Gen 100: The College Experience

Dive deep into the college experience


If you’re a first-year student enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, you’ll be taking Gen 100: The College Experience, a course that starts at Orientation and lasts throughout the fall semester.

This program was developed to help ensure the success of first year students in college. You’ll explore a wide range of topics relevant to the college experience while you are immersed in the Malone community.

You’ll meet with your GEN 100 College Experience class starting on move-in day (before the official start of classes). In order to know where your class section meets, you’ll need to know your section number. When you check-in at Orientation, you'll receive a copy of your schedule, making sure to highlight which section is yours!

Required readings

There are two required textbooks for the course. The College Experience is a compilation of articles and readings from various sources, written especially for Malone University. All sections of Gen 100 also read a book together as part of the “Malone Reads” program, creating space to discuss the same book over the course of the academic year. The 2018 selection is Educated by Tara Westover. Both books are available in the campus store.

COURSE ASSISTANTS

Each class section has an upperclassman course assistant (CA) who assists the instructor and shows you the ropes of adjusting to college life. This student will be available in numerous ways to help you throughout your first semester. You'll meet your course assistant at the beginning of Orientation.

Topics covered in Gen 100 Include:

  • Reading in community
  • Big questions
  • Integrity
  • Discerning together
  • The ordinary as meaningful
  • Faith stories
  • How do I survive?
  • What's this major I'm pursuing?
  • For better or worse: Christians in community
  • Relationships
  • Difference, disagreement, and conversation
  • What are my practices and habits? 

What students say:

Becca Bankert“Orientation week at Malone is the perfect way to begin the transition to college! Each day is filled with multiple activities to get you acquainted with other new students and oriented to the mission of Malone. One of my first friends at Malone was my course assistant, who was so friendly and helpful with all of my questions about college life. This is what made me want to be a CA, so I could be that friend to new students.” — Becca Bankert, Music Education Major, CA


Joe Cartwright“At first everything was very scary and very awkward, but by the time Camp Gideon was over, I fell in love with Gen 100 and my classmates.... As a CA now, I want to make the beginning of Orientation as least awkward as I can." — Joe Cartwright, Exercise Science Major, CA (pictured at New Student Olympics during Orientation week—a time in which new students get to have a little fun with their CAs.)