First-Year Experience

You have chosen Marshall University for a variety of reasons, however, the one common theme is that you want to be successful.  The First-Year Experience program at Marshall University is designed for your success.  The First-Year Experience program (FYE) offers support services and programs that help you find success during your first year of college; it is designed specifically for those students who are transitioning from high school to college.  We are here to help our newest undergraduate students transition into the academic, social, and cultural community.  Living on campus and participating in the FYE program will ensure that you will be afforded every opportunity to get involved in every aspect of Marshall University.

Success Academically: FYE will help you find academic support, faculty mentoring and additional resources for your academic success.  FYE will connect you with faculty and other students who have similar interests, values and goals to form study groups and create an open forum for discussions.

Success Socially: FYE will ease your transition to Marshall by introducing you to the many organizations and opportunities available on campus.  You will be exposed to opportunities to participate in such programs as Student Government, the Honors Program, Greek Life, Athletics, environmentalism, community service, and any of the more than 192 student organizations on campus.

Success Culturally: The FYE program is most successful when you live on campus.  It affords you the opportunity to live with those from other sections of the state, regions of the country and nations of the world.  The FYE program helps you to learn to become a more global citizen, to understand other students’ motivation, other cultures, and to expand your opportunities for interactions with other students.

The First-Year Experience has proven to cultivate a higher retention rate among first-year students, and has made the overall experience as a Marshall University student more rewarding and fulfilling.  The First-Year Experience program will help you balance your time between the classroom and having an active social life.  You will learn about making good choices for your health, mind and your spirit.  Your First-Year Experience and living in the residence halls at Marshall will create memories that last a lifetime and build a solid foundation for your future.

Students will encounter the First Year Experience through a variety of activities including:

• Orientation introduces freshman and their parents to college life; students register for classes and tour their residence halls.
  
• Welcome Weekend attempts to ease the transition to campus life by engaging students in a variety of activities on their first weekend at Marshall.
  
• All freshman are required to participate in the New Student Seminar which utilizes the One Book Program as a means of unifying students.
  
• Campus Life Activities will engage students and encourage them to become involved on-campus.