About FIGS

First-Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS) help incoming Rutgers students discover exciting professional fields and learn more about their campus community.

These aren’t your typical college classes. Our one-credit courses combine engaging conversations with interactive activities, encourage students to participate in small group exercises and classroom discussions, help them develop connections with peers and mentors in their chosen field of study, and provide a safe place to share personal stories and talk about transitioning into the Rutgers community.  FIGS students explore a specific topical area, learn how to take full advantage of institutional resources and career-related opportunities, and gain insight into the paths to academic success and professional development.

FIGS classes are taught by talented, highly motivated Peer Instructors, a group of successful juniors and seniors who want to give back to the Rutgers community by sharing their experiences and expertise with first-year students. Because our courses are designed with first-year college students in mind, we limit each FIGS section to 25 students in order to provide an intimate educational experience and facilitate active class participation. Meeting for ten weeks in the fall semester, each course is graded pass/no credit and is open to Rutgers-New Brunswick students enrolled in the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, and the Rutgers Business School.

The transition from high school to college can sometimes be difficult and bewildering as one of life’s chapters gives way to the next. Here at FIGS, we equip our students with the knowledge and tools they need to start writing their own unique Rutgers stories.

Additional Information:

• What We Do
• Meet the FIGS Team
• FIGS Elements
• Six-Word Stories
• FIGS By the Numbers
• FIGS Success Stories