The First Year Experience Program
Encyclopedia
Freshman Seminar Program or The First Year Experience is a program that is instituted at many American
college
s and universities
which is designed to help students prepare for the transition from high school
to college. Depending on the school, the course could last anywhere from two weeks to one full school year. Some larger universities go as far as to reserve sections of Dorm Rooms as well as the university itself and creates a "small college" feel in a large university setting by allowing all freshmen to do their first year courses in one section of the university such as the "Project Renaissance Program" the State University of New York at Albany http://www.albany.edu/projren/info/info.htm.
, whom to this day houses a research center and holds several different workshops for colleges to better their own first year programs at their colleges and universities http://www.sc.edu/univ101/.
Breakdown of most First Year Programs.
Many of the colleges and universities that have the program, require that all students who are incoming freshman, take freshman seminar as a requirement, other schools have the program as optional, yet recommended. Most first year seminars are a semester long and start at college orientation
. From orientation, students enroll in the course which gives them a breakdown of how to study for tests, to giving them tours of the campus. Many schools even take their students to help them purchase books from the school's bookstore.
As a standard for most first year seminars, many colleges will give students one to two credits
for completing the program such as UC Irvine. http://www.freshmanseminar.uci.edu/. Many schools such as SUNY College of Old Westbury in Old Westbury, Long Island merges the program into a second course which helps to satisfy New York's
general education requirement. http://www.oldwestbury.edu. In addition, SUNY Old Westbury recently introduced its Civic Engagement http://www.oldwestbury.edu/academics/commengprog.cfm program which is designed to allow students to participate in community service as apart of its first year experience program.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s and universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
which is designed to help students prepare for the transition from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
to college. Depending on the school, the course could last anywhere from two weeks to one full school year. Some larger universities go as far as to reserve sections of Dorm Rooms as well as the university itself and creates a "small college" feel in a large university setting by allowing all freshmen to do their first year courses in one section of the university such as the "Project Renaissance Program" the State University of New York at Albany http://www.albany.edu/projren/info/info.htm.
History and Breakdown of Program
While the origins of the program remains unclear, many people attribute the start of the First Year Seminar to The University of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, whom to this day houses a research center and holds several different workshops for colleges to better their own first year programs at their colleges and universities http://www.sc.edu/univ101/.
Breakdown of most First Year Programs.
Many of the colleges and universities that have the program, require that all students who are incoming freshman, take freshman seminar as a requirement, other schools have the program as optional, yet recommended. Most first year seminars are a semester long and start at college orientation
Student orientation
Student orientation or new student orientation, is a period of time at the beginning of the academic year at a university or other tertiary institution during which a variety of events are held to orient and welcome new students. The name of the period varies by country...
. From orientation, students enroll in the course which gives them a breakdown of how to study for tests, to giving them tours of the campus. Many schools even take their students to help them purchase books from the school's bookstore.
Credits for taking first year program
for completing the program such as UC Irvine. http://www.freshmanseminar.uci.edu/. Many schools such as SUNY College of Old Westbury in Old Westbury, Long Island merges the program into a second course which helps to satisfy New York's
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
general education requirement. http://www.oldwestbury.edu. In addition, SUNY Old Westbury recently introduced its Civic Engagement http://www.oldwestbury.edu/academics/commengprog.cfm program which is designed to allow students to participate in community service as apart of its first year experience program.