The purposes of higher education and potential roles of the student within the university. Open to freshmen. Also open to other undergraduate students in their first semester of enrollment. University 101 is offered in both the fall and spring semesters, although the vast majority of USC-Columbia students enroll in the fall. The course may be taken as part of a student's regular course load or as an overload.
Course credit is awarded on a letter-grade basis.
Credit is applicable as elective or required credit toward all baccalaureate degrees offered by the University. University 101 provides an introduction to the nature of higher education and a general orientation to the functions and resources of the University. The course is designed to help first-year students adjust to the University, develop a better understanding of the learning process, and acquire essential academic survival skills. The course also provides a support group for students in a critical transition year by examining problems common to the first-year experience. Extensive reading and writing assignments relevant to the students' first-year experience are required.