The truth is that the first few steps you’ll take on campus will feel different. You’ll be miles away from family, plunged into the unfamiliar world of “adulting” and will start to meet so many new people that your head will spin.
While all these changes could feel new and exciting (even scary), they don’t have to be. Georgia State wants to alleviate the pressures that students might face in college.
Student Success support services are available for all admitted students to feel less pressure, be more at ease and become academically stronger in your new environments. Keep reading below!
Freshmen Learning Communities
Your first year of college will be a 180-degree difference from high school, and a big chunk of it will be the academics. Even students who performed well in high school may need support for their first year of college.
This is precisely why Georgia State has nationally recognized Freshmen Learning Communities. What are Freshmen Learning Communities, you ask? Picture your first semester on campus grouped with students committed to learning, maintaining their financial aid and improving their study skills. That’s pretty cool, but that isn’t even half of it.
Your Freshmen Learning Community (FLC) will consist of 25 students (including you) paired in the same courses that tie in with your major area (think STEM, Business, Health, Social Science, etc.). In your first semester, you’ll take four curriculum courses that can count toward any major of your choosing, and you’ll learn the “ins and outs” of Georgia State University in your GSU 1010 class.
Freshmen Learning Communities are offered at our Atlanta and Perimeter College campuses. They provide a strong community for first-year students to get connected and grounded in their first few weeks of college.
Supplemental Instruction
Don’t panic if your grade is slipping in your more demanding classes like Accounting, Chemistry or Computer Science! Supplemental Instruction can help you.
Supplemental Instruction is the perfect mix between class tutoring and peer support. You will be paired in a group study session to learn more about the subject matter and improve your overall grade. If you find that you learn better from a peer, then this will be especially helpful.
In your Supplemental Instruction group, you’ll be taught by an actual student who scored an “A” or higher in the class. The weekly study sessions are an interactive, fun way to better comprehend the classroom material and have your hard questions answered.
The process of signing up is simple. You have the option to join an SI group whether you belong to an Atlanta or Perimeter campus and will log into our online platform to submit your work and view assignments. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity when you become a student!
GPS Advising
If you can track your packages, why can’t you track and monitor your grades? Georgia State’s nationally recognized GPS tracking does exactly that. A system of predictive analytics technology and over 800 alerts helps you not waste time in any unrelated classes and graduate on time!
Using GPS tracking, an adviser will be alerted of a student falling behind in classes or taking an unrelated course, then will set up an appointment to get the student on the path toward graduating on time.
In one year alone, GPS generated over 51,000 meetings between advisers and students to get them on on track with graduation. There are some strong gains in terms of academic timeline. GPS Advising has increased first-year-to-fall-spring retention rates by five percentage points and has enabled graduating seniors to finish school with fewer classes.
Overall, GPS is a helpful tool that has increased Perimeter College associate and Georgia State bachelor’s program graduates. With this tool, you won’t fall behind, because we’ll let you know where you stand!
What’s Next?
Let’s face it: college is an exciting time in your life that comes with a lot of new. While all the new could be overwhelming to the average person, Georgia State wants to make this transition as easy as possible. Freshmen Learning Communities, Supplemental Instruction and GPS Advising are just a few of our student support services. Take advantage of all that’s offered when you get here!
