What is the First-Year Experience?
During your first year at St. Olaf, the First-Year Experience offers opportunities for you to explore campus resources, take courses designed for your college transition, and find the people and programs that will support your personal growth, social development, and academic success. Amongst many dynamic experiences, the First-Year Experience has three main components: New Student Orientation, SOAR, and your FYE courses.
New Student Orientation
New Student Orientation (NSO) is your official welcome to St. Olaf! NSO starts in the summer before your first year through email communication, summer course registration, and an online module to help get you ready for life on campus. Our in-person NSO experience takes place from Move-In Day through your first day of classes and it is packed full with interactive sessions about your academic experience, living on the Hill, getting involved on campus, and more!
SOAR
St. Olaf Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR) is how we extend your orientation to St. Olaf throughout your first year. SOAR is intentionally built to foster connections with your peers and equip you with the knowledge, skills, and resources to be successful here on the Hill. You will meet your SOAR leaders and SOAR group members during New Student Orientation.
Academics in the First Year
The courses that make up the First-Year Experience focus on critical thinking, discussion, research and writing skills to prepare you for your college experience. You will either take a First-Year Seminar and Writing and Rhetoric course (one in the fall and one in the spring) OR you may enroll in a Conversations program.
All students take two courses as part of their First Year Experience:
a First-Year Seminar course and a Writing and Rhetoric course.
You can choose to enroll in
Individual Courses OR enroll in a Conversation Program.
What interests you? Explore your two option paths below.
INDIVIDUAL COURSES PATH
You can choose to complete the First-Year Experience by selecting from a variety of different courses. You will be with a different group of students and different faculty member each term.
Click below to see a sampling of the 80+ courses offered in the past for First-Year Seminar and Writing and Rhetoric. You’ll get to review this year’s course offerings soon when you meet for advising!
THE CONVERSATIONS PATH
You can choose to complete the First-Year Experience by selecting to be in a Conversation program. You will be with the same group of students throughout the year. Some of the Conversations programs are one year, some are two years.
Click below to see what the options are for continued conversation this upcoming year!
Do you have questions?
Someone else might be wondering the same too!
Visit our FAQ page about St. Olaf’s First-Year Experience.