FYE: Student Profiles

First-Year Experience Student Profiles

"I found it extremely beneficial in helping me in the transition from high school to college. I was in Dr. McAllister's seminar, Great Ideas. First-Year Seminar taught me essential study skills which I now use in all of my classes. It also showed me how valuable my education at a liberal arts college is. I am very grateful for my positive FYS experience, which I believe had a big hand in my success as a first-year college student."

- Danielle Schneider '09
(New Castle, DE)

"First-year Seminar really gave me a heads up about what I was to expect in my classes from then on. It is definitely a good way to ease a student in to a college work load. I was glad we got to come early and have everything explained to us, in detail, in a small class setting. Besides the fact that all of the classes are so interesting, it allowed me to meet my best friends here at Catawba. I also found out about many of the clubs I am now involved in through my seminar." Read more...

- Alex Will '08
(Milton, MA)

"The First-Year Seminar really got me acclimated to Catawba College. I was extremely nervous about moving away from home and beginning college. But the First-Year Seminar showed me that there was nothing to worry about. I feel much more comfortable talking to professors and upperclassmen since we were in intimate groups with Alphas right there to answer our questions." Read more...

- Lauren Flynn '07
(Woodleaf, NC)

"In First-Year Seminar, we learned how to do basic things that are good study and class skills for college that I did not know when I came to Catawba. Some examples are book marking, note taking skills, and how to listen to your professor and follow a syllabus and know that it (syllabus) means what it says." Read more...

- Megan Fulsom '08
(Mt. Pleasant, SC)

"I have had so much fun being a part of the Living/Learning Community. I really feel like I've made lifelong friends that I otherwise would not have met. We have such a closer connection than others on campus because we have been together so much and have become an essential part of each others' lives. As for academics, this community has made the transition into college-level courses a great deal easier. The personal relationships we established first as a community enabled us to rely on each other for greater academic help."

- Mike Matthias '09
(Georgetown, DE)

"I will never forget, nor regret my experience with the Catawba First-Year Seminar and the Living/Learning Community. Over the past year, I have begun to understand who I really am and want to be as a person. The Living/Learning Community has definitely helped me to do that. I'm not gonna' lie, when picking the preference order for the FYS there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to pick the one with the Living/Learning Community because it specified that I would get to live in a desirable dorm. I was all for it. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life." Read more...

- Nicole Durant '09
(Fairview, NC)

"First-Year Seminar helps students be able to transition from childlike aspect of high school to a more adult-like world. Living on campus and that experience helped more than the seminar. Some of us became good friends. I still talk to many of the people in from seminar class when I see them around campus. IT ROCKED!!!!"

- Robbie Farlow '09
(Randleman, NC)

"In our seminar class, I found that we had a lot of materials to read and understand. Sometimes we would have to write responses to them or have ideas to discuss in class. I've found that in many of my other classes reading and being able to understand and respond to the readings is a major part of the class. So by gaining the experience and finding out exactly what was expected of me in my seminar class I was able to convert that over to my other classes." Read more...

- Sarah Conrad '08
(Fountain Inn, SC)

"In the First-Year Seminar, you learn things such as book marking that I use to this day in every class I have. Being a freshman, it is a whole new experience coming out of high school and into college. Being in the seminar gave me an opportunity to get to know new people. A lot of the kids in my seminar are still close to this day! We all looked out for one another and helped each other out." Read more...

- Sarah Howard '09
(Stafford, VA)