The First-Year Residential Experience (FYRE) is Housing and Residence Life’s developmental framework designed to help students build meaningful connections, navigate the transition to Georgia Tech, and develop the knowledge, skills, and habits necessary for personal and academic success.
Through intentional experiences, peer connections, residential programming, and campus partnerships, FYRE helps students create a strong foundation for their first year while fostering a sense of belonging within the Georgia Tech community.
Whether you’re exploring campus resources, developing healthy routines, building relationships, or discovering your place at Tech, FYRE provides opportunities for every student to learn, engage, and thrive.
First‑year residential students will feel like a valued members of their residential community and demonstrate an increased sense of comfort expressing their authentic identities in shared spaces.
First‑year residential students will be able to name their residential support resources (RA, HD), identify multiple campus support resources, and demonstrate increased confidence in accessing support when needed.
First‑year residential students will be able to articulate personal strategies for enhancing wellness and demonstrate awareness of how different dimensions of wellness impact their academic success and residential experience.
First‑year students will be able to reflect positively on their residential experience with meaningful connections, access to resources, and a sense of preparedness for continued engagement in campus life were fostered in safe, clean, well-maintained facilities.
Living on campus provides unique opportunities to connect, learn, and grow.
Throughout the year, residential students can participate in programs coordinated by their Resident Assistant and Hall Director. Students can expect:
- 1:1 Conversations with your Resident Assistant
- Opportunities to connect with live-in professional staff, Hall Director
- Wellness Dimension Overview (Wellness Foundations Program Pathway)
- FYRE Activity (Wellness Foundations Program Pathway)
- Exposure to Involvement Opportunities on Campus
- Area and Building Programming
Wellness Foundations is centered around a series of intentional experiences designed to support students during the first eight weeks of the fall semester. Emphasizing getting to know your residential community and forming connections at Georgia Tech, this wellness themed program is designed to support your transition experience. Every first-year student will be added to the Wellness Foundations Path in Engage. During this phase of the experience, all first-year students will complete the following items on a weekly basis:
- Dimensional Overview: a weekly video that highlights a Dimension of Wellness and key behaviors to facilitate first-year success.
- FYRE Activity: An action or event where students learn more about resources or practice skills to enhance their personal wellness.
This comprehensive program focuses on all eight dimensions of wellness—financial, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and occupational—ensuring a holistic approach to first-year engagement. Through intentional integration of wellness into the first-year experience, via the program pathway and peer-led conversations, FYWE helps students develop essential skills to positively impact their well-being. Regular assessments and continuous quality improvement ensure that our efforts remain effective and responsive to evolving needs.
Check out upcoming programming by visiting the GT Engage Events page and selecting First Year Wellness Experience from the “Categories” drop down menu.
Spiritual
Intellectual
Social
Physical
Occupational
Financial
Environmental
Emotional