Freshman Interest Groups: A Comprehensive Guide to Benefits and Opportunities

Embarking on the journey of higher education is a transformative experience, filled with new challenges, opportunities, and the pursuit of knowledge. For many students, the transition to college life can be overwhelming. Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs) have emerged as a valuable tool to support students during this critical period. These programs offer a unique blend of academic, social, and personal development opportunities, designed to foster a sense of belonging, enhance engagement, and pave the way for future success.

What are Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs)?

FIGs are small groups of first-year students who share similar academic interests and take a set of classes together. They are designed to help new first-year students make a successful academic and social transition into the university. A FIG cohort can make this large university feel a bit more intimate during your first semester on campus. The purpose of the FIGs Program is to help new first-year students make a successful academic and social transition into the university.

Benefits of Joining a FIG

FIGs offer a multitude of benefits to participating students, impacting their academic performance, social integration, and personal growth.

Academic Advantages

Increased Engagement: Being part of a FIG can enhance students’ engagement with their studies. Group discussions, collaborative projects, and shared learning experiences can make the academic journey more interesting and meaningful. Since everyone is enrolled in the same package of classes, FIGs encourage you to think critically and to apply knowledge across different subjects.
Exploration of Interests: FIGs may expose students to aspects of their chosen field of study that they hadn’t fully committed to, allowing for a more informed decision about their major.
Interdisciplinary Connections: FIGs encourage students to think critically and apply knowledge across different subjects, deepening their understanding of course material along the way. The main FIG course ties the other two classes together, helping students see how they connect, where they didn’t see how they were going to connect prior to the FIG.
Exposure to Resources: FIGs often introduce students to various campus resources, such as academic support services, research opportunities, and career counseling.
Skill Development: Through FIG programming, students receive skill development in library usage, tutoring, research, presentations, writing, critical thinking, and personal reflection. These new skills can serve as a form of cultural capital for students, aiding in the navigation of the new academic context.
Time Management Skills: Juggling multiple classes and assignments can be challenging for freshmen. FIGs provide a supportive environment where students can learn effective time management strategies from peers and mentors.

Social and Personal Growth

Social Connections: FIGs can help students make early connections with peers who share similar academic interests. Navigate your first year with a group of peers who share your academic interests.
Sense of Belonging: College can be a big transition, and a FIG can contribute to a sense of belonging. A FIG cohort can make this large university feel a bit more intimate during your first semester on campus.
Professional Networking: Some FIGs may include networking events, guest speakers, or field trips that introduce students to professionals in their field of interest. FIG participation positions you to build your professional networks through your weekly FIG seminar, campus tours of key labs and facilities, field trips and much more!
Increased Confidence: FIGs create a safe environment for students to practice their communication skills, voice their opinions and ideas, share their perspectives, and ask questions.
Peer Mentorship: FIG students are often paired with a Peer Mentor, a dedicated and experienced upper-classmen who has been specially trained to help new students make the transition to university life.

Long-Term Impact

Increased Retention Rates: The personal and professional support FIG participation provides means that you are more likely to thrive at MU and graduate on time. Last year alone, FIG participants achieved a 93% retention rate!
Four-Year Graduation Rates: Students enrolled in FIGs experience an increase in four-year graduation rates.
Comfort and Connection: FIGs make students more comfortable with college and make them feel as though they could talk to their professors, especially those in bigger lectures.
Shaping College Careers: FIGs absolutely shape college careers.

FIGs and Student Organizations: Enhancing the College Experience

While FIGs provide a focused academic and social experience for freshmen, student organizations offer a broader range of opportunities for students of all years. Joining a student organization can further enhance the college experience by providing platforms for pursuing passions, developing skills, and forming meaningful relationships.

Benefits of Joining Student Organizations

Self-Discovery: Joining a student organization presents many opportunities to learn more about yourself, your goals, and your strengths.
Sense of Community: Student organizations provide a sense of community, offering a space for members to share stories, enjoy social time, and talk about issues.
Voice and Advocacy: Student organizations can be a platform for future leaders to advocate, be a voice for others, and influence positive change.
Soft Skills Development: Participating in a student organization teaches and improves soft skills such as communication, attitude, and work ethic.
Teamwork Skills: Student organizations teach you how to work well with a team by putting you in situations where you are required to take advice from others, as well as give your own.
Networking Opportunities: Student organizations offer the opportunity to network, meet new students, make connections, and build relationships.
Application of Classroom Learning: Being part of an organization allows you to put all those things you’ve been learning in class to the test in real-world situations.
Engagement with Diverse Groups: Student organizations provide an opportunity to learn how different people respond and react to certain situations.
Leadership Skills: Becoming a leader or an officer in an organization will help you develop leadership skills that will be invaluable in all areas of life.
Break from Studies and Fun: Taking part in club activities allows you to socialize with like-minded individuals and learn as much from them as you would your schoolwork.
Résumé Building: Organizations and activities look good on a résumé, showing employers that you’re hardworking and can handle multiple responsibilities.
Community Engagement: Many student organizations provide opportunities to give back to the community, whether through acts of service, sponsoring events, or hosting charity drives.

