Bearprints for Success
This one-credit, seven-week course is designed to help new students make a successful transition to WashU, both academically and personally.
First-Year Traditions
Student Transitions & Family Programs hosts several all-class traditions. These are designed to connect first-year students to their peers in their graduating class and to celebrate important milestones in their academic career, including their first day of college classes and completing their first academic year at WashU.
First Day: This event celebrates the first day of classes and provides students with school supplies and snacks to be successful on their first day, along with photos to commemorate the start of the academic year at WashU. First Day photos can be found on the Student Transitions & Family Programs Flickr page.
Symphony on the South 40: Members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra visit campus to perform in a small ensemble for students, faculty, staff, and community members on the South 40. The music department selects student musicians to showcase, as well.
First Year Finale: This event celebrates the end of the first-year at WashU for the first-year class through food and drinks, music, and time in community together. Awards are also announced via social media for student leaders, faculty, and staff that have contributed to a successful year for the first-year class.
Bear Bulletin
The Bear Bulletin is a monthly e-newsletter sent to first-year students. It provides information about:
| Important academic dates and deadlines | |
| To-do items and reminders from STFP | |
| Information about on- and off-campus events occurring during the month | |
| A spotlight on a different campus department |
Read the Bear Bulletin each month to stay up-to-date on deadlines and opportunities. View previous month’s editions for this academic year.
Classroom Connections
Classroom Connections allows students to meet with their professors in a casual, small-group setting. Students can connect with and get to know faculty who teach larger class sections. All students in participating classes will receive an email invitation to sign up.
Participating students appreciate connecting with their professors in a relaxed, less intimidating environment. Professors appreciate chatting with students about more than their academic discipline.
Check your WashU email during the academic year for opportunities to sign up.
WUSA Peer Mentor Program
The Washington University Student Associate (WUSAs – pronounced “woo-sas”) position is a year-long student leader role that focuses on welcoming and supporting first-year students with their academic, social, and personal transition to WashU.
WUSAs serve as orientation leaders for first-year students during Fall Welcome. They continue to serve as peer mentors for their cohort of first-year students until Spring Break of their students’ first year at WashU. Their primary duties are to remind students about academic deadlines, policies, and resources and to help build community among first-year students. WUSAs play a crucial role in making the first-year experience rewarding, fun, and successful.
Stop by your WUSA’s weekly WUSA Hours to connect with first-year students living in your building, receive reminders about academic deadlines, and get to know your WUSAs!