This basic truth about the college experience can derail first-year students who may have difficulty making the transition to college-level work and college-level expectations.
As part of the Common Experience in the EXP@CSC curriculum, Culver-Stockton has designed a first-year experience to help students master the transition. An academic course required during the first semester on campus for all freshmen (and transfer students who have completed less than 24 college credit hours) provides faculty and peer mentoring, academic skill development, social networking, in-depth exploration of a topic or theme, opportunities for critical thinking, and a better understanding of the expectations of college life.
FYE Course
When freshmen and some transfer students (less than 24 college credits) register for their first semester at C-SC, they will pick from among 10-15 First-Year Experience Course topics. A faculty instructor and an undergraduate teaching assistant teach each course, which is restricted to fewer than 20 students to maximize individual attention. Students take the FYE Course as a regular college-level course (3 credit hours). Many of the topics are related to themes from a common reading assignment that students will be required to complete over the summer. Every FYE Course includes an intensive writing component.
What Students Learn
Every FYE Course, regardless of topic, focuses first-year students on acquiring the same basic skills:
- Better understand the commitment and work ethic necessary for collegiate success
- Become familiar with C-SC services, electronic resources and student involvement opportunities
- Build the skills for academic success – studying, note taking and test taking
- Strengthen fundamental life skills – critical thinking, stress and time management, self-discipline
- Gain appreciation for C-SC as a comprehensive college while exploring its policies, procedures and academic expectations
- Clarify personal career goals/possibilities and what is required to achieve them
- Develop confidence and the willingness to explore ideas in writing
- Articulate ideas in writing accurately, efficiently and effectively through journaling and class assignments
- Use writing to think, learn and communicate
For more details about First-Year Experience Courses, see the Culver-Stockton Academic Catalog.