Leveraging Student Interest Groups for University Advancement

Student interest groups and societies are an integral part of campus life. They offer a platform for students to pursue their passions, develop their skills and talents and form meaningful relationships with their peers. However, the potential of student interest groups goes beyond the success of individual students. They can also be a powerful instrument for the university’s advancement in various areas. By identifying areas of mutual benefit between student interest groups and institutional goals, universities can leverage student interest groups to drive positive changes.

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Freshmen Orientation: Student interest groups can help freshmen integrate into the campus community by organizing orientation events that cater to their diverse interests.
Cross-Cultural Integration: Student interest groups can promote cross-cultural understanding and integration by organizing a series of cultural exchange events that showcase the rich diversity of the student community.
Extracurricular Growth: Partnering with student interest groups to offer a wide range of student-centered activities can foster students’ extracurricular growth beyond classroom learning.
High School Student Recruitment: Student interest groups can be a valuable asset in attracting students who are seeking vibrant university experiences by incorporating student societies into high school student recruitment events.
University Image Building: A strong and diverse offering of student groups and societies can significantly enhance a university’s image.
Sense of Belonging: Partnering with student interest groups can offer students a platform for them to connect with like-minded peers and form lasting friendships.

FIGs: A Closer Look

Structure and Curriculum

FIGs are typically comprised of a maximum of 20 students who share a unique collaborative academic experience. Each cohort shares three courses during the term: two core education courses and a First-Year Experience seminar. The format offers FIG students frequent interactions with faculty, provides peer mentorship, and facilitates peer-to-peer learning.

Key Pillars

All FIG curriculum and programming centers on four pillars:

College Knowledge: Equipping students with the essential information and skills needed to navigate the college environment successfully.
Belonging: Fostering a sense of community and connection among students.
Well-being: Promoting students’ physical and mental health.
Career Exploration: Guiding students in exploring potential career paths and developing relevant skills.

Experiential Learning

FIGs often incorporate hands-on experiences and opportunities that allow a break from a typical classroom setting.

FIGs for International Students

While FIGs are open to all students, they’re particularly beneficial to international students who gain both academic and social foundations in the program -- and grow in confidence in the process. They create a safe environment for international students to practice their communication skills, voice their opinions and ideas, share their perspectives and ask questions.

Biology FIG: A Specific Example

A Biology FIG is a group of freshmen who live together in the residence hall and take two to three sets of selected courses during their first year. The Biology FIG is for students majoring in biology that want to get a jumpstart on biology and chemistry content. Freshmen in their first semester have a great opportunity to take multiple core classes with the same cohort of students. Block schedules help create connections amongst peers both academically, as well as socially within their Academic Studies. Faculty for each Biology FIG Course were selected to support science-loving students who are interested in a biology degree and/or career. They will discuss potential pathways in biology, including academic research, industry, and medicine, and help you explore the different resources on campus that can help you become involved in undergraduate research. You will learn about the research process, professionalism, how to find a faculty mentor, and how to succeed in college.

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Biology FIG students will be paired with a Peer Mentor, a dedicated and experienced upper-classmen who has been specially trained to help new students make the transition to university life. The Biology FIG Peer Mentors are cross trained as Supplemental Instructors. Supplemental Instruction is a series of weekly study sessions offered to students enrolled in historically difficult courses. If you attend SI sessions weekly, chances are you'll earn a better grade. In SI sessions, students work together to review lecture notes and text material, prepare for tests and improve learning strategies. SI sessions are guided by students who successfully completed the course and who are trained to facilitate collaborative study groups.

Not only do all Biology FIG students benefit from having a Peer Mentor trained as a Supplemental Instructor, they will also have direct access to an Academic Coach. Academic Coaching is the one-on-one process of helping students identify their strengths and weaknesses, then devising a personalized approach to studying. Academic Advisors offer academic advising and guidance to empower students to realize their full potential. Students selected to join the Biology FIG will be required to live on campus for their first year. The convenience of living on campus is invaluable. Students are within walking distance of the library, classroom buildings, the University Center, dining options, Health Services, and the Campus Recreation Center. They can get to early morning classes without fighting traffic, and participate in a late-night study group at the library or University Center without concern about the drive home.

As a member of the Biology FIG, students will have access to training in marketable leadership skills.

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