Researchers Stacey Havlik and Krista Malott of Villanova University have been studying the region’s first-generation college students to try to find ways to make the freshman year easier, writes Jennifer Lynn for WHYY.

They found that the process of setting up first-generation college students for success starts long before they step foot on campus.

“Some of those challenges are feeling isolated because they may not have the college-going kind of social capital and understanding,” said Malott.

As part of their research, the two partnered with a local school and ran an eight-week program aimed at building college self-efficacy for first-generation students.

“By the end of the group, almost all of our students said that they felt like now they were more prepared,” said Havlik.

The pair also had some tips for first-generation students and educators. They found that students should get involved in college-prep programs as early as middle school and identify mentors who have attended college.

Meanwhile, educators should advocate for counselor-led, multi-level support for new students and the training of staff, advisers, and faculty to support them.

Read the research on first-generation college students at WHYY by clicking here.

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