Helping you adjust to college. Helping you see how academic disciplines connect to deepen your learning.
First-Year Seminar
We want you to thrive at York, and that means helping you transition from high school to college. Our First-Year Seminar class and the Common Hour it’s paired with help you do just that.
First-Year Seminar lets you explore a wide range of topics while also developing skills you need to succeed as a firstyear student and in your college career. All first-years take this course, and you’ll have a First-Year Fellow (a trained student mentor) to guide you, along with your professor. You’ll meet with them both during Fall Orientation, which means you’ll already know a professor before class begins!
The Common Hour is paired with FYS that gives you an in-depth look at commonly encountered challenges for first-year students — such as student habits and sleep — and offers practical advice.
You’ll be picking your FYS class during New Spartan Days summer orientation, but we give you a preview of course offerings at Accepted Student Days so you can start making a mental list of a few prime options.
Note: Certain majors have specific FYS courses. Also, certain FYS courses are part of a Learning Community, which means you will be studying, and perhaps living with, your classmates.
Generation Next
You’re heading to a liberal arts college, which means we want you to have a well-rounded education that works with and complements your major. At York, we call that approach Generation Next (Gen Next). We help you design an educational plan of courses and experiences in and outside of the major that will help you have a fulfilling career and personal life.
Every semester, you’ll be taking courses from your major requirements, your electives, and your general education requirements. These help you toward your bachelor’s degree and any potential minors. Your advisor will help explain all of this, too!