When I tell people I am the oldest of three, the response I always get is, “Cool, it must be fun,” but what they don’t know is it comes with a lot of responsibility.
Sure, you’re the first one to experience everything and help your younger siblings but being the oldest, and a first-generation college student, put pressure on my life choices and future expectations.
There are many pros of being the oldest child but there are some downsides.
When applying to college, it made the process harder than I thought it would. My friends had older siblings that helped them and guided them to what they should and shouldn’t do. I relied on their information and was in and out of my counselor’s office because I didn’t know if I was doing everything right.
The experience of being a firstborn isn’t always a bumpy road. From this experience and many more, I learned to be independent, responsible and it helped me grow as a person.
My parents always remind me of the example that I have set for my brother and sister. This can be a good thing to motivate me to become somebody in life but I mostly felt pressured to be the best at everything I do to prove to my siblings that they could accomplish anything they set their minds to.
Besides the pressure of having to set the standards for your siblings, the most difficult part of being the oldest is keeping your parents happy.
Every child wants to see their parents smile and stress free. For me, as the oldest, I took the responsibility to help my parents in any situation they were going through. Whenever my parents would have work and my siblings and I were home alone, I helped looked after them and made sure they had everything they needed.
Even now, I am enrolled in college, have a handful of homework to do every week, spend most of my time on campus and studying, I make every sacrifice I can to help my parents or siblings in whatever they may need. To me, this is what being the oldest means, sacrifice.
