First-Year Experience

All first-year students are required to attend Bearcats Bound Orientation during the summer before the start of the academic year. At orientation, you will learn about academic policies, college procedures and graduation requirements for your program. You will meet with academic advisors and receive academic advice, learn the web registration process and register for fall semester classes, learn about campus life and student activities.

Welcome Week begins one week prior to the start of classes and includes various events and activities. 

All incoming first year students will also attend College Day, which takes place before or after New Student Convocation. The purpose of College Day is to build community within UC & CAHS.  Students will meet and connect with faculty, advisors, peer leaders & learning community classmates as well as discuss student organizations within each major.  

All students in the College of Allied Health Sciences participate in learning communities (LC) and interact with other students who have the same major. There are approximately 18 - 23 students in a learning community, which is led by a Peer Leader (upper division student in the major). 

Students are enrolled in two or more university courses together and share common experiences around your academics. Getting to know other students and making friends right away with the same interests is one goal of learning communities. Learning Communities assist you in making a large campus feel smaller.

Students complete service hours in the Greater Cincinnati area during spring semester of their first year.  A few community partners our students volunteered with last year are: Arlitt Child Development Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, The Christ Hospital, Forever Fitness, Girl Scouts, Hearing Speech & Deaf Center, Iron Core Adapted Strength & Conditioning, Bearcat Buddies (a partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools) and, Bearcat Academy. 

Each first-year student is assigned to one of the academic advisors in our college. Our academic advisors assist students in planning college core requirements, degree progress and graduation certification needs. Our college requires mandatory advising during the first year, so all first-year students have a block on their registration until they meet with an advisor to go over their schedule. CAHS advisors are available to meet in-person and virtually  and are located on the 3rd floor of the Health Sciences Building in suite 309. 

We understand and know that families play an important role in student success and the University of Cincinnati has many resources and programs for families to stay involved.