University Studies Program

FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE

QUEST I

First-semester freshmen* at UW Oshkosh all take small introductory courses to help them get to know each other, college life and UW Oshkosh. We call these courses Quest I.  

Only 25 students are in each Quest I course. Those same 25 students are also in a WRT 188 (a first-year writing course), Communications 111 (a first-year speaking course) together. This helps first-semester students get to know each other.

Students beginning their college career on the Fox Cities and Fond du Lac campuses and pursuing an Associate Degree take any 6 credits of Quest courses in any order. Quest I courses are not paired with WRT 188 or COMM 111 and do not have a co-requisite for these courses for either QI or QII.

The Quest I course also helps students get to know a professor and one returning student. The returning student is a peer mentor, a student employee who has been hand-picked to help first-year students become familiar with academic life at UW Oshkosh. They have been chosen because of their success as a student and leadership on campus. They are here to help you succeed in your first year and beyond.

Quest I courses range in subject, but they all spend some time helping students get accustomed to college life and to this university in particular. To see what Quest I courses are available now, check out this page.

* First-semester freshmen means every student who comes to UW Oshkosh with fewer than 15 credits.

QUEST II

To extend the first-year experience from Quest I to Quest II, second semester freshman are provided opportunities to plan their future in college, work, & life. This is achieved through the following Quest II components:

• Explore academic majors, minors, & other university programs during Academic Open House Week
• Exposure to opportunities in undergraduate research/creative activity
• Alumni class visits
• Career & Professional Development
• University engagement opportunities; e.g. Taste of UW Oshkosh, Student Leadership & Involvement Center (SLIC), Volunteer Fair, Study/Intern Abroad Fair, etc.