Is the Freshman Seminar reaching its goals?

Some students say "No," but large numbers are saying "Yes." If comments gathered from students in four of IUK's 18 seminar classes being offered this fall are any indication, the campus is well on its way to making a significant impact on attrition and boosting the success rate of its students. Here are a few of those comments:

• "I've learned the different ways to listen and how to become involved."
  
• "I probably would have dropped out after my second week. It hit me pretty hard. But this class helped me stay in school."
  
• "I've learned a lot about myself in this class, and it has helped me change. I've learned something about the perceptions of other people, and that has helped me become a better person and a better student."
  
• "I'm a real shy person. I talk more now, and I'm more outgoing. I still turn red when I'm asked a question, but I have learned that I can talk."
  
• "I probably would have dropped out if it hadn't been for this class. I've been out of school seven or eight years. It was hard to get in the groove and learn how to take notes again."
  
• "I've been here two semesters, and this is my third. If I had taken this class first, I wouldn't have been wandering around feeling lost and wondering where things are."
  
• "I started as a freshman at Purdue seven years ago. They didn't have a class like this. I didn't even know there were any programs to help students until I went to drop out. If I had had a class like this one, I'd have my degree by now."
  
• "I've taken a lot of what I learned so far and applied it in my personal life."
  
• "I've been out of school for 13 years, and I have four kids. I was scared stiff when I came here. Now I've learned there is help out there."
  
• "Being in this class, where we are all dealing with the same subjects and the same concerns, has given me a way of networking with other students and feeling like I belong here."

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