First Year Directions

first year directions

Let's start this journey together! When your Road to UM comes to a close, students are encouraged to take our First Year Directions course their first term. Build on the fundamentals you learned in your UMX modules. By the end of the semester, you'll have the skills and awareness to successfully transition into our academic community and your journey at the University of Miami.

About the Class

First Year Directions (FYD 101) is a one-hour seminar class that includes topics and themes about navigating and utilizing campus resources, promoting health and wellness, exploring internship and career paths, growing as a student and a leader, implementing study skills and goal setting strategies, and embracing a culture of belonging.

On average, students who take FYD successfully continue to their second year at UM at a 2% higher rate than those who do not take the course and finish their first year at UM with a 0.11 higher cumulative GPA (that’s the difference between a 2.9 and a 3.0!).

In just one hour a week, you will:

✓ Match with a trusted staff mentor on campus – our instructors are Transitional Guides, Cane Navigators (your academic advisor), representatives from Housing & Residential Life, Toppel Career Center, Department of Orientation, Athletics, and more!
✓ Build a peer network of students from your school or college
✓ Develop an academic plan for your major that includes extracurricular activities
✓ Discover academic resources, study abroad options, and get first-hand guidance from the Toppel Career Center on how to build your resume and secure your first internship
✓ Understand UM’s values and traditions and how they shape our community
✓ Explore leadership and community service opportunities available both on and off-campus

Your Coaches and Mentors

Faculty and staff from across the University community will be your coaches and mentors as they lead you in discussions, connect you with key departments and resources, and help you understand what it means to be a ’Cane. They’ll talk you through common missteps of new students and share their own learned and observed experiences. Our FYD instructors are faculty and staff members from all over campus – representing departments such as Housing & Residential Life, Center for Academic Navigation & Success (i.e., your Transitional Advisor and Cane Navigator!), the Toppel Career Center, Camner Center for Academic Resources, Department of Orientation and Commuter Student Involvement, Study Abroad, and more!

Renee Dickens Callan"There are several skills that students gain from taking FYD but the ability to find/create community and gain confidence in navigating your first year at UM is important. These are competencies that students can take with them to any new situation or experience."

Renee Dickens Callan
AVP, Student Life

Registration Information

Since our research shows First Year Directions to be so valuable for incoming students, students in the below schools and colleges take First Year Directions in their first semester on campus, using the section numbers listed below. Transitional guides will assist students in these schools with self-enrolling in an FYD course during their first advising session. Students who have not yet enrolled in the course when registration closes will automatically be enrolled into a section that fits their schedule by their Transitional Guide. Please check your UM email for more information about FYD.

  • School of Architecture: FYD 101: X1-X3
  • College of Arts & Sciences: FYD 101: X44-X50 (transfer students), X51-X90 (new students)
  • School of Communication: FYD 101: X10-X19
  • School of Education and Human Development: FYD 101: X4-X9
  • College of Engineering: FYD 101: X20-X29
  • Frost School of Music: FYD 101: X42-43
  • School of Nursing and Health Studies: FYD 101: X30-X41

Full-time students with 12 or more credits will not incur any additional tuition charges. 

Top