There are dozens of ways for freshmen to get connected at the UW, and some of the best begin with your first day as a UW student. Start College Early with the Early Fall Start program – Make the transition to college, meet other incoming freshmen before school starts, and learn your way around the UW campus and Seattle. In the month before autumn quarter begins, you can participate in one of 25 Discovery Seminars, which are small classes just for freshmen and taught by some of the UW’s best faculty. These seminars cover a range of topics such as art, literature, music, geology, math, history, philosophy, and cultural studies. They are intensive four-week, five-credit courses designed to challenge you and give you a sample of what to expect during the regular school year.
Landscape architecture majors study urban design and green spaces in Japan, Germany, Italy, and Mexico.
Freshmen Interest Groups
One FIG = 20-25 freshmen who have similar academic interests and share the same cluster of three or four courses for their first quarter at the UW. The FIG provides both a social support network and a learning community. More than 160 FIGs are offered in the autumn, spanning a range of topics and interests.
Freshman Seminars
Taught by faculty members, many nationally and internationally recognized leaders in their fields, these seminars meet once a week, are limited to 15 students, and are graded credit/no credit. Students can establish a rapport with a professor while learning about different fields of study, all in a low-pressure academic setting.
University Honors Program
The University Honors Program offers the best of both worlds: the combined riches of a small learning community and the inexhaustible resources of a large research university.
Phi Eta Sigma
A national freshman honor society with more than 300 chapters and 500,000 lifetime members. The UW chapter focuses on community service, campus service, and membership services.
