Every student has a first-year experience, whether it is an experience desired by campus leadership or not. The term “first-year experience,” as advocated by the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina, describes a comprehensive and intentional approach to the first college year. It comprises both curricular and cocurricular initiatives. It is the sum of all experiences students have in their first year at college. The “first-year experience” is far more than a single event, program, or course.
Fostering Student Learning and Success through First-Year Programs, Mary Stuart Hunter
What is a first-year experience program?
First and foremost, first-year experience programs help first-year students succeed in college.
As the above quote suggests, all students will have a first-year experience. However, formal programming can vary by school. They can be as robust as semester- or year-long programs full of events, courses, and one-on-one advising sessions, or as simple as a one-day orientation at the beginning of the year.
Mission
The mission of the first-year experience program is to “…support and advance efforts to improve student learning and transitions into and through higher education.” (National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition)
Goals
- Support student transitions to college
- Provide academic guidance and support
- Support student development
- Provide diverse opportunities for social interaction and engagement