First Year Experience
The Center for Educational Opportunity team is excited to assist you with making a transition from high school to college as well as creating a successful first year. It is our mission to support your personal, educational, and professional growth. As a CeO student, you have a wonderful opportunity to participate in the First Year Experience. Based on current research on college retention and graduation, this year-long program is designed to address many key components of the college experience such as community building through structured course schedule, intensive advising, and academic skills building.
Your CeO advisor along with other staff will assist you through the various steps of the program. We look forward to hearing about your first year experiences with us and hope that the program will help provide you with a strong foundation for a successful academic and career experience.
Components of the First-Year Experience
Strategies for Success
A week long orientation before the start of the fall semester is designed to orient you to many aspects of your college life. During the orientation you will be participating in workshops and activities that will not only help you during your first few weeks in college but will also provide you with a strong foundation for your college career. Check out the 2009 Strategies for Success Schedule HERE.
Peer Mentors
A peer mentor will be assigned to you based on your personal and academic interests. These volunteer mentors are upper-class CeO students who will be there to show you “the ropes,” answer questions, and be a friend. Click HERE for a mentee application.
Courses
We provide you with the opportunity to network and build communities through a variety of courses. By taking the Student Support Services courses you will see familiar faces, able to form study groups , and build friendship through shared academic experiences. Click HERE for information on FIGs and other course through the program.
Counseling Psychology 115: Educational Effectiveness, 1 credit
This course uses group activities and discussion to assist you in clarifying your goals for UW and beyond, developing strategies for overcoming academic obstacles, and using newly developed strategies to achieve personal goals.
Intensive Advising
During your first year you will be working closely with your assigned an SSS advisor to discuss your academic progress as well as other issues effecting your life as a student. Beside maintaining a regular contact with your advisor, we expect you to meet with him/her to review your midterm grades and discuss your course selection.