First Year Seminar (FYS) is designed to orient students to life at Anna Maria College by introducing them to the various departments and offices across campus, instructing them on academic research, teaching them valuable skills to help them navigate college as well as career, and providing an environment of reflection, mental preparedness, and critical thinking.

Other important lessons will include the development of writing and oral presentations, information literacy, the use of electronic technology for learning, study skills, time management, wellness, civic engagement, social responsibility, financial literacy, personal ethics, and academic integrity. Students will also focus on short- and long-term goals that will help them succeed throughout the semester and beyond graduation.