New college students have a lot to learn in the first semester — new study habits, new peer groups and how to find their way around campus, to name just a few. For biology majors at the University of South Carolina, getting started in the largest major on campus comes with unique questions about how to get the most out of their college experience.  

To help, USC is introducing a new segment of its nationally recognized University 101 program designed to help biology students make connections from day one. Beginning this fall, the course will help first-year students meet their classmates, navigate the requirements of STEM coursework, explore career paths and better understand the opportunities available in biology classes and labs. 

The U101 sections 335-340 are designed exclusively for incoming biology majors in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences and was developed by Sierra Knotts, biology department advisor and U101 instructor, who wanted to give students more guidance than can fit in a brief advising session.  

“Advising sessions are just 45-minutes each semester, so this takes that advising session and turns it into a whole semester,” Knotts says. 

Six sections of the course will be offered this fall with space for approximately 120 biology majors. While U101 courses already exist for programs including business, public health and the Honors College, this marks the first biology-specific version of the course at USC. It creates a unique opportunity within USC’s top-ranked first-year experience, allowing students to orient to campus and their major quickly.

Knotts said the idea grew from her experience teaching U101 and working closely with first-year students.  

“There’s so much information coming at students when they first arrive on campus that it’s easy to miss important opportunities,” she said, noting that many junior and senior students later realize they would have benefited from exploring research, student organizations and faculty connections earlier in their college careers. 

The course will cover traditional U101 topics such as time management, study strategies, mental health and adjusting to college life, with an added biology-focused approach. Students will hear from biology faculty, upper-level students and guest speakers about research opportunities, STEM career pathways, student organizations and how to succeed in science coursework and laboratory settings. 

The biology sections will be guided by peer leaders who are junior or senior students in the biology major. They will serve as mentors for first-year biology students as part of USC’s nationally recognized Peer Leaders Program. 

“Peer Leaders play an important role in helping new students transition smoothly into the USC community and build a sense of connection and belonging,” Knotts said. “They can also speak directly to the student experience in a way that instructors simply cannot. For the biology major sections, having a peer leader from the same major offers incoming students both a wealth of firsthand knowledge of the USC experience and a role model for their academic journey.” 

By learning alongside fellow biology majors, students will begin building relationships and study groups early in their college careers while becoming more connected to the biology community at USC. 

“Students will build community, feel connected to USC and better understand their academic path,” Knotts said. “I want students to walk away feeling confident that they chose the right major and that they have the tools to succeed.” 

The classes will also include practical lessons on budgeting, off-campus living and navigating independence as a college student, alongside panels on careers in medicine and pathways beyond pre-health professions. 

Enrollment for the new sections is ongoing for the fall 2026 semester.