YOUR FIRST YEAR AND WHY IT MATTERS
Class of 2029, we are so excited to welcome you to the next destination on your academic journey. As you may know, university is a place for you to learn, explore, develop yourself holistically and you will do much of this over the next four years. However, it is important to note that your experiences and successes in the times ahead are largely going to be determined by your First Year.
Your First Year is your entrance into university. This is the time you are transitioning from being a high school student, when you start becoming accustomed to your degree program, when you try out different clubs and organizations, when you attend our many social events, and when you begin to get to know your batch-mates and instructors. It will lay a foundation that is crucial for your growth in these formative university years.
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE PROGRAM
Here at Habib University, we recognize just how important it is for students like you to have a strong and secure foundation for life at university. This is why we have designed a unique First Year Experience (FYE) Program, which will ensure that your ascension into university is smooth and successful and that you have a memorable and meaningful first year here at Habib.
The FYE Program starts from the summer before your first year and goes on until May next year. It provides a whole year of interesting workshops, useful webinars, and other fun and fulfilling events, alongside your engaging courses, academic help, advise form your faculty and lots of social events and activties. Through the elements of this program, several members of the HU Community will be working closely with you all to ensure that you are adequately supported, guided, and engaged both inside and outside our classrooms.
FYE in the Summer – Transition and Onboarding
In the summer months leading to the first Fall Semester, you all can expect to take part in a variety of events, some on-campus and others online, that will orient you to Habib University. These include, but are not limited to, meet and greet sessions, interactive campus tours, enrolment meetings, onboarding days, and of course, a diverse set of workshops on music, design, and coding as part of our summer programs SPLASH and LEAP. Alongside these on-campus events, you are welcome to sign up for online one-on-one meetings with your Academic Advisor, attend major-wise enrolment advisory sessions, and even join us with your parents/guardians for our informative “Parents as Partners” activities!
New Student Orientation (NSO)
Following a busy and invigorating summer, students will be officially welcomed to Habib University with the interactive and informative activities and sessions that make up New Student Orientation. NSO 2025 is a week-long event organized especially for the incoming batch and hosted by the Habib University Student Government (HUSG) and a large team of senior HU students who are hired and trained as Orientation Leaders. This year, our goal is to orient you (and your parents!) to the Habib culture and community and allow you to make new friends, understand your four-year journey, and become acquainted with the campus and its facilities.
NSO dates: 8th – 15th August, 2025
FYE in Semester 1 & 2 – Support and Engagement
First-Year Fundamentals
A major chunk of the First Year Experience in the Fall Semester consists of our First Year Fundamentals (FYF) program. This is a series of interesting workshops, informative lectures, and fun communal events, which will help you learn some essential skills, engage with faculty, and take part in healthy competitions with your own classmates and other batches too! The FYF workshops span a variety of topics, detailed in the figure below:
Learning Communities
At the start of the academic year, all first-year students will be divided and grouped into Learning Communities. Your Learning Community will consist of other students from your major, with whom you will study most of your first semester courses. In addition to providing a system of support and comradery and a ready-made study group (aka your fellow LC members), each Learning Community will be assigned a senior student mentor who will act as a guide and tutor for your first year. Your mentor will be a student from the same major program as you and will provide advice, support, and connections to relevant faculty and support services.
Academic Support
In addition to Learning Communities, HU students have plenty of other academic support services available to them during their four years at university. Beyond the classroom, you will be able to seek help from the EHSAS Center’s peer tutors, sign up for their workshops on useful and diverse topics, or approach the Writing Center’s Associates for help with all sorts of academic essays. You will also be assigned an Academic Advisor and a Faculty Advisor, both of whom will meet with you regularly and be your first point of contact for all academic queries, concerns, and issues.
Design Your Habib Experience
During semesters 1 and 2, you will be exposed to the cutting-edge concept of Design Thinking and learning how to apply it to design your four-year life at HU. Design Your Habib Experience classes will guide you to think about your career and learning aspirations and develop a thoughtful plan to achieve them. These highly interactive classes will boost your motivation and level of self-reflection to optimize your university experience.
For Lions who join us from outside Karachi – Community Integration in your home away from home!
If you are an HU lion who has joined us from outside Karachi, we understand that pursuing education in a different town can be a rollercoaster ride! However, your First Year Experience team wants to welcome you to the city of lights with fun meet and greet conversations focused on helping you adjust to the city in general, and Habib University in particular.
Be on a lookout for colorful guidebooks we have designed to help you know more about Karachi, and for meaningful discussions about community integration for outstation students over breakfast or lunch with the OAP team.
Ensuring Your Physical and Psychological Wellbeing
The Office of Health and Wellness encourages a healthy campus environment by empowering and helping the HU Community make positive and informed lifestyle choices. The office offers a range of services including wellness and stress management workshops, counseling services, sports centers, and other recreational facilities, including two gyms and a beautiful swimming pool. The Office of Health and Wellness will facilitate you in keeping yourselves physically and mentally healthy and fi¬t. Exciting programs on learning to swim, prioritizing fi¬tness, and team sports will help you keep ¬active and energized. Mental Health Counselors and wellness peers will help you manage your stress levels and anxiety so that you are able to focus on your studies.
Start Crafting Your Career Plan
You will also receive career advice and training from semester 1 to help you start thinking about and planning for your future.
Our Office of Career Services will help you to reflect on your experience and start building your career plan. The Office will assist you in gaining industry experience, alumni advice, and support for skill building.
This is just a glimpse of the plan designed to make you successful at HU. Your success is the central focus at Habib University. Looking forward to making your transition as smooth and effective as possible. Welcome to Habib University!
Social Events
For first-year students at Habib University, there is a lot to look forward to in your first Fall and Spring semesters in terms of your social life and extracurriculars. You will be able to sign up for clubs and organizations, take advantage of the campus’ sporting grounds and facilities, attend qawwali and various musical events, lounge in the gardens and courtyards with your friends, and enjoy other aspects of our sprawling campus and HU student life. We will also be organizing events and activities that are geared towards community-building and will help you get to know your faculty and students from other batches, such as trivia nights, tug-of-war, and meet-and-greets!
All in all…
The FYE Program has been designed specifically to ease the pressures of the first year and to help you, the Class of 2029, settle in to university life, assimilate into the HU community, and find their place in our social and academic circles. This program is for you: for your development, your enjoyment, and your success and to show you all what it means to be HU Lions. Class of 2029, welcome to the next leg on your academic journey – welcome to your new home.
