First Year Seminar (FYS)

A safe place to land…and take off.

Welcome to your new adventure! First Year Seminar isn’t your average classroom — it’s a cozy hub where you’ll bond with fellow first-year and transfer students who live right in your residence hall. With supportive professors guiding you, you’ll learn what you need to explore campus like a pro. Also, you and your classmates will directly interact with community organizations from the region surrounding Alma. Plus, the assignments are all about creating a foundation for you to engage in college-level research questions YOU are passionate about.

Simply put: in First Year Seminar, you’ll build lasting friendships on a strong foundation for academic success!

Students sit in groups at desks with laptops and notebooks in a classroom, working together on assignments as part of a first year seminar. The room has red chairs, gray tables, and a mix of natural and artificial light.

About the course

First Year Seminar is a one term course that students take that provides a unique opportunity for all first-year students, designed around topics that spark your interest.
You’ll be in class with the peers you live with in your residence hall, giving you the perfect chance to build meaningful connections with your classmates and neighbors. It’s a great way to dive into college life together, both academically and socially!
Supportive professors will guide you as you learn how to explore campus like a pro.
The assignments are designed around topics that are important to and excite you!

A teacher stands at the front of a classroom, speaking to students who are seated at desks, some with laptops open as part of their learning. Notes are written on the chalkboard behind the teacher.

Benefits

You will learn

The needed skills to succeed in college (both social and academic)
The importance of mentors and engaging with the campus community
Time management
Communication skills
How to do course work and use a college library to pursue research

A group of teens and young adults in matching maroon “Spartan 101” shirts stand by the “Alma River Walk” sign in Alma, Michigan, smiling outdoors on a sunny day with trees and a building in the background.

Registration

When you meet with an advisor to discuss registering for classes, you will discuss First Year Seminar and available course topics.
As an enrolled student, you will automatically be registered for the appropriate sections.