Four years ago, 371 students opened their mailboxes to find a disappointingly small envelope from this university. And yet, when that August rolled around, they found themselves unpacking their suitcases in College Park, ready to start classes.

They enrolled in Freshmen Connection, a program that allows students initially admitted for the spring semester to begin taking classes in the fall. The idea, officials say, is to put students on track to graduate within four years.

Now, as the first graduating class of Freshmen Connection students prepares to bid adieu to the university, students report mixed feelings about the program that promised to set their college experience off on the right foot.

Although the Office of Extended Studies won’t have any exact data until after final exams, Anne Baum, the program’s adviser, said she expects Freshmen Connection students to have similar graduation rates and post-graduate success to their peers.

Several of those who enrolled in the program, however, said that first semester largely shaped the rest of their college experiences, even though they’re leaving the university with similar GPAs and job prospects as those who weren’t enrolled in the program.

Freshmen Connection students live off the campus during their first fall semester, they can only enroll in CORE classes scheduled after 3 p.m., and small course sections with other students in the program are reserved for them — all elements that contributed to college transition, the students said.

Brett Moore, a university graduate who commuted to the campus during his first semester, said the setup allowed him to learn effective study habits early on. Because he wasn’t exposed to the temptations of being a freshman, he had time to build the strong work ethic that allowed him to graduate in three years, he said.

“It kinda fell into place after [first semester] when I figured I could graduate early,” he said. “It became a goal for me after participating in Freshmen Connection.”

Moore said he was also more inclined to get involved in student groups once he moved into an on-campus dorm, since most clubs and sports meet in the afternoon when Freshmen Connection classes are in session.

Senior finance and international business major Jenna Gebel said she too felt more eager to participate in various activities, such as Greek life and the business Honors Fellows Program, because those opportunities weren’t available to her in the fall.

Some students said they often felt disconnected from their fellow freshmen, especially for those who commuted from home.

“They didn’t really have a social aspect, it seemed like it was the bare essentials,” Moore said. “They tried to schedule get-togethers, but it was always kinda that lame high school ice cream social type thing.”

Gebel, who lived in the University View, said organized events weren’t “up to par at all with what everyone else had,” and sometimes felt like “the awkward group because no one knew what Freshmen Connection was.” Still, she said she met her best friends in the program and was satisfied with her experience.

“I think I got lucky with who my roommates were. A lot of people I know didn’t have that,” she said.

Baum said her office takes student feedback “very seriously” and has tweaked little details about orientation — those enrolled attend a day-long welcome session rather than the usual overnight version — and the course selection process.

Despite its drawbacks, some said their Freshman Connection semester didn’t have a distinctly positive or negative impact on the subsequent years.

“It seems so long ago,” Gebel said. “It was just the beginning, just a part of college. It didn’t dictate anything for me.”

But it was an important beginning, the students agreed. They said small class sizes helped them ease into college life.

“You’re all on the same cracked-out schedule staying up until 4, because you don’t have to be up until 2 ,” Gebel said. “But for me… it was a nice way to transition into school, and it was comforting to see the same faces.”

“I feel like Freshmen Connection set the foundation you need to be successful,” Moore added.

And that’s exactly what the program’s advisers were hoping to accomplish. Retention rates from first to second semester were the same for Freshmen Connection and students admitted in the fall, Baum said, adding her office will compare final GPA information when it becomes available.

Baum said she’s very satisfied with the program’s success and anticipates the data will show students in the program fared just as well or better than their fall-admitted counterparts.

“Most of the people I know are graduating within four years,” Gebel said. “I think some people liked it more or less, but either way, they’re graduating on time.”

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