First Year
Florida
Starting UF Strong
First Year Florida (FYF) is the University of Florida’s signature course for first-year students. First Year Florida is your guide to academic success. This one credit course features small class sizes and an upperclassman mentor, a Peer Leader, to help you adjust to your new home. This isn’t your typical academic course. With outside engagement, campus involvement and interaction with your peers, you will participate in, and maybe even make your own, gator traditions. Students who take First Year Florida have an overall higher GPA than their non-First Year Florida peers. Throughout your first semester, you’ll learn all about what makes it great at UF.
First Year Florida connects students with:
Campus Resources
Get the details about invaluable resources, such as the library system or the Career Connections Center. Too often, it takes students years to become acquainted with the services and offices designed to help them. Taking this one-hour course will save countless hours later on.
University Professionals
Get to know a caring and committed university professional. Students can often feel lost in large lecture courses; FYF will help personalize your college classroom experience.
Mentor Figures
Get support from another student who has been there, done that and accomplished something great in the process. Students tell the story of the university best. First Year Florida connects new students with a successful undergraduate student.
A Community
Get to know other students who are also making the transition from high school to college. Through First Year Florida, new students make the most lasting connection of all — with each other.
Find Your Fit
First Year Florida is offered every Summer B, Fall
and Spring Semester. There are a variety of
First Year Florida sections offered, catering
to different interests and needs.
Making Success Happen
First Year Florida focuses on Student Success. Instructors and Peer Leaders are trained to assist new students in their transition, refer them to resources and help students make meaning of their university experience.
Did You Know?
Students who take First Year Florida have a higher GPA than their peers who did not take First Year Florida. In the Fall of 2021, students taking First Year Florida were asked to share their experiences of their class with us. Here’s what they said:
99.39%
strongly agree or agree that their instructor treated them with respect.
99.57%
strongly agree or agree that their instructor was approachable.
99.13%
strongly agree or agree that their instructor was available outside of the classroom.
98.14%
strongly agree or agree that their peer leader was a valuable resource.
95.98%
strongly agree or agree that their peer leader aided them in making a successful transition to UF.
Engage with First Year Florida
Learn how you can help your fellow Gators make the most of their first year experience and their Gator Student Experience.
Instructors work very closely with their peer leaders to create dynamic learning opportunities for first year students.
Made just for First Year Florida the Campus Partner Portal assists instructors in bringing campus experts to class.