First Year Florida

COURSE DESCRIPTION

First Year Florida (FYF) is a course led by a UF faculty/staff and an upper classmen student, a Peer Leader, with the main goal of helping students adjust to their new home. This UF Promise section of FYF is designed to assist you in your transition into the University of Florida. This course is concerned with the development of academic and personal skills that support success in college. This course aims to help students develop the practical, social, emotional, and intellectual skills that are essential to four fulfilling years at UF, provide a foundation for a well-rounded college experience, connect students to the University of Florida, promote engagement within and outside the classroom, and communicate university expectations.

Course Objective

First Year Florida educates new students to maximize their learning and development. As a result of taking this course, students will:

• Connect with faculty, staff, and peers at the University of Florida.
• Identify university resources and services that contribute to their personal and educational goals.
• Recognize the purpose of reflection, critical thinking, and enriching educational opportunities within and outside the classroom.
• Evaluate the effects of personal well-being on student success and engagement.
• Recognize the academic, conduct, and citizenship expectations of the University of Florida.
• Develop an awareness and respect for being a part of a diverse global community​.

Service Learning Project

The service learning project is a crucial element in the First Year Florida course that allows first-year students the opportunity to give back, further enriching their awareness of the needs of their community.

Past cohorts have worked alongside Alachua County’s Habitat for Humanity helping to build a home for a family in need, served meals with the Saint Francis House and decorated for the Gainesville Ronald McDonald House.