First Year Experience

Page content

First Year Success Series

What is the First Year Success Series?

We know that navigating college life can be tricky. There's a lot to figure out, and sometimes, you might not know where to turn for help.

And that's OK! It's normal to struggle sometimes. That's why we created the First Year Success Series.

The First Year Success Series comprises a series of workshops offered by people across the university who care about your success. These sessions are offered in person (following social distancing guidelines), online through CarmenZoom, or online through Carmen Canvas. You can expect to spend about 45-75 minutes participating in the session, regardless of delivery method. These sessions are designed to help you make the most of your Buckeye experience. Through the First Year Success Series, you'll learn more about campus resources and find answers to some of the common questions and concerns first-year students have during their transition to university life.

First Year Success Series Expectations

As a first-year student, you're expected to attend a minimum number of Success Series sessions during autumn semester.

How many? It depends. As part of your survey course, you'll be required to attend and reflect on sessions for credit — but the number is set by your survey course instructor. That means expectations vary from course to course; you probably won't have the same requirements as your roommate or your friends in other majors. Check your survey course syllabus and talk to your instructor if you have questions.

Beyond this minimum number, we encourage you to attend any session that interests you throughout your first year at Ohio State. First Year Success Series sessions are great ways to learn new things, find answers to your questions, discover campus resources and meet other new Buckeyes.

Session types

Success Series sessions are offered in a variety of ways to help you access the content you want in a format that is comfortable for you and fits your busy schedule.

CarmenZoom sessions are offered as Zoom meetings online, so you can easily join from anywhere!

CarmenCanvas sessions are offered monthly and are meant to be completed at your own pace during the month for which you signed up. Your presenter will communicate specific dates, deadlines and expectations with you.

In-person sessions are offered on campus in a classroom or meeting space. You must follow university health and safety guidelines, such as wearing masks and social distancing, to attend.

Registering for a session

Ready to get started? We offer a lot of sessions every term — there are more than 300 planned just for autumn semester! To help you find those that interest you, we've tagged every session according to its topic.

Need help? Watch a step-by-step guide to registering for a session at go.osu.edu/FYSSregistration.

login button