Yes, You CAN Study Abroad as a First-Generation Student!
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Study abroad is on the rise in the U.S. and around the world.…
How to Start a First-Gen Student Support Group on Campus
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Support groups can be a powerful way for first-generation students to find community…
College Match Matters for First-Generation Students
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. When we were in high school we didn't receive much guidance on the…
Finding the Fit: College Selection Tips for First-Generation Students, Part 1
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Deciding where to go to college can be stressful for most high school…
Choosing a College Major: Tips from a Professor
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. While packing for an upcoming international move to New Zealand, I found fictional…
How to Figure Out Study Abroad as a First-Gen College Student
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. As a child, I pored over world maps and dreamed about countries I…
How to Turn Your Work-Study Job Into a Resume-Builder
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. My Introduction to the Work-Study Program In late 1988, I visited Oberlin College…
Securing an Internship Against the Odds
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. When I was an undergraduate at Oberlin College in Ohio, students could secure…
Santa Jerry's Gifts
My first semester here was quite a mess actually. I was homesick during the semester, sleeping at unusual times, struggling to remember everyone’s names (hey,…
Succeed in College
This article was originally written for FirstGenerationStudent.com, now a part of ImFirst.org. Welcome to Campus! Prepare Yourself for the Unexpected... As a first-generation college student,…
The Inevitable Sweet Ending
Halloween is my favorite time of the year. In October, I can stop being myself, forget the adversity and transform into someone or something different…
South Africa!!
Hey everyone! So this summer I spent seven weeks in South Africa! I have never been abroad before, except for a short three-day trip that…
Summer Bumming
The sad thing about finishing a school year? Saying bye to all your friends that are going abroad. And then wondering why you aren't. Oh…
Wow… less than 1.5 years to go!
It’s amazing how fast time flies. I cannot believe that almost two years ago, I wrote my first blog and was about to begin the…
My First Time in Rome, Italy
Rome, Italy… One of the places I’ve dreamed of going since the first time we learned about its epic history in elementary school. I remember…
On the 1st day of Christmas, CSO gave to me…a whole wide world to see
Center for Student Opportunity has been there for me since day one. As a first-generation college student, I had no idea what to expect or…
Year Two: The challenge continues!
My second year at W&L is everything that I expected it to be: fun, exciting, and quite a bit harder than last year! My classes…
Around the World- Barcelona, Spain!
I can't believe how much my life has changed. I had only seen California and parts of Mexico (where family lives) before I went to…
Adventures in Brazil!!
It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, I was in a different country, time zone, and hemisphere. Up until college, I had…
Nobody's Perfect: Set Your Own Personal Limits
As president of my college's Peer Health organization, we decided to center our final campaign of the year around the myth of effortless perfection and…