First Year Initiative at VMI (FYI@VMI)

The principal goal of FYI@VMI is to facilitate academic success for new cadets while they meet the demands of military duties, cadet life, and especially the Ratline. Both nationally as well as here at VMI, we have seen that even the most accomplished high school graduates often do not have the information or skills necessary to succeed in college academics. 

FYI@VMI has been specifically designed to close the gap between high school and college. To launch this initiative are two five-week courses that will be offered as a pilot in Fall 2012: Academics 101 (AC101) which will be offered the first five weeks and Academic 102 (AC102) which will be offered the last five weeks. The designated learning outcomes for the two courses are as follows:

By successfully completing AC-101 (October 1), new cadets will be able to:

• define the term “protocol” within an academic setting and outline its principal components
• set long- and short-term goals for academic success
• manage time to balance academic, military, athletic, and personal duties efficiently
• apply effective study skills including reading for comprehension, note-taking, test preparation, and organization of academic materials
• access various Post resources such as Miller Academic Center, Preston Library, Career Services, and Cadet Counseling

By successfully completing AC-102 (December 10), new cadets will be able to:

• demonstrate application of skills and information acquired in AC-101
• devise a study plan for their first comprehensive college exams
• create an action plan to facilitate an academically successful spring semester
• reflect on the connections between academic success and life-long learning
• compete for a leadership position in the 2013-14 FYI@VMI Program