The First-Year Experience is a central, foundational element of the Arts & Sciences Curriculum.
All Trinity first-year students complete a cohort-based First-Year Experience, designed to introduce them to an intellectual community and to the values underpinning the Arts & Sciences Curriculum — Connections, Curiosity, Humility — from the moment they arrive on campus.
How does the First-Year Experience encourage…
Connections: Duke is a big place. Being part of a cohort allows new students to build connections – with their peers, with faculty, and across ways of thinking and experiences – that provide a firm foundation for their entire college careers.
Curiosity: By taking on some of today’s most pressing questions through an interdisciplinary lens, the First-Year Experience fosters a mindset that promotes openness to new ideas.
Humility: The First-Year Experience encourages students to recognize the limitations of their own knowledge and cultivate a growth mindset. Developing the skills necessary to engage with others’ viewpoints in a constructive, respectful manner is key to students’ success at Duke and beyond.
Students may complete the First-Year Experience through participation in either Constellations or the FOCUS program. Each option provides a wide variety of themes for students to explore through a set of three interconnected courses across multiple perspectives.
