First-generation undergraduates—those without family members who attended college—are particularly impacted by the academic and social challenges posed by what is known as the hidden curriculum. These challenges can include deciphering unwritten expectations, not having experience developing effective study strategies, and navigating the intricacies of sometimes decentralized campus support systems.
Rachel Gable explores this idea in depth in her book The Hidden Curriculum: First Generation Students at Legacy Universities, where one of the students she quotes observes that “[T]here are professors and teaching [assistants] who don’t know that kids are here who aren’t prepared from the start. I would really like more assistance from the academic side and to not be judged for not knowing some things.”
Interested in learning new ways I might support first-gen students in my own teaching, I met with Brittany Morgan and Rachel Branco, faculty members in Notre Dame’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. Together, we compiled practical strategies to support first-generation students in both small classes and large lectures. While these approaches are especially valuable for first-generation students, they also promote engagement, belonging, and success for students broadly.
Part I: Supporting First-Gen Students in Small Classes
1. Build “Pause Points” into Your Class
Small classes allow for discussion, but they can also overwhelm students who may not yet be confident in their ability to comb through material and speak up in real time. Professor Morgan highlights the importance of intentional pauses during class to give students the space to process material at a manageable pace. These breaks prevent confusion later in the class period and invite quieter students to participate.
2. Reduce Stigma Around Seeking Help
Many first-generation students hesitate to seek help to avoid appearing unprepared. Instructors can normalize questions and uncertainty to encourage participation. Professor Morgan highlights Notre Dame’s Care and Wellness Support, which matches students with a consultant to identify strategies and resources regarding academic, social, physical, mental, financial, or spiritual concerns.
3. Create Flexible, Active Office Hours
Traditional office hours may not align with the schedules of first-generation students, who are often more likely to work part-time jobs after class or on the weekends. Offering rotating office hours or occasional evening and weekend sessions can improve accessibility.
First-generation students may also be less familiar with the purpose of office hours and view them as spaces for emergencies or struggling students. Structuring office hours as collaborative, low-pressure problem-solving sessions helps to normalize attendance and encourages students to view them as a regular part of learning.
Part II: Supporting First-Gen Students in Large Lecture Courses
1. Structure “Built in Grace” into the Syllabus
Large lectures can feel rigid, but flexible policies acknowledge that life can be unpredictable. Professor Branco allows her students to drop their lowest exam grade, which provides built-in grace when life gets difficult. Rather than lowering standards, this approach ensures that a single difficult week does not derail a student’s learning. Building grace into the syllabus supports all students and is especially valuable to those who might have fewer personal safety nets.
2. Make Exams a Learning Experience, Not Just a Measurement
Professor Branco uses a collaborative exam model in which students take a test individually, then retake the exam in groups, with 80 percent of the grade based on individual performance. She finds that group exams increase retention, normalize mistakes, strengthen reasoning skills, and foster supportive study habits and classroom collaboration.
3. Communicate Expectations Early, Clearly, and Often
A transparent syllabus acts as a roadmap for students who may not know the hidden curriculum. Clear explanations of grading, extra credit, late policies, assignment drops, and study expectations reduce anxiety and allow students to plan. Reinforcing these expectations throughout the term helps students stay grounded even when the course moves quickly or when life gets in the way.
Part III: Strategies That Work in Both Small and Large Classes
1. Normalize Help-Seeking and Growth
Regular reminders that learning is a lifelong skill and that asking for help is a sign of growth reduces the amount of shame students feel when they don’t know an answer and encourages them to reach out early.
2. Proactively Reach Out and Build Community from Day One
Quick check-ins with students who fall behind or miss class show care for those who may feel unseen. Community can be built through simple icebreakers or first-day surveys that invite students to share goals and concerns. Small gestures like learning and using students’ names help them feel recognized and foster a sense of belonging for everyone in the room.
3. Connect Course Material to Career Paths
Assignments that link concepts to careers, exposure to research groups, and guidance on contacting faculty help first-gen students build their professional identity. Highlighting the researchers behind the concepts being taught, especially those from similar backgrounds, strengthens students’ sense of possibility. In addition, connecting course concepts to real-world issues helps all students understand the relevance of the material, making the discipline feel more accessible.
Monica Stefaniak is a graduate associate at Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and is pursuing a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University.
Originally published by at learning.nd.edu on May 19, 2026.