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First Year Experience

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Starting a new educational journey can be exciting and overwhelming. Transitioning from high school may present you with many decisions to make and challenges to face. The First Year Experience program is designed to help you be successful in your first year of college life by providing a supportive, caring environment of educational and career services. 

The Top 5 Reasons to Join FYE

Provided by the Office of Institutional Research

Students who participate in the First Year Experience Program (FYE) need fewer courses in English and Math to successfully complete transfer-level English and college-level math than students who did not participate in FYE. 

FYE students reach the 30-unit threshold faster than students who do not participate in FYE, achieving 30 units nearly one term faster than students who were not in FYE program. 

FYE students are twice as likely to earn their associate degrees within a three-year time period than students who are not in FYE. 

FYE students are more likely to persist into their second year at El Camino College than students who are not in FYE. 

Last, FYE students are more likely to transfer to 4 year universities than students who did not participate in FYE. There is a 20-25 point difference for students participating in FYE. 

Succeed With FYE!

  • Priority Registration for all ECC classes to help ensure enrollment in desired courses.
  • Orientation - A variety of special events especially designed to enhance your transition to college.
  • First Year Experience Counselor will help students with: academic planning, personal counseling, and career development
  • Learning Community Courses, which will help satisfy general education and elective graduation requirements. Students may also take additional classes, outside the cluster, to reach full-time status.
  • Strategies for Success in College course designed to introduce new students to college life and expectations.
  • First Year Experience Faculty - A team of professional, caring and committed faculty dedicated to supporting the success of First Year Students
  • Field trips to various UC, CSU, & Private Universities.
  • Guest Speakers

Student Area Outcomes (SAOs) are explicit statements describing knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or attitudes that a student will be able to demonstrate at the end (or as a result) of his or her engagement in a particular lesson, course, program, or collegiate experience.  SAOs are assessed at the Course, Program, and Institutional levels.

SAO #1: Students participating in the First Year Experience Program will be able to increase their knowledge and understanding of academic programs and resources as a result of attending the one-day student orientation.

SAO #2: Students participating in the accelerated reading and writing First Year Experience Program will increase their awareness of campus resources, academic programs, and complete at least two English courses within one semester.

SAO #3: Students who complete the First Year Experience Program will have a deeper understanding of the steps needed to transfer to a four-year institution as a result of participating in the program.

  • Priority Registration for all ECC classes to help ensure enrollment in desired courses.
  • Orientation - A variety of special events especially designed to enhance your transition to college.
  • First Year Experience Counselor will help students with: academic planning, personal counseling, and career development
  • Learning Community Courses, which will help satisfy general education and elective graduation requirements. Students may also take additional classes, outside the cluster, to reach full-time status.
  • Strategies for Success in College course designed to introduce new students to college life and expectations.
  • First Year Experience Faculty - A team of professional, caring and committed faculty dedicated to supporting the success of First Year Students
  • Field trips to various UC, CSU, & Private Universities.
  • Guest Speakers

Student Area Outcomes (SAOs) are explicit statements describing knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or attitudes that a student will be able to demonstrate at the end (or as a result) of his or her engagement in a particular lesson, course, program, or collegiate experience.  SAOs are assessed at the Course, Program, and Institutional levels.

SAO #1: Students participating in the First Year Experience Program will be able to increase their knowledge and understanding of academic programs and resources as a result of attending the one-day student orientation.

SAO #2: Students participating in the accelerated reading and writing First Year Experience Program will increase their awareness of campus resources, academic programs, and complete at least two English courses within one semester.

SAO #3: Students who complete the First Year Experience Program will have a deeper understanding of the steps needed to transfer to a four-year institution as a result of participating in the program.

 

20
Years of student success
2,000+
Students enrolled
650+
Degrees awarded per academic year

So grateful! Couldn't have done it without the support from the First Year Experience Program at El Camino College”.

Giancarlo Fernandez, Admitted to UC Berkeley 2021

Submit Interest Form!

The El Camino Community College District is committed to providing an educational and employment environment in which no person is subjected to discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age (over 40), disability (mental or physical), sex, gender (including pregnancy and childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military and veteran status, or retaliation; or on any other basis as required by state and federal law. 

Contact Us

First Year Experience Program

310-660-6936

Fall Hours:

Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Summer Hours:

Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, CLOSED