If nobody in your family has done this before, a lot of college's unspoken assumptions - what a syllabus is, what "office hours" actually mean, who to ask when something goes wrong - aren't unspoken to you. They're just missing. That's not a gap in you. It's a gap in what anyone had the chance to tell you.
The Terms Nobody Defines
A syllabus is just your class's rulebook and schedule, handed out on day one - not something you're expected to already understand. Office hours are blocks of time your professor sets aside specifically to be asked questions, one-on-one, with no appointment needed - using them isn't a sign of struggling, it's what they're there for. Your bursar's office handles your student account and bill; your financial aid office handles anything related to FAFSA, grants, or loans, and they're used to explaining these terms from scratch, not just to first-gen students but to most freshmen.
Look for a First-Gen Center or Program
A lot of schools have an office, center, or student organization specifically for first-generation students - often with its own advising, community events, and sometimes emergency funding for exactly the kind of unexpected cost that comes up during move-in. It's worth searching your specific school's website for "first generation" before you assume the resource doesn't exist - it's more common than people expect, just not always advertised loudly.
Advocating for Yourself Is a Skill, Not an Instinct
Asking a financial aid officer to re-explain something, or asking your RA a question that feels "obvious," takes practice if nobody modeled it for you growing up. It gets easier fast - the first ask is the hardest one, not a sign of how the rest will go.
Move-In Day Might Look Different for Your Family, and That's Fine
Some families take the day off work and stay for orientation events; others help you carry boxes in and head home within the hour, because that's what their job or their other responsibilities allow. Neither is a lesser version of move-in day - the general move-in day walkthrough applies regardless of how much time your family has that day.
Your RA and Orientation Leaders Are Trained for Exactly This
Questions about how any of this actually works aren't an imposition - RAs and orientation staff are specifically trained to field exactly this kind of question, from all students, not just first-gen ones. There's no version of "too basic to ask."
You're not behind. You're doing something for the first time, the same way every single person in your incoming class is doing at least some part of this for the first time too.