Table of Contents

Introduction : "trying to do school"
Paths diverged : student outcomes by college generational status
Being a transitional generation and navigating schools
Middle and high school transitions and experiences on the path to college
College transitions : five paths post high school
Smoothing pathways from middle school to college
The journey before us : first-generation college students and college completion

About the Author

Laura Nichols is an associate professor of sociology at Santa Clara University in California. She is the co-editor of Undocumented and In College: Students and Institutions in a Climate of National Hostility. 

Reviews

"This book should appeal to researchers in the fields of the sociology of education, as it contributes to the literature on Latinos and first-generation college students. This is an important text, as it highlights the barriers FGC students confront, in spite of institutional efforts to mitigate the effects of those transitions."— Journal of Latinos and Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education 'Selected New Books on Higher Education' round-up
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Selected-New-Books-on-Higher/247906— Chronicle of Higher Education
“In this approachable yet informative work, Laura Nichols explores why first-generation students struggle to remain on the journey toward college enrollment and completion. This thoroughly-researched book is very impressive!”— Susan A. Dumais, Lehman College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York
"'The Journey Before Us' - Author describes her book on first-generation students" by Scott Jaschik
 — Inside Higher Education