants and the group with the most to gain from honest, personalised university guidance.
If you are a first generation applicant or you are supporting one, visit alreadydoingit.co.uk to book a session. Sessions are £30 and can be funded by schools through Pupil Premium allocation.
© 2026 Already Doing It Ltd. All rights reserved. The information on this site is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional career or admissions advice. Student Mentor Sessions and Our Insider Guides reflect student perspectives; always verify specific course details, entry requirements, and module lists with the official University Prospectus before applying.
