Your Wisconsin Experience will continue the day you move to Madison. There will be many programs, offices, services, courses, and people available to help you make friends, find your way around, learn to live on your own, discover what you want to do with your life, and achieve scholastically. Although UW–Madison is a large school, be assured that the first year on campus is made up of many experiences that will ease the transition to an exciting new stage of life and help make this big campus feel smaller. The Center for First-Year Experience is here to help you start your Wisconsin Experience off right.

Freshman Orientation (SOAR)

Your Wisconsin Experience will start before your freshman year begins. Admitted students participate in Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR). During SOAR, you will be introduced to academic and campus life. You will also:

• Work in small groups with faculty, staff, and student advisors to explore your academic interests
• Select your first-semester courses and enroll online
• Engage in small-group discussions about campus issues and resources
• Take placement tests in English, math, and foreign languages
• Meet other new students

Back to Top

Transfer Orientation (SOAR)

Admitted transfer students participate in Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR). Although SOAR is a one-day program, most transfer students take placement tests the day preceding their SOAR session, making it a two-day experience. At SOAR, you will:

• Find out about campus resources
• Learn about our academic advising system
• Work with faculty, staff, and student advisors to become familiar with your academic interest or major
• Select courses and enroll online
• Learn your way around campus on a walking tour

Back to Top

International Orientation (SOAR)

International students participate in Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), a multi-day orientation program at the end of August, prior to the start of the fall semester. At SOAR, you will:

• Find out what it means to be a student at Wisconsin
• Learn about immigration/visa requirements, cross-cultural differences, money matters, health care, safety, and the U.S. educational system
• Take placement tests in English and math
• Learn about our academic advising system
• Work with faculty and staff advisors to become familiar with your academic interest or major
• Select your courses and enroll online
• Get your student identification card
• Learn your way around campus on a walking tour

International students should also visit the International Student Services Web site for helpful information.

Back to Top

Wisconsin Welcome

In late August, the Center for the First-Year Experience hosts Wisconsin Welcome, a series of events that help students get oriented on campus and help them find a place in the UW–Madison community. Students can choose from activities such as learning Wisconsin cheers at Camp Randall stadium, being introduced to UW’s vast library system, learning about Wisconsin history and culture, attending school and college open houses, and attending arts events.

Back to Top

Residential Learning Communities

The University Residence Halls feature six learning communities that give you the chance to live and learn with other students who share your interests. Residential Learning Communities are especially important at large universities, because these communities provide a more seamless experience that blends residential and academic life on campus. Key features include:

• Faculty leadership and involvement
• Engaged students involved in the program’s focus
• Unique small-group seminar experiences

You can choose from a wide variety of learning communities, including Women in Science and Engineering, the Multicultural Learning Community, Chadbourne Residential College, the Bradley Learning Community, the International Learning Community, the Entrepreneurial Residential Learning Community.

Back to Top

First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs)

A First-Year Interest Group generally consists of a group of 20 first-year students who live in the same residence hall or residential neighborhood and enroll in a cluster of three classes together. Each FIG has a central theme; the central or ‘synthesizing’ course integrates content from the other two.

Back to Top