From day one, you’re part of a built-in community. In a close-knit mentoring pod with peers on a similar path, you’ll learn, ask questions, and grow together in a space where you can be yourself. With support from mentors who have navigated similar academic and social transitions, you’ll have guidance and connection from the very beginning—so you’re never figuring it out alone.
First View gave me a community of upperclassmen I know I can relate to and rely on. The kindness and wisdom of my mentors helped ease my transition to Vanderbilt.
Following Summer Transition, we kick off the academic year with an ice cream social for you and your family on Move-in Day. You’ll reconnect with your friends and mentors as we snap group photos, hand out swag and distribute calendar events for the year.
Running alongside our mentorship pods, we organize monthly programming that brings everyone together. Events range from an interactive session on time management and study hacks to a horseback riding outing to a First Gen Night at a school basketball game.
Mentors guide their pods through at least three engagement activities per semester, from informal social gatherings to academic
workshops and professional development sessions. Throughout the process, you’ll be asked to communicate and work together as a team as you collaborate, adapt, divide roles, and uphold accountability together.
First View
firstview@vanderbilt.edu