Home base groups guide freshmen
Gao Na Yang
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: News
For the first eight weeks of first semester, freshman secondary education major Edgar Brambila-Perez attended the mandatory freshmen workshop that held him until 8 p.m. Wednesday nights.
During those nights, he would tumble home after 10 p.m., since public transportation was his only means of commuting to and from campus.
"After 12 years of education, you'd think that we've already been instilled with study habits and life choices," Brambila-Perez said. "Yet, that was much of what we talked about."
There was a minor issue for Brambila-Perez, but he still felt that the workshop was valuable.
"Other than time, there's nothing to dislike," Brambila-Perez said. "I'm glad that this program was included and that they allowed other students to lead, since they are the ones with modern personal experience."
Brambila-Perez was one of 816 students who had Freshmen Workshop either from 6:10 p.m. to 7 p.m. or 7:10 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Freshmen were divided into small groups within a major, so that students in their home-base group would be familiar faces in other classes.
As stated in the first-year workshop syllabus, the purpose of the course is to provide all UP first-year students with a basis for developing the skills needed for academic success in higher education.
Freshmen workshop was initially available for students in the College of Arts and Sciences, but was made available to all majors at UP five years ago, according to Brenda Greiner, director of Shepard Freshmen Resource Center.
The need to address issues that students will experience during their first year in the first semester served as a catalyst for establishing the workshops, Greiner explained.
"Without the workshops, there would be no immediate accessibility to upperclassmen if freshmen needed to address concerns," she said. "Workshop leaders have been through the ropes so they can relate."
Senior psychology and theology major Alyssa Zemanek has been a workshop leader for three consecutive years for nursing, biology and chemistry students and was the coordinator of freshmen workshop leaders this year.
During those nights, he would tumble home after 10 p.m., since public transportation was his only means of commuting to and from campus.
"After 12 years of education, you'd think that we've already been instilled with study habits and life choices," Brambila-Perez said. "Yet, that was much of what we talked about."
There was a minor issue for Brambila-Perez, but he still felt that the workshop was valuable.
"Other than time, there's nothing to dislike," Brambila-Perez said. "I'm glad that this program was included and that they allowed other students to lead, since they are the ones with modern personal experience."
Brambila-Perez was one of 816 students who had Freshmen Workshop either from 6:10 p.m. to 7 p.m. or 7:10 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Freshmen were divided into small groups within a major, so that students in their home-base group would be familiar faces in other classes.
As stated in the first-year workshop syllabus, the purpose of the course is to provide all UP first-year students with a basis for developing the skills needed for academic success in higher education.
Freshmen workshop was initially available for students in the College of Arts and Sciences, but was made available to all majors at UP five years ago, according to Brenda Greiner, director of Shepard Freshmen Resource Center.
The need to address issues that students will experience during their first year in the first semester served as a catalyst for establishing the workshops, Greiner explained.
"Without the workshops, there would be no immediate accessibility to upperclassmen if freshmen needed to address concerns," she said. "Workshop leaders have been through the ropes so they can relate."
Senior psychology and theology major Alyssa Zemanek has been a workshop leader for three consecutive years for nursing, biology and chemistry students and was the coordinator of freshmen workshop leaders this year.
Be the first to comment on this story