Kate Gorski, nursing
Gorski is taking a First Year Experience Religions 100 course and said the group involvement has been beneficial for her.

“I really like it,” she said. “We all do it as a group – for all activities, we go together. It’s kind of nice.”

Having an older student mentor the course has also had a positive impact, she said.

“She (the mentor) is super helpful, super open when we are talking about everything,” Gorski said.

But while she thinks the program should be available for future students, she said her class writes a lot of reflections. There should be less FYE requirements as a part of the course, she said.

Mitch Recob, social work
Recob said his experience with the program has been very helpful. The mentor for the class has been “very nice” and provided assistance throughout the semester, he said.

Recob is currently enrolled in the FYE course College Learning Strategies, and says it is a good transition from high school to college.

“It’s really good to see other freshmen doing the same thing I am,” he said. “It’s good to know I’m not alone.”

Anna DuRand, undeclared
Currently enrolled in an English 110 FYE class, DuRand said the program has good intentions.

“I think it has a good concept and tries to help freshmen,” she said. “Small improvements could be made.”

One such improvement would be helping students become more aware of the program and its requirements, DuRand said.

DuRand also said her class wasn’t forced to attend outside events, but that her roommate’s FYE class had to go to some. Such outside requirements are not necessarily beneficial the entire semester, she said.

“I think in the beginning it might be good,” she said. “But as you go on, you do your own thing.”

Alyssa Celeste, elementary education
Celeste said there are definitely requirement differences between each of the FYE course offerings. She said her roommate had a more “intense” version of the FYE program, but said she doesn’t think the differences are enough to spur a change to the program.

Celeste also said taking the FYE version of Physics 100 has allowed her to be more engaged with the class and the campus as a whole.

“We (the class) got more involved with the teacher and went to events with him,” she said. “They helped me get involved with activities going on here.”

Monet Barnes, elementary education
The FYE program serves a good purpose, but some changes could be made, Barnes said.

“It attempts to help me reach other people,” she said, “but I’ve done that on my own.”

Barnes, who is currently taking the FYE Biology 100 course, also said she has friends who have had to write many papers about outside events. These requirements shouldn’t be a part of the courses, she said, adding it would be odd for a class like biology to include grades from outside activities.

However, Barnes said she does like her FYE class, adding she likes the instructor more than the actual program. The FYE mentor and an entirely freshman class have been two helpful factors, she said.

“It just causes freshmen to be more comfortable the first day of school,” she said.

– Compiled by Ashley Hofer