Blog
Find advice and follow the college experiences of our current first-gen student bloggers.
I Held My Breath for 4 Months and Survived
It's pretty probable that nearly everyone remembers where they were at and what they were doing when they were accepted into college. Some were hanging out with friends. Others may have been lounging at home. I was at work in a small hometown restaurant, prepping...
Gasp! I'm a senior!
My school likes to kick us out as soon as finals are over. Finals consisted of looking at slides while throwing clothes into a box and frantically looking up storage hours. Here is a hint to all of you: Do not put all your books in one box. Because who is going to be...
The Peter Pan Syndrome
Another year is done! This fall, I’ll be coming back to Rochester as a junior…wow. The past two years have been some of the most challenging I’ve ever faced. I think the biggest issue was coming to terms with being a grown-up. As children we always say to ourselves,...
Mark Kantrowitz's Financial Aid Tips for First-Generation Students
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Students who are first in their families to enroll in college often lack advice about planning and paying for college. Other students can rely on the experience and insights...
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Stephanie worked at Arby’s for ten and a half months before she was fired for using her cell phone on the clock. I refused to get fired, mainly because I needed all the money I could make for college. However, admission decisions had just been released online and I...
A Giraffe, Paper Clip, and Banana: Creative Thinking and College Success
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. What do a giraffe, a paper clip and a banana have to do with college success? I don't know, but if you are a creative thinker, I bet you can come up with a connection....
Finding Your Own "Honors" Courses When Your High School Doesn't Offer Them
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Throughout this website, we've mentioned the importance of taking AP, IB, Honors or whatever the most challenging, rigorous courses are called at your school. But what if...
Opportunity Knocks: First Year Experience
Click here to view the May Opportunity Knocks newsletter featuring First Year Experience opportunities at: Bentley University, Waltham, MA, Summer Transition Education Program (STEP) Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, New Initiative for College Access Davidson...
College Can Be Stressful: Learn to Actively Cope!
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Everybody feels stress from time to time—that's just part of life. As a college student, you're particularly subject to stressing out over a myriad of things ranging from...
Advice From A First-Generation Student: Find Your Support System
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Growing up, my parents dreamed that my siblings and I would become college graduates. Although I worked very hard toward this goal, there was no way for me to do it on my...