Save the date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Presenting Sponsor
The First-Generation Experience presented by OnPath is designed to introduce college life to first-generation students. A first-generation student is one who does not have a parent or guardian with a four-year university degree. You might have older siblings or cousins who have gone to college, but you are still among the first in your family to pursue higher education. Joining the Nicholls family will be an exciting and sometimes unknown experience, but we are here to help make that transition easier. This event will help introduce you to the people and services on campus that are invested in your success at Nicholls!
Join us on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. This is a conference-style event allowing you to choose which informational sessions you want to attend. You will customize your day to meet your needs! See below for tentative workshop topics and the day’s schedule. All sessions will be held in the Bollinger Memorial Student Union unless otherwise noted on the schedule.
The students said...
All students are welcome and we hope to see you there. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Registration is open, click below to register.
The Details
Colonel Concierge
A very important part of this experience will be your Colonel Concierge. Before the event you will be contacted by a Nicholls faculty, staff member, or student who will work with you to plan your day. This person will also join you once you check in and they will accompany you during the day. Your Colonel Concierge will be there to answer questions and guide you around campus as you go through the First-Generation Experience.
Workshop Topics
Join a representative from the library and our Tutorial and Academic Enhancement Center as they help you plan how to study for success in college. You will learn about the resources available in the Ellender Memorial Library as well as how to get on-campus tutoring.
In this workshop we will show you how to compose an effective email and talk about the importance of communicating with your instructors. We will also teach you how to set yourself up for success using your course syllabus as an effective planning tool. Communication and planning are very important skills for college success and beyond and this workshop will help you start off on the right foot.
Our Assistant Director and Counselor & Outreach Coordinator from the University Counseling Center will tell you about the ups and downs of mental health during college and provide you with strategies to help you be proactive in self-care and managing your wellness.
One of the most important skills you can develop for success in college an beyond is effective time management. Join our Academic Advising Center staff as they help you learn how to manage the many activities that come along with being a college student and teach you how to plan, organize, and prioritize for success.
This workshop is intended for students who will be living in one of our residence halls. Join the housing staff as they fill you in on everything you need to know to get ready to move-in on campus.
By now, you’ve done a lot to get your finances settled in time to start classes, but do you really know everything you need to know? In this workshop, representatives from Financial Aid will help you make sure everything is in order for classes to start and fill you in on what you need you know.
Let us introduce you to the many opportunities to get involved on campus. From recreational activities, faith-based organizations, academic clubs, and Greek organizations; there are so many ways to find your place on campus and meet new people.
If you are not familiar with Canvas, you might have heard of Moodle or Blackboard before. Canvas is the learning management system that Nicholls uses. It is very important that you know how to use this program as it is the primary program for class activities and often times assignment submission and grade reporting.
With your student email comes access to a variety of helpful programs in the Google Suites including Google Pages, Sheets, and many others. These programs will be used in many of your classes and learning them will provide you with skills that will he useful beyond your college career. Join our educational technology expert, Dr. Sara Dempster, and learn about these helpful academic and career tools.
Do you want to prepare for your first-semester math course in a way that helps you be more confident and successful? Join Ms. Allison Bergeron and Ms. Sara Granier from our Mathematics department for “How to Succeed in Math Courses.”
Do you want to prepare for your first-semester science course in a way that helps you be more confident and successful? Join Dr. Kaisa Young and Dr. Sarah Bergeron from our Physical Sciences department for “How to Succeed in Science Courses.”
Schedule
This is the tentative schedule for the day’s events. All sessions are located in The Bollinger Memorial Student Union unless otherwise noted on the schedule. During breakout sessions, students may choose which workshop to attend.
- 8:30 – 9:00: Check-In (Student Union Lobby Snack Bar Area)
- 9:00 – 9:30: Welcome Session/Meet with Colonel Concierge (Student Union Lobby)
- 9:45 – 10:30: Breakout Session 1 (student’s choice)
- 10:45 – 11:30: Academic Colleges Session (designated rooms)
- 11:45 – 12:45 Lunch (cafeteria)
- 1:00 – 1:45: Breakout Session 3 (student’s choice)
- 2:00 – 2:45: Breakout Session 4 (student’s choice)
- 3:00 – 4:30: Campus Business (various locations) and After-Party (Student Union Snack Bar Area). Admissions will be available for campus tours and schedule walk-throughs (weather permitting). Hang out with us and get your event t-shirt and sign up for door prizes.
Following the last breakout session, you will be able to visit campus offices to complete any business you may need to attend to on campus.
We will also be hosting an after-party in the Bollinger Student Union snack bar area. Please join us for refreshments, prizes, or to shop for Colonel gear in bookstore. Colonel eSports will also be open for gamers and you will be able to pick-up your event t-shirt.
The First-Generation Experience would not be possible without the help of our presenting sponsor. Students will be able to visit the OnPath table at the event for a special for new account holders. Thank you OnPath for partnering with us to host this event!
