There are many ways to integrate yourself into the campus community, meet friends and have fun! Attend an orientation and take part in one of Loyola's First-Year Programs, specifically designed to enhance your first-year experience. All incoming first-year students are required to attend Summer Orientation for testing, student development programming and course pre-registration. Once you have reserved your spot in the incoming class by sending in your deposit, you will receive information regarding registration. Making the transition to college can be a challenging time, but with Loyola’s First-Year Programs we provide you with the resources and guidance to help you get adjusted to your new environment and to the demands of college-level study. These programs are a comfortable way for first-year students to meet other new students, get to know faculty and to learn about Loyola's offerings, both social and academic. You will receive more information on these programs in the coming months and will be able to register at New Student Orientation. Loyola offers 3 First-Year Programs: The Alpha Program offers interested first-year students seminars that cultivate four critical habits: careful reading, academic writing, scholastic conversation and living the examined life while weaving together the heritage of the liberal arts and the Jesuit tradition. Small in size, these seminars are taught by members of the Alpha faculty in a format designed to expand your intellectual horizons through lively discussion, academic reading and writing, extra class meetings, off-campus and interdisciplinary activities and participation in a campus program of Alpha lectures. back to top Collegium gives you the opportunity to meet other new students by going to class and living with other students in the program. The 72 first-year students who participate in Collegium are housed together on the eighth floor of Campion Tower. These students are divided into three groups with the members of each group enrolled in two of their five regular first-year courses together. Members of Collegium are also enrolled in First-Year Experience (FE 100). An important goal of Collegium is to create an environment that is conducive to learning, encourages academic discussions, helps you feel a sense of “belonging” at Loyola and facilitates an enjoyable social and co-curricular life. back to top The First-Year Experience Seminar is designed to help students get the most out of their college experience and make a smooth and successful transition to college. Informal and lively class discussions, group interactions, field trips and presentations by instructors and guests help introduce you to the expectations of college instructors and the values inherent in the mission and core of the College; inform you of the services available to support your academic and co-curricular experiences; prepare you for social and personal issues you might face as a college student; and provide opportunities for critical thinking, community service and community building in an enjoyable setting. Many of the class meetings take place outside of the classroom and include excursions into Baltimore. Classes are team-taught by a faculty member, administrator and upperclassman. For more information on First-Year Programs visit this site. back to top | 
