{"id":4359,"date":"2020-05-29T14:48:40","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T18:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/academics\/?page_id=4359"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:57:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:57:16","slug":"first-year-seminar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.transy.edu\/academics\/liberal-arts\/first-year-seminar\/","title":{"rendered":"First Year Seminar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your intro to college learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First-year students take courses titled First-Year Seminar (FYS-1004) and First-Year Research Seminar (FYS-1104). Most students take FYS-1004 in the fall term and FYS-1104 in the winter term, then progress to FYS-1004 in the winter term. First-year seminar courses immerse you in the kinds of rigorous intellectual work you’ll use at the college level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professors from all disciplines teach the courses, and the small class size encourages close interaction between you and your professor. You’ll also be introduced to the campus Writing Center, where you can get guidance to help adjust to college-level writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Students<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First-Year Seminar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During FYS-1004, students engage a broad range of texts, from shorter essays and books to films, lectures, performances, and art exhibits. These experiences form the basis for seminar discussion and provide the materials from which students write three pieces of formal academic prose: an analytical summary, a text-based argument-response and an argumentative essay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First-Year Research Seminar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During FYS-1104, students gain extensive experience in research methods appropriate at the college level. A series of related assignments\u2014a topic analysis, an annotated bibliography, a strategic plan and a class presentation\u2014culminate with a substantive, well-informed argumentative essay of approximately 15 pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The First-Year Seminar Program focuses on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n