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Supporting first-generation students: Teaching practices that make a difference

Best Practices, Resources, Teaching

Authors: Linh Nguyen and Yvonne Johnson

According to the Fall 2025 enrollment highlight, more than half of NIU’s incoming first-year students identify as first-generation college students—a powerful reminder that our classrooms are filled with trailblazers. Both of us, Linh and Yvonne, are first-generation college graduates. We represent a microcosm of an increasingly complex and diverse society. We are similar in the fact that neither of our parents/guardians completed a bachelor’s degree. So, we didn’t have quick access to advice from people close to us about how to navigate college.  

It is well-documented that many first-gen students experience financial strain, making the cost of materials and unexpected expenses harder to manage. We often lack cultural capital, meaning common academic terms or processes—like “registrar,” “syllabus,” or “office hours”—may sound like a foreign language. Coming from under‑resourced schools, some students begin college with less academic preparation and fewer effective study habits. We also tend to use campus resources less due to unawareness or time conflicts with work.

Like us, these students bring resilience, determination, and a pioneering spirit, but they also face various challenges as they navigate an academic world unfamiliar to them and their families. As educators, we recognized that our teaching practices and everyday interactions can profoundly shape students’ college experience. By designing our courses with not just rigor but also intention and compassion, we can help first-generation students thrive both inside our classrooms and everywhere else on our NIU campus. 

Start by Creating a Sense of Belonging 

A strong sense of belonging is one of the most significant predictors of student persistence and success (Gilani, 2024). First-generation students often feel invisible or unsure if they belong in college spaces. Small teaching practices with big impacts—like using name tents, learning and using students’ preferred names and pronouns, and inviting students to share something about themselves—signal to students that they are seen and valued. Early course icebreakers, peer-introduction activities, and small-group discussions also help build the foundation of a supportive learning community. 

Outside the classroom, NIU offers an abundance of engagement opportunities, from the first-year success series to cultural resource centers and STEM Fest. Encouraging students to participate in these events reinforces that they are part of the Huskie community. 

Make Your Role—and Office Hours—Approachable 

First-generation students may not understand what office hours are or how to use them. Renaming them as “student support hours” or “ask me anything hours” demystifies their purpose. Incorporating short, structured check-ins for early- and mid-semester helps normalize help-seeking and creates opportunities for students to discuss academic or personal challenges before they become insurmountable barriers. 

Teach How Learning Works 

Many first-generation students arrive with fewer academic preparation opportunities and may misinterpret struggle as a sign that they don’t belong. Explicitly discussing the learning process (how skills develop over time, how mistakes foster growth, and how effort and strategy matter) helps build a growth mindset culture. Scaffolded assignments, opportunities to revise work, and consistent constructive feedback equip students with practical strategies for academic success. 

The Huskie Academic Success Center’s Weekly Action Plan can be integrated into your course to assist students in managing their time and balancing competing responsibilities. A simple planning tool can significantly help students balance coursework, extracurricular activities, family obligations, and job responsibilities, ensuring they allocate sufficient time in their calendars for success in all areas of their lives. 

Use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to Build Inclusive Courses 

UDL principles ensure course materials and assessments are accessible to all students, even before individual needs arise. Offering content in multiple formats (written, video, audio), allowing choice in how students demonstrate mastery, and providing varied opportunities for engagement remove barriers that help all students, including first-generation students. When the course is flexible by design, students spend less energy navigating uncertainties and more time focusing on learning. 

Connect Students to NIU Resources Early and Often 

First-generation students often don’t know what support exists or assume services like tutoring or advising cost extra. Embedding resource-based assignments, such as a library scavenger hunt or a reflection on a visit to the Writing Center, helps students practice navigating the university’s support systems. Programs like Research Rookies, CHANCE, and the Huskie Academic Success Center can transform their academic trajectory, but only if students know about them. 

The Future is First-Gen 

Supporting first-generation students doesn’t require dramatic course redesign or extensive extra labor. Often, it’s the small, intentional actions that create the biggest impact: humanizing your course, building connections, normalizing help-seeking, and guiding students toward resources. Each conversation, check-in, and transparent explanation of how college works helps open doors students may not have known existed. At NIU, we all play a part in ensuring our first-generation Huskies not only succeed but thrive!

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