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August 2013
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The new theme encourages students to embrace the tenets of L.I.F.E. – Learn, Imagine, Focus, Engage– which will help them succeed throughout their academic careers, and FYE has been lauded as a rousing success since its 2012 launch. According to Dr Deirdre Charles, Director of Student Advisory Services at The UWI, the programme was developed to help new students – those in their first year as well as “first timers” – to manage their transition to university life. Several events and activities are carried out in two phases over the course of FYE. The first two weeks of the semester are packed with activities that help set the stage for a positive experience during the students’ stay at the University. The aim of the first phase, the highlight of which is UWI Life, is primarily to familiarise students with the campus and allow them to forge initial connections. The second phase shifts its focus to more transitional programmes to directly support students' various needs while at The UWI. The FYE programme is developmental, providing the necessary skills for students to evolve and adapt to a new environment. In particular, it assists in striking a balance with the newfound freedom so characteristic of the university experience, emphasising personal development, health and wellness, and career development. Dr Charles stresses that students must see FYE as an integral part of their university experience and use it to build their relationship with The UWI. Students should also be able to differentiate between orientation (UWI Life) and FYE, as orientation is but a small part of the holistic, yearlong FYE programme. It is this very holistic nature that has facilitated FYE’s positive reception, not just by students, but Faculty as well. Many Faculty members are able to marry the different aspects of FYE and view the programme as a whole – a multi-faceted system whose parts work symbiotically with the students who use it. They also agree on the programme’s importance, as academic performance is affected if a student’s experience is not adequately managed. The UWI goes a step further by extending and adjusting the programme to include the Second and Final Year Experiences, which cater to students’ changing needs as they advance through the University, Dr Charles adds that each individual student experience is unique and distinct. University life is a time for experimenting, self-discovery and character building- for students of all ages. It is therefore important that FYE be viewed as a programme which, while providing umbrella support for all students, it is also diverse enough to address individual needs, whatever they may be. One of Dr Charles’ favourite quotes is “Know thyself, and do thyself no harm.” She believes that this approach should be applied to the FYE programme, as students should know themselves and which methods work best for them. The First Year Experience programme can provide students the necessary level of support along the journey of self-discovery, as well as academic development, in their new university environment. |
Every year, The UWI welcomes incoming undergraduate and postgraduate students with a series of orientation events. Its official orientation programme was rebranded the “First Year Experience” (FYE) in 2012, and themed MY UWI L.I.F.E. It kicked off at the Sport and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) on August 29 and 30 with UWI Life, the campus calendar’s most highly anticipated event of the year.