First Year Success

This class is designed to help your student become academically successful, socially integrated into the college environment, and in turn make them career and transfer ready.  First Year Success satisfies the Western Experience requirement.

Overview:

The first year in college is critical to your students academic success. It lays the foundation of their future academic endeavors. The First Year Success (FYS) class at Western Wyoming Community College will guide them through the transition from high school to college, and is fostered through campus involvement and support in academics. FYS connects new students to a community of faculty, professional staff, and peer mentors who will serve as partners in helping navigate the campus and connecting students to the Mustang experience. First Year Success enables students to become academically and socially independent as lifelong learners.

 The First Year Success class (HMDV 1005) is designed to:

  • Help evaluate and improve study habits, preparing a student  for the rigors of college requirements.
  • Review the ethical guidelines required for college success, including plagiarism and the proper citing of sources.
  • Create an environment where students can explore career choices and the academic requirements and skills necessary to pursue a career path.
  • Challenge students to analyze ideas from multiple perspectives and develop a well-founded opinion.
  • Teach students to identify what factors contribute to  motivation.
  • Outline all Western resources available to on campus to help  along their journey.

Western Wyoming Community College recognizes that students face unique challenges as they begin their college education. Learning to balance a variety of factors is critical to the student's success.

This course is designed to teach incoming students how to develop priorities, build organizational and study skills, enhance communication, take responsibility for their learning, understand resources available to them, and learn to positively balance their commitments. Woven throughout the course are discussions and exercises related to reading, note taking, test taking an other success strategies.

 

  • Students meet a wide variety of Western's instructors who present colloquia.
  • Students are exposed to different majors and different career paths so they can make informed choices about their majors and careers.
  • Colloquiums discuss current ideas in academia, so students become part of that academic discourse.
  • Colloquiums are free and open to the public, so the wider community can be part of this academic discourse (and they make for a cheap date!).
Western is committed to helping students achieve their goals. Institutions have had this program implemented for many years. Research shows this program increases the likelihood that students will graduate. Many students start college assuming the demands and social life are similar to high school, but they are not. The academic requirements and environment are different. This program provides the foundation and tools to help you be successful throughout your entire college experience, beyond Western.
All new, credit-earning students are required to participate in FYS. This includes full-time, part-time, and outreach students. Online sections are available as well.
You are considered a new student if you have not previously attended college. This excludes dual/concurrent work. 
 No. Only new students are required to participate in FYS. Transfer students are exempt if they have completed 32 credit hours.
Lecture, group discussion, guest instructors, articles, and additional mediums will be used. Instruction and reading of assigned material followed by a variety of discussions and activities emphasizing the skills learned will be usual class procedure. Class discussion, group presentation and assignments will be used to allow students to acquire necessary skills and strategies to be successful in all endeavors as a student at Western.
 As an ESL student, they will participate in FYS after they complete all levels of ESL.
 If they do not complete one or more of their FYS requirements, a hold will be placed on their student record, preventing them from registering in the future. Failure to complete FYS will result in their inability to graduate. A “C” or better is required in FYS in order to graduate.  
 The grade for the success seminar is pass/no –pass. If your student does not pass the FYS, they will receive a registration hold. They must retake the course.
 The FYS class is a one-credit course. Tuition is charged for the class and it is eligible to be covered by federal financial aid.

 

 

“As a first-year college student I benefited a lot from the first-year success class. I didn’t think it was going to be worth it, but it has taught me a lot about college and we have done interesting activities. Studying is a big skill that students should focus on and master early on in college. Time management is another big one. Creating enough time for homework and studying is very important. Having a good attitude towards school is a good skill I personally think is good to master. It is one I struggle with so I always try to remind myself to have a positive attitude.”

 

“This isn’t high school. Avoid procrastination as much as possible. It’s easy to put work off then become overwhelmed. You need to be open, and ask questions in order to gain knowledge.”
“In this class I learned time management, problem solving, and critical thinking. Study time is essential because tests in class and online, require a lot of new material to be learned. Time management is important because poor timing can ruin your work ethic and class scores. Critical thinking is needed to solve on-the-spot problems when learning new material and for practicing learning abilities.”
“Go to different campus events. You meet a lot of new people and make new friends while having a good time. Reach out to people in your classes and set up study groups to make your school work more enjoyable. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it no matter what it is. There are a ton of people on campus that are happy to help out.
“Do not be afraid to be the last one done. Trust your work and spend a little more time checking your work. Also make friends, because friends may have already taken a subject and can help you, as well as help relieve stress. Finally, do not fall behind. Schedule your week out and plan to get projects and assignments done by a certain point in the week, so that you do not fall behind.”
“Prioritize and make time for studying, and definitely make sure you get enough sleep. Studying will help your grades in the long run, and if you don’t sleep enough, it affects your learning. You also need to be able to communicate with your professors, and be able to know when to ask for help. If you are struggling, it is okay to ask someone. No one will judge you”

 

Want to learn more about us?

Western is an award-winning college in both our on-campus and distance learning programs. We believe our students come first, and your success is our #1 priority. Our motto says it best: “Enter with passion, leave with purpose”. Let us help you on your path to success!

Request Information Apply to Western