First Year Seminar

Other Opportunities

First Year Seminar (FYS), required of all first-year students during the Fall Term, is both an intensive study of a focused topic and an introduction to the intellectual life of the College. We offer dozens of exciting topics taught in a discussion-based environment to promote engagement and intellectual curiosity. The course helps you make the transition to college-level work by emphasizing academic skills such as critical reading, thinking, and analysis. FYS instructors also serve as their students’ academic advisors for the duration of the first year.

We think our FYS seminars are pretty cool, and there are plenty of benefits that help our new students adjust to college life:

  • Classes are kept small and are structured to encourage discussion
  • Thought-provoking topics reflect the instructors’ passions
  • Living/learning communities: students in some seminars will be housed together in the residence halls, extending the academic conversation beyond the classroom

First Year Seminar faculty are selected from all the departments of the College. Additional course information is available in the College Catalog.

First Year Seminar Snapshot