First-Year Experience

First-year students at CLA Career Exploration Days

Your First-Year Experience (FYE) course in CLA introduces you to life at "the U" and in the Twin Cities, connecting you with resources and with your peers.

First-Year Experience

All first-year CLA students take part in CLA's First-Year Experience (FYE) program during their initial fall and spring semesters. FYE is divided into two 1-credit online experiences: CLA 1001 and CLA 1002.

Your FYE courses will help you learn effective study habits, goal setting, and career preparation. By connecting you with faculty, staff, and campus resources — like the University Libraries, CLA Career Services, and the Center for Writing — FYE prepares you for the rest of your university experience and beyond.

Even though it's an online course, FYE has in-person components and offers a nurturing support structure. You'll be part of a smaller section of your peers, so you can get to know the other students in your cohort. Your Section Leader is a CLA student who will act as a mentor that you can turn to with questions regarding all aspects of student life—such as health resources, campus jobs, or housing.

CLA President's Emerging Scholars Program

The President's Emerging Scholars (PES) program in CLA offers a number of services that address the needs of students who have overcome social, economic, or physical barriers to educational achievement — which could include urban students, first-generation college students, rural students, student parents, students with disabilities, students of color, older students, and non-native speakers of English. CLA-PES students enroll in their First-Year Experience course together.