Transitioning to UK
An Equal Opportunity University
We Get It! Starting college can be a strange experience – it’s exciting, stressful and overwhelming all at the same time. We get it. We’ve been there, and we’ve helped thousands of new University of Kentucky students successfully make the transition. Using everything we’ve learned about successful transitions over the years, we have designed programs to help you every step of the way. After “see blue.” U, you’ll take part in K Week when you arrive on campus in August. We strongly encourage you to register for UK 101 (for new first-year students) or UK 201 (for new transfer students); these courses are meant to give you the skills necessary to thrive at UK and adjust to your new environment. Following “see blue.” U and K Week, The Blueprint serves as the third step in your orientation process to UK, giving you the opportunity to join interest groups and meet like-minded peers. Take advantage of K Week, UK 101/201 and The Blueprint and participate in as much as you can. You’ll meet people, learn more about UK and yourself and have fun along the way. In no time, UK will feel like your home away from home. Welcome to the Wildcat family!
K Week, August 21 – 25, is the second step in the orientation process and UK’s official welcome week. This five-day program is designed to help you meet new people, make new friends and get settled before classes begin! During K Week, you will be placed on a K Team, a small orientation group of 20 people, led by a K Crew leader. K Teams are based on your residence hall or off-campus location, so don’t worry about going to events alone! Download the K Week app by searching “UK Guides” in your app store and clicking on the K Week guide. There are a few events you are expected to attend, including all K Team meetings, the New Student Induction Ceremony and your college meeting, but there are a ton of other events that you can pick and choose from based on your interests and needs. The full K Week schedule will be available in August online at www.uky.edu/KWeek and in the mobile app. Check out the K Week video here!
“K Week helped me meet people I never would have known.” – Jaleon Abrams, K Crew leader
UK 101/201 UK 101/201 is the university’s academic orientation course to help you transition to university life. UK 101 is designed for first-year students, and UK 201 is for new transfer students. This one-credit-hour course covers topics that help build the foundation of success for your time at UK. Topics covered include academic expectations, using campus resources, how to manage your time and stress and how to get involved on campus. These are small classes led by a faculty/staff member and an experienced peer instructor to help guide you. Students who take UK 101 have higher first semester GPAs and are more likely to persist to their sophomore year. We’re offering 140 sections of UK 101/201 in the fall 2019 semester, and many of these are connected to colleges and specialty programs. Ask your academic advisor about how to register for UK 101/201!
“My instructor gave us tools to help with our stress and a safe place to talk about anything we needed during our first semester.” – from a student course evaluation
Transitioning from high school or another college to UK isn’t an overnight process. “see blue.” U and K Week introduce you to new people, resources and the university environment, but the transition doesn’t stop there. The Blueprint is the third step in the orientation process and takes place throughout your first fall semester. It’s designed to help you build a successful foundation for the rest of your time at UK. The Blueprint is an umbrella program that facilitates interest groups for first-year students. You have the opportunity to join small groups based on your interests and meet like-minded peers. Using the QR code below, check out all The Blueprint groups and sign up for the groups that interest you. Group meet-ups begin after K Week. More information is available at www.uky.edu/blueprint.
“Everyone has a place here at UK – there’s no expectation for you to be anything but yourself.” – Maggie Morse
First-Year Forum UK has a leadership experience meant exclusively for new students just like you! Join the First-Year Forum to share your experiences as a new student and inform future programming for incoming Wildcats. You’ll participate in monthly meetings and offer feedback and suggestions based on your experience. We’ll feed you, connect you to others on campus and hook you up with some free swag, too. To learn more, visit www.uky.edu/firstyearforum. The application will be open through August 2019.
“First-Year Forum was the best way to have my voice heard on a campus that feels so large. To actually see the changes happening in front of your eyes and getting to say, ‘I did that,’ is such an amazing feeling.” – Lexi Huth
First-Year Experience and Family Programs Student Services Center 230 McVey Hall 859-257-6597 KWeek@lsv.uky.edu UK101@uky.edu
@UK_KWeek