Blog
Find advice and follow the college experiences of our current first-gen student bloggers.
Unorganized and emotional much? Part I.
It just all fell apart. I started doing very well in school at the beginning of my Spring '14 semester; I kept up with most of work and I tried to participate and complete the work for all of my classes. However, little by little I started slipping. There was too...
Let's Talk Scholarships: Application Tips from Fastweb’s Editor
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. As an editor for Fastweb.com, an online scholarship database, I'm familiar with the scholarship application process. Every day, scholarship seekers come to me for advice...
Finding Support as a First-Generation American & First-Generation College Student
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. A Choice My Parents Didn't Have When I was growing up, my parents said two things to me that I will never forget: "America is a land of opportunity," and "Education is the...
Application Timeline: When to Apply to College
This article is published in the 2014 I’m First Guide to College Before senior year begins (or as soon as possible after!) it’s time to plan out your application timeline. Before you do that, however, it’s important to be aware of the various types of deadlines...
Finding the Right Support
This article is published in the 2014 I’m First Guide to College Being the first person in your family to go to college is a pretty amazing accomplishment. It’s a new journey. As you prepare to step foot on campus, you’ll experience a whirlwind of emotions....
Reflecting on My Freshman Year at Yale and Plans for Summer
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. It's almost hard to believe that it's summer. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was walking onto Yale's campus ready to tackle this new adventure of mine. Today I...
I'm First featured in CollegeWeekLive's eBook on first-generation students!
The road to and through college for first-generation students can surely be a bumpy one. Colleges and universities, counselors, teachers and mentors have made it their priority to assist these students through the obstacles they will face through the process....
Making the Most of the Summer Before College
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Congratulations graduates! Completing high school and getting into college are huge achievements, and the summer is a great time to reflect on how far you've come. You've...
Overcoming the Obstacles and Fears of Being a First-Generation Student
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Applying Applying to colleges was by far the hardest part for me throughout my entire experience. There were endless possibilities in front of me, and the idea of being able...
Melting Away: Avoid the dreaded Summer Melt!
On Thursday, June 19th, 2014 we had a Google+ Hangout on ways to avoid the dreaded phenomenon of summer melt! Although school is out and you are heading to college in the fall, the work isn’t over! As a first-generation student going off to college, there are still...