First-Year Student Josh Silva’s Series of Campus Connections

When freshman Josh Silva met me in the newly renovated EMU to talk about his experiences in the “Risky Business” First-Year Interest Group (FIG), he was coming from a midterm exam in Professor Mike Urbancic’s Macroeconomics (EC) 202 class. He was confident, but not just because he studied hard for the test.

Connections to Faculty

It helps that Professor Urbancic is Josh’s favorite professor so far this year, but he was also Josh’s FIG professor in the fall. That means that Josh was able to interact with Professor Urbancic in both small and large classes, learn how he thinks and works as a professor, and figure out what (and how) to best study for his classes. Like all FIGs, Risky Business had lots of fun social events throughout the fall term, so Josh was also able to get to know his professor as a person outside the classroom.


Why did Josh choose a FIG?

Coming to UO from Modesto, California, Josh was immediately impressed with our campus. He’s always been big into sports, and he knew he had an interest in business. Needless to say, the Ducks’ powerhouse status in many sports and UO’s top-notch Lundquist College of Business definitely were big factors in his decision to make the move to Oregon for college. When Josh learned that he could combine his two majors (Psychology and Pre-Business) in the Risky Business FIG, he was even more convinced UO was the right school for him. After his first couple of terms as a Duck, Josh doesn’t hesitate to say: “Joining a FIG was one of the best things I could have done going into UO.”
Risky Business FIG Students join faculty member Mike Urbancic (left) and 2015 FIG assistant Megan Rice (second from left) for ice cream at the local Prince Pucklers shop. Josh Silva's (right) time spent outside the classroom with faculty and FIG members gave him the chance to make friends and connections that would last beyond the first term.

Upperclassman Mentorship and Connections to Peers

Josh’s experience with his upperclassman FIG Assistant (FA), Megan Rice, was exactly what it was supposed to be. Megan is a double major (Economics and Japanese) just like Josh, so she was able to help him out with some tips and advice about planning and scheduling classes to manage the double major. Megan also helped the FIG students set up study groups since they were all taking two of the same classes. Josh really liked how these sessions helped him figure out what and how much you’re supposed to study in college compared to high school. Participating in the Risky Business FIG gave him more than academic advantages, though. He also met a couple of great friends, including his roommate for next year, in the FIG!

What advice would Josh give to next year’s freshman class? Be sure to sign up early since some FIGs fill up fast. Josh added that taking the FIG didn’t add too much extra time to his course load. As an out-of-state Summit Scholar, he has still been able to manage all of his classes, meeting new friends, attending lots of sports games, and has even taken a job with UO’s Annual Giving.