Freshman LEARN
F-LEARNâ„¢ is for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» entering Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» from high school. F-LEARNâ„¢ Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» must have just graduated from high school. They are still eligible if they have dual-enrollment credits from their time in high school.
F-LEARNâ„¢ focuses on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»â€™ academic success and fostering growth through undergraduate research. By working with on-campus partners, LEARNâ„¢ provides a select group of first-year Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» an inquiry-based/hands-on learning experience through an early research opportunity that is generally reserved for upper-level Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³».
There are 2 distinct F-LEARNâ„¢ cohorts:Ìý
- F-LEARNâ„¢ STEM
- F-LEARNâ„¢ Arts, Business, and Humanities (ABH)
Students in this program will:
- Experience a small learning community at a large research university. We strive to provide opportunities for our LEARNâ„¢ÌýÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³» to build one-on-one relationships with faculty, staff, and other Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» on campus.
- Receive priority registration.
- Enroll in two Introduction to Research courses to produce a research proposal and poster presentation.
- Engage in a 12-week research apprenticeship with a graduate student/faculty mentor team.
- Participate in academic, social, and community service activities through Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»-sponsored events to build and strengthen their network of peers.
- Acquire skills that will make them qualified and competitive to apply to upper-level undergraduate research programs and internships.
Check out our LEARN Alumni Dana Smith!
Academics
Academics are a strong component of the F-LEARNâ„¢Ìýprogram. All accepted Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» will take two classes together. Part I, Fundamentals of Research and Inquiry, is taken in the fall semester and Part II, Introduction to Undergraduate Research Design, is taken in the spring semester. For more information, visit our Academics Page.
A main component of both courses is the participation in a weekly 3-hour mimimum research apprenticeship. Through this experience, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» will work with a Graduate Student or Research Mentor in their discipline. The level of involvement in the project may vary depending on the field; however, the experience of actually doing research as a first-semester freshman is rare.
Mentoring
LEARNâ„¢ÌýÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³» will have various mentors during their time in the program. Each student will be assigned a Peer Mentor who is an upperclassman involved in research. For more information about mentoring in LEARNâ„¢, visit our Mentoring Page.
Community
The LEARNâ„¢Ìýcommunity component is built on a variety of experiences together. Throughout the semester, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» will attend at least 6 academic and social events, and 1 community service event pre-scheduled by the program staff. For more information on the community component of LEARNâ„¢, visit our Community Page.