Unfiltered insights. Honest advice.
Community college graduates and near graduates share how they found their way—offering insight, honesty, and advice to those just beginning their path.
Watch full-length videos of students reflecting on their college experience. Use the timestamps to skip to specific questions that interest you.
Learn about the apps, strategies, and study hacks students used to succeed. Watch videos of students explaining how they used each tool.
Explore thematic compilations and short clips grouped by topic like motivation, time management, and support systems.
The Student Wisdom Project amplifies the voices of community college and first-generation students, sharing their experiences and strategies to guide, inspire, and empower others on their path through college.
“Whenever I doubt myself, it’s because I’m thinking about everything all at once. I have to remind myself—just take it homework by homework, test by test.”
2025 Student Wisdom Project Report
Between Disruption and Discovery: What Students—and AI—Taught Me About Learning Today
Drawing on in-depth interviews with twelve first-generation community college students, this report examines what it means to learn and progress through college in the wake of the pandemic and the rapid rise of AI. The students’ stories reveal how they stay motivated, adapt their learning, and wrestle with questions of academic integrity and the purpose of education. Their insights challenge us to rethink traditional definitions of success and to create more purpose-driven, student-centered pathways in higher education. This report is for faculty, advisors, and higher-ed leaders who want a deeper understanding of today’s students and the shifting landscape they face.
The report itself is also a product of collaboration with AI, offering an example of how these tools can support qualitative research and writing as well as a discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of co-writing with AI.