When you step onto the campus of a predominantly white institution (PWI) as a Black student, you might feel like you’re entering a world where you have to balance who you are with where you are. That balance can be exhausting, but it doesn’t have to hold you back from blooming.

I know this from both sides of the classroom—first as a student, now as a professor. I did my undergraduate studies at Georgia State University when it was still very much a PWI. We used to joke that Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Plaza felt like an HBCU, but by enrollment and structure, it most certainly was not. Today, Georgia State is a minority-serving institution (MSI), and I’ve even seen it described as a primarily Black institution (PBI). The vibe is different now. Even now, before classes start back up, I feel a stronger sense of community and cultural presence. And still, it doesn’t necessarily have all the protections, resources, or legacy of an HBCU.

For those of you navigating a PWI that may not look or feel like home, I want to share some practical, heartfelt strategies to go from just surviving to blooming during your college years. These are rooted in my lived experiences, my friendships, and my professional work supporting Black youth and young adults.

Let me start with what saved me and what I study most primarily: community. On the very first day of undergrad, I met my T’nisha. Years later, when I was interviewing for grad school, I was placed to stay with Melanie. Both were Black women, like me, in spaces where we were “one of the few.” Decades later, if you’ve been reading my blog, you know they are still my best friends.

When you’re at a PWI, you’ll need people who get it. People you can laugh with about

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