First-generation college students tend to have a couple of strikes against them when they walk into the doors of a university for the first time. They’re likely to be lower-income students, may come from a minority group or a rural school, and may often not have been given the encouragement to go to college that their peers received.

They also don’t have an immediate family member available to help guide them through the process of applying for and entering college. For that, they have to turn to outside resources. Some students in Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties find support from the Community Services Consortium, a nonprofit community-action agency.

Wednesday, students participating in CSC alternative schools and work programs came to Oregon State University’s campus for a day of college experience, encouragement and advice from former and current university students.

Christopher Scott came to OSU to play football, but ended up pursuing his master’s degree instead, and now works as an employment specialist for CSC. He advised incoming students to think carefully about their finances, so they wouldn’t be saddled with huge credit-card bills and other debt once they graduated. He suggested they should cook instead of eating out, avoid credit cards, and not “spend money on silly, shameless things.”

Tom Kirkland with the CSC branch in Lebanon advised high school students from small towns to think beyond their roots, and consider going to college away from home.

“Is life more than Newport, Lebanon and Sweet Home?” he asked. “You may have to make that decision and move away.”

Students got a chance to listen to a variety of speakers during the event, and keynote speaker Joe Estey, a leadership expert, was one of the crowd favorites. Ezra Liu and Steaven Justesen of Crescent Valley High School both liked his magic tricks and his message.

“He talked about if you have an idea or an invention, you should make an effort to share it with other people,” Justesen said.

Catalina Contreras, a junior at Corvallis High School, said she enjoyed the day and learned some important tips.

“There’s more than one route to your future goals,” she said. She had been worried that her grades might hold her back from college, but the day’s events gave her confidence. “There are a lot of roads that lead to future careers.”

The students agreed that financial concerns were the biggest obstacle to their college careers, but planned on pursuing degrees anyway.

“Money, friends and books” were all college subjects that troubled Jered Melendez of Newport, but college was definitely in the future, either Arizona State University or possibly OSU.

Liu agreed. Although as a Corvallis resident he’d been on campus plenty of times, he was now starting to consider it a potential home for the next four years.

“It seems like a pretty good place,” he said.

During spring term, the students will take field trips to other campuses, to expand the options for college even further.