Welcome to the College of Arts & Sciences
First Year Advising Experience!
All incoming first-year CAS Students will be assigned a First-Year Academic Advisor. This advisor may be from your major’s academic department or a professional advisor through College of Arts & Sciences Advising. You will be contacted by this advisor to initiate your registration with the College during your first summer or semester with us, and they will also be assigned in your Student Link.
First Year Academic Advisors help students learn to make the most of their college years, not merely by completing requirements toward a degree but also by growing intellectually and developing all aspects of their identity. These First Year Advisors serve a critical role in the transition and success of first year students. The advising relationship first-year students have with this advisor is a key factor in the College’s ability to help students persist to the sophomore year.
Your First Year Academic Advisor is one of three parts to your First-Year Experience (FYE). As a first-year student you also have access to FY 101 and FY 102 courses, and intentional first-year programs:
CAS FY 101 and CAS FY 102 are first-year seminar courses that provides the opportunity to explore issues relevant to new students at Boston University:
First Year Seminar: CAS FY 101 (offered Fall only)
FY101 is an optional one-credit course that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. Each section is taught in combination by a BU administrator and a student peer mentor. You will meet with a small community of peers who will serve as conversation partners as together you learn how to leverage BU’s resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience. Through discussions, activities, class field trips and program-wide events, you will investigate the social, academic and cultural dimensions of student life at Boston University, while making deep connections with your fellow students, your peer mentor, and a BU staff member. There are special sections for transfer students, undeclared students and first-generation students.
First-Year Career Development Seminar: CAS FY 102 (offered Spring only)
FY 102 is an optional one-credit course that will help first year students get started on utilizing the Career Development Cycle to maximize their time at BU. During this course students will create a plan of action towards choosing a major, creating a resume, finding an internship, and preparing for a career that they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries. Examples of fields of focus for these courses include careers in humanities, careers in helping professions, careers in government and public services and more.
First-Year Programming
First-Year Programming will consist of intentional programs developed for first-year students to assist them with developing identity, values, wellness, explore academic opportunities outside of the classroom and allow students to get involved in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities on campus. These events will be accessible through the First Year Experience Website.