First Year Experience

The University of San Diego’s first year experience strives to build a community of engaged student learners who value academic excellence, intellectual, personal and spiritual development, inclusion, ethical conduct, and compassionate service. It integrates two core components: the Preceptorial Program and the Residence Life living and learning environment.

The first year of college at the University of San Diego begins at the point of an undergraduate student’s admission to USD and concludes at the beginning of the following academic year.

The University assigns a high priority to a student’s first year of college because the first year establishes an essential foundation for a successful educational and developmental experience. During the first year, students learn about the University’s mission, core values and expectations. As a result, students begin to practice the habits and skills of higher learning, thus helping shape the academic and social climate on campus.