You belong here.Not in spite of where you come from. Because of it.
If you're the first in your family in college, or one of a few students who look like you, you may wonder if you really belong. That feeling is common, it has a name, and it gets easier.
Do any of these sound like you?
Tap the ones you’ve felt. Nobody sees this but you.
What the research says
The doubt is temporary. The research shows it.
In 2011, psychologists Gregory Walton and Geoffrey Cohen ran a study with first-year students at a selective university, published in the journal Science. In about an hour, some students read what older students had said: that worrying about belonging was normal at first, and that it got better with time. Then they wrote about their own experience, to help future students.
That was all. Over the next three years, the Black students who did it earned higher grades than Black students who did a different exercise, and the grade gap between Black and white students was about cut in half. They also reported better health.
In 2023, a much larger study with nearly 27,000 students at 22 colleges found a shorter online version helped more students finish their first year full time, but only on campuses where students had real chances to connect.
What it means for youHard moments in your first year are part of college, not proof you don’t belong. And where you find your people matters, so go looking.
Walton & Cohen (2011), Science 331, 1447–1451. Walton et al. (2023), Science 380, 499–505. One study is not a promise; it’s a reason to keep going.
From students who’ve been there
These stories are composites: each is built from experiences many students share, not one real person.
I thought I was the only one who didn't know what office hours were. I went once, terrified. My professor said half the class never comes, and the ones who do get better grades. Now I go every week.
Jada, sophomore (composite)
My first semester I almost left. I failed a chemistry exam and decided I wasn't smart enough. A TRIO advisor showed me a study plan and introduced me to a tutor. I passed the course. I still think about how close I came to leaving over one test.
Marcus, junior (composite)
Calling home was hard because my parents didn't understand what I was doing all day. I stopped trying to explain everything and started telling them one good thing a week. And I found the first-gen office, where everyone got it without explaining.
Ana, senior (composite)
Write to a future first-year
This is the same kind of writing the students in the study did. Write to someone starting where you started. Use a prompt if it helps. You don’t have to send it to anyone.
Dear first-year,
Your letter stays only in this browser, so you can come back to it. Nothing is sent to EFF or anyone else. Erase removes it. If you want to, share it with a mentor, your chapter or a younger student back home.
Find your people
First-gen office or programMany colleges have a first-generation student office, mentoring program or student group. Search your school's site for "first-generation".
TRIO Student Support ServicesA federal program at many colleges with advising, tutoring and help with financial aid for first-gen, low-income and disabled students. Ask your advising office if your school has it.
Multicultural or cultural centersA home base with events, mentors and people who understand. Many PWIs have a Black cultural center, a multicultural center or both.
Student organizationsBlack Student Unions, cultural associations, NPHC and other Greek organizations, faith groups, and clubs for your major.
Faculty and staff of colorA professor or staff member who has walked this road can be a mentor. Go to office hours and ask how they got here.
Your EFF chapterA faith-centered family of students working to finish, and help you finish too.
Sometimes not belonging turns into something heavier: you can’t sleep, you stop going to class, you feel hopeless, or you’re being treated unfairly because of who you are. You deserve real help.
Your campus counseling center is usually free for students. Many have counselors of color or groups for students of color and first-gen students.
If you’re facing bias or discrimination, your school has an office for reporting it, often called the bias response, equity or civil rights office. You can also tell a trusted professor, advisor or dean.
Need someone right now? Call or text 988, any time, day or night. For an emergency, call 911.
Want EFF to reach out? Ask privately through the Lighthouse.