As a college degree becomes increasingly important for individuals seeking employment, the numbers of first-generation students continues to grow. With the first-generation student pool comprised largely of members of working class families, ethnic minorities, women, and or adults, community colleges have always viewed first-generation students as a primary clientele. One of the greatest challenges confronted by first-generation students is that college attendance represents a departure from the pattern established by family and friends, who may in turn become non-supportive or obstructionist. This problem can be particularly difficult for traditional-age students who continue to live at home. First-generation students are often less well prepared for college than their classmates from college-educated families. In addition to being less prepared academically, such students often have insufficient knowledge of time-management techniques; the economic realities of college life; and the impersonal, bureaucratic nature of educational institutions. Among the strategies which colleges can employ to assist first-generation students are: (1) specialized outreach, tutoring, and mentoring programs; (2) bridge programs, linking high schools and post-secondary institutions to help students confront the obstacles to successful college preparation; and (3) college-orientation classes reviewing practical skills, college procedures, and available support services. For first-generation adult students, suggested instructional strategies include placing an emphasis on critical and analytical thinking skills, and offering interdisciplinary courses centered on specific themes. (PAA)