Blog
Find advice and follow the college experiences of our current first-gen student bloggers.
(Almost) At the Finish Line!
I am about to enter week 9 out of 10 of spring term of my junior year at Dartmouth. (That's so crazy!) One of the hardest things about the quarter system is how late we end. It’s definitely exhausting to see your friends enjoying the summer already and I’m still in...
Check the Cheese (part 2)
It has almost become second nature for me to spend the entire school year waiting for summer break. Then, when summer break rolls around, I start to get restless, even if I have obligations, and I anxiously look forward to the start of the next year. Then, the cycle...
Check the Cheese (part 1)
The other night I decided to be creative. I boiled some penne pasta, cooked some shrimp, and pulled out my favorite brand of pesto. After the pasta was cooked, I drained it in the colander and returned it to the pot it was in. Then, I poured the shrimp on top of the...
Dealing With Self-Comparison
All throughout school you compare yourself to others. “Susie got accepted into five internships already and I haven’t even heard back from one” “George is graduating a year early while I have to take an extra semester during the summer just to catch up.” The...
Exams, Exhaustion, and Emotions! Oh My!
Midterms and Finals have the ability to affect our mental and physical health in such a way that it is practically unfathomable. Without even factoring in the unknown of virtual exams, in person exams were peak stress. You can study your heart out and still feel...
Working In College
As a student Freshman year, I decided to take a position as an on-campus tour guide. This job has been such an amazing blessing! I have been able to meet other students here around campus, getting to improve my speaking skills, and getting to interact with pro-staff...
Rejection: It’s Not the End
As the college application process ends and the college decision season begins, I've been thinking back to where I was this time last year. A year ago I was just like you all, biting away at my nails, waiting for college decisions, and wondering constantly if all my...
I am 21 Years Old and I’m Still Afraid of the Dark
I still don't know how I convince myself that there will be an ominous figure waiting outside my bedroom door if I attempt to leave my room before the sun has come up. Sometimes I am able to quickly hop out of my bed, turn the knob to the door and dart to my...
Returning to Normal?
The past month has been filled with a number of uncertainties for me personally. With class registration coming up there are a lot of unanswered questions about what returning to in-person class is going to look like in the coming fall. I know Illinois State's Covid...
Doing Too Much
I am a victim to the too much gene when it comes to work! The immigrant mentality that many of us first generation children face is that we need to work extra hard to survive. To prove to everyone else that we are worthy of being there, we have to be the best. I was...