Abstract: Every year, the amount of people attending and graduating from institutions of higher education increases. Although this may be true, there continues to be a community of people who are the first in their families to pursue a degree at a college or university. This is a great accomplishment that is accompanied by a great amount of pressure to succeed and to be a role model for all future generations. This pressure, along with having to navigate institutions of higher education alone, leads to issues regarding mental health, retention rates, identity, and more. There are many struggles faced by first-generation college students, but every one of them has a solution that can be implemented by the students themselves, professors, and everyone involved at a college or university.