Incoming Students "Connect" to Utah State

Incoming Students "Connect" to Utah State

Going away to college can be a frightening experience; a new place, new people, new subjects and more homework. For many incoming freshmen, high school is a thing of the past and college life is a whole new challenge. To ease the transition from high school to college life, Utah State University has developed the Connections program.

Connections is a course held the week before classes begin and gives incoming students the opportunity to listen to formal lectures, share, reflect, ask questions and develop learning strategies for the following semester. Students also learn to navigate the Utah State campus easily by attending workshops and classes held in different areas of campus.

"Our research proves that students who attend Connections feel more connected to Utah State, use more campus resources and tend to be more involved in campus life," said Noelle Call, director of the Academic Resource Center at Utah State. "Repeatedly, students comment on how quickly they have the opportunity to make friends, get their questions answered, find their way around campus, begin to absorb the campus culture, and start the semester more confident that they will have a successful first year."

One student who attended the course said it was excellent for learning the ropes of Utah State, and that the materials assigned were very productive and relevant to learning.

"I especially liked how the students were able to ask questions about college or what concerns they had," said one participant. "By doing this, the class got into discussions that were useful to me, and I was able to find out things about college I did not know about before."

Those attending the workshops arrive the week before classes begin, then also have the opportunity to attend meetings once, twice or three times a week during the semester, depending on the amount of credits the students would like to earn.

"These additional classes are designed to provide an opportunity for the students to meet with their instructor and classmates and to evaluate their progress after the semester begins," said Call. "This is a good chance for them to ask more questions, seek resources, and reevaluate their study strategies for the semester."

According to Call, assignments are required to complete the course with an acceptable grade. Some assignments require writing through personal observation and research of topics. Other assignments are checklists of the facts and concepts discussed in class or workshops. All assignments are graded and are designed to help the students apply information during the semester, said Call.

This year Connections will incorporate a common literature experience into the curriculum as well, by asking the students to read A Hope in the Unseen, by Ron Suskin, and complete a journal reading assignment before they attend. According to Call, the reading assignment is a national trend at campuses across the country.

Aside from the educational experience gained through lectures and workshops, Connections participants have the opportunity to gain a social experience by attending evening activities, such as comedy night, a movie and night games, where they can meet new friends.

"I loved Connections and felt that it was very helpful," said a previous attendee. "The time management exercise was especially helpful to show me how much time I actually have and how much I waste. The overall program was excellent and helped me start my freshman year of college in an excellent way."

For more information about Connections, contact Call at (435) 797-1194 ornoelle.call@usu.edu. Lindsay Lyman, student coordinator, can also be contacted at 1-866-215-1127 or connections@cc.usu.edu. For general information please visit the Connections Web site at www.usu.edu/connections.

Contact: Noelle Call, (435) 797-1194, noelle.call@usu.edu
Writer: Tracey Fox, (435) 797-5506, tracey.fox@usu.edu