Welcome to the College of Arts & Sciences
First-Year Advising Experience!
As a first-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences, you will have a first-year academic advisor (FY academic advisor). This will be a professional advisor from your major’s academic department or through CAS Academic Advising. FY academic advisors help students learn to make the most of their college years. This advising experience encompasses navigating your degree requirements, your transition to college, forming a meaningful community on campus, and growing intellectually.
For incoming first-year students, you will be contacted via email by your FY academic advisor. You will have one or two advisors, depending on your major(s).
Your first-year academic advisor can help you with:
- Navigate your transition to college
- Identify your interests and goals
- Craft long term plans for the Hub and other degree requirements outside your major
- Change or add a major/minor
- Find events and resources for first-year students
- Get involved on campus
- Connect with other BU offices and support systems
All questions, support, and guidance pertaining to your major, is overseen by your major advisor. They can help with planning your major requirements, integrating the Hub into your major, course registration, and getting involved within your department/the field.
Departments where your major advisor is your first-year academic advisor
You will have an academic advisor within your major department who will also serve as your FY academic advisor.*
*If you change or add a major, your advisor(s) is subject to change.
Departments where you have a major advisor and a first-year academic advisor
Your major advisor will typically be a faculty advisor in your major department and your FY advisor will be a professional staff advisor in CAS Academic Advising.*
*If you change or add a major, your advisor(s) is subject to change.
Other first-year programming and opportunities
First-Year Seminar: FY 101 (offered Fall only, 1 non-academic credit)
FY101 is an optional one-credit course that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. Each section is taught in combination by a BU administrator and a student peer mentor. You will meet with a small community of peers who will serve as conversation partners as together you learn how to leverage BU’s resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience. Through discussions, activities, class field trips and program-wide events, you will investigate the social, academic and cultural dimensions of student life at Boston University, while making deep connections with your fellow students, your peer mentor, and a BU staff member.
First-Year Career Development Seminar: FY 102 (offered Spring only, 1 credit)
FY102 will help first-year students get started on utilizing the Career Development Cycle to maximize their time at BU. During this course students will create a plan of action towards choosing a major, creating a resume, finding an internship, and preparing for a career that they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries.
First-Year Experience Events
The First-Year Experience Program consists of intentional programs developed for first-year students to assist them with developing identity, values, wellness, explore academic opportunities outside of the classroom and allow students to get involved in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities on campus. These events will be accessible through the First Year Experience website.
First-Year Success
Assistant Directors (ADs) for First-Year Success can provide academic skills coaching and help you connect on campus. They also host programming like the Lunch & Learn Series where first-year students have lunch with faculty in their area of academic interest and learn more about the research and teaching being done on campus. Find out more on the First-Year Success Team’s website.