Complete Opportunists: First-Generation College Students’ Lived Experiences With High-Impact Educational Practices

Doane et al. / Journal of First-generation Student Success / March 2024


High-impact practices (HIPs) are well-documented experiences that deepen engagement and go beyond traditional markers of success for college students. First-generation college students may even see greater gains in participation than their continuing-generation counterparts. However, there is a gap in the literature on the lived experiences of first-generation college students and HIPs. This qualitative phenomenological study interviewed 10 first-generation college students who have lived experiences with HIPs to address this gap. Five themes emerged, as well as several barriers and successes first-generation college students had with HIPs. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.


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