Category Stories: First Generation
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Treading Water: The First-Gen Study Abroad Experience
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Studying abroad as a first-generation college student feels a lot like being thrown into the deep end of a pool with no life raft and no map. I knew how to stay afloat, but I had no idea where I was going or what was beneath me. The excitement of being in a new country…
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How to Tell Your Immigrant Family You Want to Study Abroad
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If you come from an immigrant family, you can understand how intimidating it can be to tell them that you want to study abroad. Moving to a different country sounds less fun and exciting to many immigrant parents. It can also sound dangerous and unnecessary. Many immigrant parents have come to their new country under…
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Simple Recipes That Make Life Abroad Sweeter
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Moving to Prague as a first-generation student opened my eyes to the city’s vibrant food culture, but also to an unexpected reality: while most of my classmates easily navigate the city’s restaurant scene, dining out for every meal isn’t a luxury all of us can afford. This challenge led me to discover something beautiful—the way…
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Balancing Identities and Finding Yourself Abroad
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The first question we are often asked when we meet new people as college students is, “What is your major?” Most of our lives revolve around our classes and how we are pursuing our careers. Yet as I reflect on what I value and how I want to be known, I must also weigh how…
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Finding Comfort During My First Week: Study Abroad in Argentina
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As a first-generation student, I am familiar with the crossroad of staying within the comfort of home and diving into the unknown. About three years ago, I moved from Texas to Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, for college. It was an equally exhilarating and daunting opportunity. As I was deciding whether to study abroad, I found myself…
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Reflections of a First-Gen in Buenos Aires
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Traveling to another country was never something I thought possible, especially not at this stage in my life. Being from a low-income background, the idea of international travel seemed like an unattainable dream. The expenses associated with it were daunting. For many years, both of my parents lacked proper documentation, which limited our ability to…
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How to Pack for Summer Study Abroad in London
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Ever since I started college, I’ve dreamed of studying abroad. With just a couple of semesters left, it was now or never. When I applied and got accepted into the London School of Economics for a summer program, I was overwhelmed with excitement. I had four months to prepare for an experience I would forever…
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Exploring My Mexican Identity in Mexico
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I am the child of immigrants and a first-generation student. My parents moved to the United States from México before I was born. They wanted me to live where I would have opportunities they didn’t have growing up, to get a better education and live a better life. My mother believed in my future, so she…
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Four Ways to Make Study Abroad Happen on a Budget
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As a low-income student, I didn’t think study abroad would be an option for me, but with encouragement from my study abroad advisor, I applied to a few programs. When I was accepted to the IFSA London program at King’s College, I was hesitant, knowing I couldn’t afford London prices for five months. Thankfully, with…
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How Pride and Community Empowered Me While Abroad in Rome
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Being a part of minoritized communities while abroad may seem intimidating and scary, but my experiences with identity helped me through my first time in a foreign country. I am intersectional – there is not one identity that solely describes who I am. I am a First-Generation college student, I am queer, I am Asian…
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