The First Year Seminar (FYS) is a graduation requirement that provides students with a gateway to the academic and co-curricular experience at LaGuardia. It will offer you a closer look at your chosen major and career plan, help you develop study skills key to success in college, and introduce you to the many resources available at LaGuardia. You can stop by the FYS lab in C-447 if you need assistance with your ePortfolio or with any other FYS assignment.
- Connect with a faculty member within your major.
- Work with a Student Success Mentor (SSM).
- Learn about your major and related career opportunities.
- Strengthen essential study skills like time-management and note-taking as well as learn strategies that support academic success.
- Learn about the course selection process at LaGuardia and create a graduation plan.
- Learn about transfer options once you graduate and start to work toward specific transfer goals.
- Develop your own academic ePortfolio and learn about LaGuardia’s digital tools.
- Learn about the importance of co-curricular participation and what events you should attend.
- Develop an awareness of the many resources available to help you succeed in college.
Absolutely! The course will prove to be especially useful in introducing you to LaGuardia's courses, resources, policies and transfer options. It will also offer you an opportunity to connect with faculty, other students, and staff which will help you successfully transition to a new college environment. It is also a requirement of all LaGuardia students, including transfer students.
The First Year Seminar includes a Studio Hour facilitated by a Student Success Mentor. During this hour, you will create your own ePortfolio and be mentored by an SSM. SSMs, all of whom are either current LaGuardia students or graduates attending a 4-year college, understand what it means to be a LaGuardia student and will share their experiences, tips and resources to help you succeed at LaGuardia.
ePortfolio is a digital tool which you will use to collect and store your academic work, reflect on your learning over time and connect with classmates, faculty, advisors, and prospective employers. You will begin the staged process of building your ePortfolio in the First Year Seminar and continue to add to and reflect on its contents from semester to semester. ePortfolio will help you gain an understanding of your own growth and improvement as a college student. While developing your ePortfolio, you will begin developing an academic and professional digital identity as well as basic graphic design skills. The
Virtual FYS Lab, is able to provide you with additional ePortfolio support.