First Year Experience Conference: A Reflection
EdOdyssey president Peter McGovern had a fantastic experience attending the recent University of South Carolina 43rd annual conference on the First-Year Experience.
He found it well worth the trip to Seattle, made amazing connections with colleagues across the country, learned a lot, and was moved by the incredible work and effort that colleges and universities of all shapes and sizes are investing into the first-year experience.
“It was inspiring to share our enthusiasm and commitment to supporting this critical period in students’ lives—a time of transition, learning, and growth—with high-impact, experiential learning,” Peter reflected when he returned to Boston. “We knew FYE programs with our partners are supporting strategic goals—including enrolment management and retention—and I was happy to hear that this has been the experience of countless others as well.”
Benefits of first-year experiences
He found the message was clear across the board: There are proven benefits for both students and institutions (regardless of whether they are small, large, public, private, etc.) of intentional first-year programming that supports student transition and includes high-impact learning.
“I’m proud EdOdyssey is a leader in this space, and it was moving to realize we’re in such good company.”
Some of those benefits that first-year experiences like the ones we custom create with our partners include:
o Aiding in student retention from matriculation to graduation
o Helping create a sense of community and belonging for students in their first year
o Building confidence during the transition from secondary to higher education academics
o Providing students with international perspectives that can be brought back to your campus in the US.
Designing a first-year experience
If you’re considering the possibility of taking a cohort of students on an adventure that will stick with them for the rest of their lives, you’re in good hands with our team.
With our award-winning and extensive experience with both secondary and higher education program development, we’ll give you the confidence to make it happen! Our host countries include: USA (domestic), Spain, Italy, England, Ireland, Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, and China (but get in touch, and we’ll tell you all about how we can work together to create your ideal program).
Life-Long Learning
As Peter’s final reflection on the FYE Conference will attest, we’re always putting ourselves in our student’s shoes, and we’re always learning along the way too.
“On a personal note,” Peter mused, “I’d never been to Seattle before, so I couldn’t help but reflect on how this was like my own ‘first year student attendee’ experience. Just as we encourage our FYE students to discover the power of place, build community, and instill in them a commitment to life-long learning, I realized this was exactly what I was doing in Seattle.”
Find us at the 20th annual Forum on Education Abroad conference today through the end of the week. We’re proud to be silver sponsors this year! We’re at booth 101 and would love to say hello.
We invite you to consider creating a custom first-year experience with us. Learn more about our process, approach, academics, housing, and more here:
