College of the Pacific
Your First Year
“My first year experience at Pacific was awesome. I really enjoyed taking the Pacific Seminar course because it gave me an opportunity to interact and bond with other freshmen at Pacific. It also provided me with a chance to become an independent thinker as well as a better writer.”
—Danielle Neault
At many larger universities and colleges, students get "lost" during their first year. We work hard to prevent that from happening in the College of the Pacific by providing one-on-one faculty advising, small class sizes where it's harder to "fall through the cracks," and accessible academic support services.
A Time for Discovery: General Education Program
We encourage our first-year students to explore a variety of subjects through our general education program. Whether you already know exactly what degree and career you want to pursue or you are waiting to discover your passion, Pacific's nationally recognized general education program will help you succeed. The program encompasses two Pacific Seminars your first year and a breadth program covering nine subject areas. (Click below to see a video about the Pacific Seminar courses.)
Through the general education curriculum you will be exposed to all major areas of learning in the arts, letters and sciences, and have the opportunity to develop and refine:
• Critical thinking skills
• Written and oral communication skills
• Ethical reasoning
• Intercultural understanding
These are skills and qualities that enrich any career path, and that give our alumni a real competitive edge over students trained in narrower programs.
