FYE Requirements / First-Year Experience Program

The First-Year Experience is a sequence of courses designed to help you develop the skills necessary to be a successful college student and a thoughtful, engaged and caring member of society. First-Year classes assist with the transition to college academics and create small learning communities that support you academically and personally. First-Year Experience is structured to provide you with an engaging learning environment.

You'll find the First-Year Experience two places...

In The Classroom

Required courses, specially crafted with first-year students in mind, help first-years adjust to college life and find their own voice.

First-Year Writing Seminar

FYE Writing Seminars (WRIT 101) are required of all First-Year students. These classes help you learn the skills necessary to be a better writer, researcher and critical thinker in college. No single course can tach you how to write well -- it is a skill that you will spend your college career developing.
» Click here to view past Writing 101 courses.

January Term
All First-Year students are required to enroll in a four-credit course during J-Term -- a one-month term characterized by distinctive learning experiences. The first-year J-Term will expose you to the best of PLU: experiential learning; intensive classes; co-curricular programs; global education.

First-Year Inquiry Seminar
FYE Inquiry Seminars, specially designed for First-Year students, will introduce you to the methods and topics of study within a particular academic discipline or field. You might learn, for example, how geoscientists reconstruct the history of our planet, how religious historians approach the Bible, and more!
» Click here to view a list of 190 inquiry courses.

In The World

Four key events of the First-Year Experience allow students to explore their community, share, and know each other.

Discovering Horizons Together

Your first step in a successful first year is participation in Discovering Horizons Together. Your first days as a Lute will go quickly, so PLU has designed an orientation program designed to prepare you for academic success and much more!

On the Road
otr

On the Road is our off-campus orientation adventure. On Saturday, September 2, explore Tacoma, Pierce County and the world outside campus while meeting other new students, faculty, staff and current student leaders. You will have the opportunity to serve in the community, experience outdoor adventure, or enjoy local arts.

Explore!
explore2

This is an overnight experience bringing together students, faculty and staff to think about life's purpose as related to our educational journey. Through collaboration and discussion in a beautiful Pacific Northwest setting, we make time to discover our goals and passions during a pause from life's fast pace.

First-Year Experience Program