Embedded Files
Life Map Exercise
Life Map Exercise
Purpose:
Purpose:
Help students explore personal, family, and cultural milestones that shape their identity and college experience.
Materials:
Materials:
Paper or digital whiteboard
Colored pens/markers
Instructions:
Instructions:
Ask the student to draw a timeline from childhood to the present.
Have them add important moments — family immigration stories, school transitions, hardships, successes, moves, responsibilities, etc.
Ask reflection questions:
Which of these moments shaped your identity the most?
Where do you see personal strength
How have family or cultural expectations influenced your path?
End by identifying how these insights connect to their college journey.
Counseling Focus:
Cultural identity
Strengths-based reframing
Understanding family context
Family Expectations Reflection
Family Expectations Reflection
Purpose:
Purpose:
Help students navigate the pressure between family obligations and personal goals.
Materials:
Materials:
Two-column worksheet
Pens
Instructions:
Instructions:
Column 1: “What my family expects from me.”
Column 2: “What I want for myself.”
Compare lists and identify overlaps, conflicts, or pressures.
Explore coping strategies and ways to communicate with family.
Counseling Focus:
Counseling Focus:
Cultural values (e.g., collectivism, filial piety, responsibility)
Emotional regulation
Identity autonom
Optional prompts:
Optional prompts:
“How does your family define success?”
“What expectations feel supportive? Which feel heavy?”
“How can you honor your family while still choosing your path?”
Campus Navigation Bingo
Campus Navigation Bingo
Purpose:
Purpose:
Reduce anxiety by familiarizing students with campus resources through exploration.
Materials:
Materials:
Bingo card (Google Docs or Canva)
List of student support offices
Example bingo squares:
Example bingo squares:
Visit tutoring center
Find financial aid office
Explore a cultural student org
Attend a professor’s office hours
Identify a quiet study space
Locate student health/counseling center
Instructions:
Give the student the bingo card for a week.
For each box they complete, ask:
How easy or intimidating was this resource?
Would you use it again? Why or why not?
Talk about comfort levels, fears, and access barriers.
Counseling Focus:
Building campus belonging
Reducing resource stigma
Increasing help-seeking behaviors
Affirmation Letter (“A Letter to My Future Self”)
Affirmation Letter (“A Letter to My Future Self”)
Purpose:
Purpose:
Build self-confidence, pride, and emotional resilience.
Materials:
Materials:
Paper or Google Doc
Instructions:
Instructions:
Ask students to write a letter to their future self (6–12 months ahead).
Prompts:
What challenges have you overcome as a first-gen student?
What strengths do you want to remember about yourself?
What advice would you give your future self?
What do you hope will feel easier or more possible by then?
Seal it in an envelope or schedule an email reminder to revisit later
Counseling Focus:
Self-recognition
Resilience
Imposter syndrome support
Resource Description
Resource Description
My project focuses on supporting first-generation college students (FGCS), who often navigate college with unique pressures related to family expectations, limited guidance on campus systems, and financial or social stress. Research consistently shows that these factors shape students’ sense of belonging, mental health, and academic outcomes. Stebleton et al. (2014) highlight that first-gen students report higher stress and lower belonging than their continuing-generation peers, which makes culturally responsive counseling especially important.
To address these needs, I created the “First-Generation Student Counseling Toolkit,” a practical set of activities counselors can use to help first-gen students build confidence, reflect on their experiences, and strengthen their sense of identity. The toolkit emphasizes a multicultural counseling lens by encouraging counselors to consider students’ cultural backgrounds, family dynamics, and lived experiences during sessions.
The toolkit includes activities such as a Life Map Exercise (to explore personal and family milestones), a Family Expectations Reflection (to discuss balancing self-direction with cultural or familial obligations), a Campus Navigation Bingo activity (to help students explore support resources), and an Affirmation Letter exercise (to build resilience and self-recognition). Together, these tools offer structure while still allowing students to express themselves authentically.
Overall, this resource is designed to help counselors facilitate meaningful conversations, validate students’ experiences, and provide intentional support that aligns with the challenges highlighted in the research. The goal is to help first-gen students feel more confident, connected, and understood throughout their college journey.
References
Stebleton, M. J., Soria, K. M., & Huesman, R. L. (2014). First-generation students’ sense of belonging, mental health, and academic success: Implications for counseling and support services. Journal of College Student Development, 55(1), 1–16.
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