Minot State / First-Year Experience / Spring 2027 First-Year Experience Learning Communities
First-Year Experience (FYE)

Spring 2027 First-Year Experience Learning Communities

How to register:

  1. Meet with your academic advisor to choose your FYE.
  2. When registration opens, register for your FYE in Campus Connection using the MiSU eForm Tile>>Registrar's Office Folder>>First-Year Experience. You will be added to the FYE Learning Community within 24 business hours of submitting the form.

Other registration considerations: 

  1. Plan your other courses around the times of the FYE classes.  You will not be added to FYE classes if there is a scheduling conflict. 
  2. All FYE Learning Communities have a capacity limit; therefore, some options may not be available at the time you register.
  3. Please wait until registration opens to submit your request for your FYE.

FYE Learning Community descriptions & connected courses

In this first-year learning community, you will explore what your personal goals are for life and success, and how to meet them financially and personally.  Students will learn about how to identify and set goals, how to make difficult decisions, and balance personal and financial wellbeing. Come and explore who you are, what you want, and how to get it!

UNIV 110 First-Year Seminar, 2 SH (RC, PSR2) MW 9:00-9:50 AM, Michelle Weishaar
FIN 251 Personal Finance, 3 SH (PSR3) TTH 9:30-10:45 AM, David Frantsvog

This course will address the importance of creating balance in our lives. Using the dimensions of wellness as a guide with a particular focus on mindfulness-based practices for managing stress, students will learn how to adapt to the academic demands of college while living a healthy lifestyle.   

UNIV 110: First-Year Seminar, 2 SH (FYE), MW 11:00 - 11:50am, Rachel Simonson 
KIN 126: Group Exercise, 1 SH, T/Th 12:00 - 12:50pm, Terry Eckmann 

So you like Country music?  Rap?  Classical?  Why?  Are there reasons outside of your “personality” that shape your personal preferences, life choices, and everyday decisions?  As we walk through our world we’re constantly met with suggestions on everything, from a review of the latest movie, and the type of diet you eat, to significant choices about where you should live, what occupation you should pursue, and having kids. In our everyday experiences, we rarely have time to consider how culture and society impact the choices we make.  Sociology can help us gain an understanding of how society fundamentally impacts our conception of who we are and the choices we make.  In this FYE, we will explore a variety of societal forces that have shaped our personal choices and the very notion of ourselves and what we like and enjoy. 

SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology Christine Borden-King-Jones, TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM
UNIV 110 First-Year Seminar Yestyn Griffith MW 10:00-10:50 AM

(Intended for online-only students)

In today’s rapidly changing world, the ability to master new skills is the ultimate way to future-proof your career and make the most of your education. While most of us were told what to learn, we were rarely taught how to learn, leaving a gap between our potential and our performance. This course bridges that gap by bringing together research in psychology, biology, and cognitive science to transform learning into your personal superpower. By diving deep into the science of “sticky” memories and the psychology of flow states, you will discover how to make information unforgettable and recapture the fun of learning.  

In this class, you can learn to understand and control the neural circuitry of the brain and implement tactical “cheat codes” like spaced repetition and active recall. You will learn to vanquish procrastination through dopamine-loop hacking and have the opportunity to learn about building a “second brain” to organize your digital (and real) life, freeing your mind to focus on creativity rather than just storage. By the end of the semester, you will be equipped with strategies to optimize learning, no matter the subject. 

UNIV 110 First-Year Seminar, 2 SH (FYE) online asynchronous, Rachel Simonson  

PSY 111 Introduction to Psychology, 3 SH (Social Sciences), online asynchronous, Efthalia Esser