Harvard University Professor of Education Richard Light stated in his research paper on student learning in colleges that “the first few weeks of college are the most decisive times.” He also advised that universities devote most attention and resources to first year students. Many other scholars agree that the first year of college can determine the course of success in one’s whole career. In recognition of this formative period in college education, Yonsei University introduced in 1999 a whole new educational division whose main purpose is to mold high school graduates into diligent and responsible college students. The first of its kind ever in the country, University College Yonsei has assumed responsibility for providing education in the basic sciences and general humanities, as well as advising students choose their majors wisely. This allows the first years to pursue their own studies while obtaining a basic knowledge of all the areas the university has to offer for two or three semesters, before advancing to their respective majors. Upon seeing the success of the University College, other universities have followed suit: Sungkyunkwan University, Hanyang University, Seoul National University, Myongji University, and Catholic University of Korea. Creating a Wave with a Student-Centered Education The University College offers courses in the following categories: basic courses (Understanding Christianity, English, Writing, etc.); required courses (Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Culture, Understanding the World.); elective courses; and introductory courses for majors. The (Korean) Writing course has become a model of innovation. A whole new curriculum with new materials has been prepared and, beginning with the Spring semester of 2007, the class population will be cut from forty students per class to approximately twenty-five. For Science and Engineering majors a new Scientific Writing course was introduced in Spring 2006, and in Winter 2006 students who had most of their education overseas and thus struggle with the Korean language were offered Basic Writing. University College also set up a Korean writing tutorial system, the first in the nation, which has further increased the quality of education for students. For students of Science and Engineering, University College offers Mathematics courses that take into consideration the students' level of advancement. Placement tests have been put into effect since 2004, and students are assigned to appropriate class levels based on the results. The new Basic Calculus course, which fills the gap in the high school mathematics curriculum, has produced great results--students in Science and Engineering are now much better prepared to tackle their majors. Furthermore, continued reduction of the number of students per class and skillful management of up to thirty different classes per course have both resulted in double weekly study hours for Science and Engineering students (in 2005, compared to statistics in 2004) and better studying skills. Further proof of continual progress towards a better quality of education is visible in the reform of laboratory facilities in the Physics and Biology subjects, and as well as in the distribution of video lectures. The “Study Twice as Hard Initiative” To create an environment in which study is the core of college culture, University College introduced a “Study Twice as Hard Initiative” in 2004. Before introducing this initiative, students were known to spend a mere 2.4 hours weekly on a subject (based on a survey in Spring 2004). Compared to Harvard students who study a reported weekly average of five to six hours, Yonsei University students were hardly studying. It was obvious that, for Yonsei students to become competitive on a global level, they needed above all to invest more time on their studies. University College therefore began the “Study Twice as Hard Initiative” and pressed for an increase in the amount of assignments (homework and papers) and tests for all of its courses, while at the same time fortifying its monitoring system to ensure the success of the initiative. The outcome has been a dramatic increase in studying hours: the spring semester of 2006 reports a weekly 4.39 hours spent studying per subject. Dean of University College, Shin Eui Soon said that, “the professors’ devotion to their lectures, the special allocation of budget to this initiative, and the untiring support of the staff were crucial in acquiring such results.” He underscored his statement by saying that, “for even better results, persistent attention and investment are needed from the administration.” Reading Education Fortified A society that founds itself on knowledge demands creative thinkers who attain their powers of thought through a wealth of reading and self-reflection. To match such demands, University College has introduced a reading list for first year students to read even before their first semester begins. In addition, the College has also established a “Reading Literary Masterpieces” course for first years and a “Reading and Discussion” course for all Yonsei students to support reading of world’s classics. Expert Academic Advising, Gateway to College, and Combined Orientations Renovation of the first year education has not only taken place within basic and required courses, but also in the area of academic counseling. In the year 2000, University College introduced a system of academic advising, the first in the country. The role of the academic advisors consists of counseling first years to take initiative in their college lives, assisting students in the selection of their majors, maintaining and managing the on-/offline academic advising system, and constructing an academic advising program that suits the various entrance examination types. In Spring 2007, University College will introduce a one-unit course called “Gateway to College.” This course will be administered by academic advisors and professors of various departments to counsel first year students on creativity, leadership development, introduction to majors, career planning, etc. Meetings will also be arranged with senior students to discuss college life. The approximate number of students who will be taking this subject this semester will be 1,800 in a total of 35 classes. In recent years, much time and effort have been spent to make freshman orientation, the first step in planning a college life, a more meaningful event for all new entrants. This year brings in yet another innovation in freshman orientation. Until last year, early-action students and regular admission students attended separate orientations, but beginning with this year, University College will offer a combined orientation that involves all relevant administrative offices, colleges and institutions of the University. Through freshman orientation, new students will gain valuable information about college life and will adapt more easily to Yonsei University through various meetings with professors and older students. This new freshman orientation will inspire pride in Yonsei, prepare first year students become leaders with Christian principles, and build the foundations for a successful college career. Fostering Skills, Developing Global Communication “A man of competence will change with the times. A man of ability will know to combine global thinking and communication with a creative imagination. University College as an institution will now go beyond simply providing knowledge to building a core in our talented first years that will empower them to think critically and creatively, and to become better leaders of tomorrow. To accomplish this, University College will constantly analyze and review the basic education system to continually adapt itself in preparing a core educational structure that meets the demands of the changing society.” Dean Shin said that, for the last three semesters, University College has been conducting experimental classes in “Skill-Cultivating Core Curricula” to modify the educational process and develop courses that foster specific intellectual skills such as moral reasoning, critical thinking, scientific thinking, and global thinking and communication. The results of these experimental classes will be used as a foundation in forming an operative reform plan for basic college education across the board. In addition, a task force is in works to improve the curriculum for first-year Communicative English and to reinforce English language education as a whole. In the spring semester of 2007, a special diagnostic test will be administered to all first year students, the results of which will help University College to formulate plans for better placement of students in classes, based on their current skill levels in the English language. Since January 2006, University College has worked with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development in setting up an Advanced Placement program for high school students with advanced skills in specific subjects. This January, 120 students were admitted to take AP (Korean) Writing, AP English, AP Math, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, and AP Biology (20 students for each class). Thanks to years of experience in training top students in basic college education, University College has been able to provide excellent education in these AP programs. Yonsei’s AP courses have in a short time gained such a reputation that there is growing competition among high-school students to get into the program. This program also allows early-action students to experience regular courses on a college level and have their scores count as college credits. Dreams of the Nobel Prize and of Becoming a Global Leader “Many Nobel Prize scholars claim to have one similarity: the influence that their childhood education had on the rest of their lives. It is not easy to find a junior high or high school in this country that will encourage creativity and help reveal each of the students’ hidden talents. Then should it not be up to University College to give their creativity wings and allow there gifts to soar? A place in which dreams of Nobel prizes and global leaders are possible-- that is what we hope University College means.” Dean Shin asks for our continued awareness and support of University College and closes with the following remarks: “We will guide and teach each freshman to become creative thinkers and global leaders, and proudly send them off to their respective majors. We will do our best to make our students welcome in any organization by providing the best quality in education at University College and in their respective major disciplines.”