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First-Year Residential Experience

First-Year Residential Experience (FYRE) is a year-long, structured, residentially-based program for all Dartmouth first-year students designed to help them develop close bonds with their floormates and learn valuable information about life on campus. 

  • Female roommates move into their room.

    First-year students move in to their new residence. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)

About FYRE

Students in the FYRE program live in a community of buildings that house about 300 of their first-year classmates. There they have the opportunity to participate in activities, discussions, Dartmouth traditions, and trips designed to meet the unique needs and interests of first-year students.

The mission of FYRE is to:

  • Facilitate the transition and adjustment to the Dartmouth community for first-year students through access points to academic enrichment opportunities, support services and campus involvement.
  • Sustain a residential learning community that promotes the social, emotional, ethical and physical well-being of its members.

Living in FYRE presents many opportunities for students to be involved in their residential experience, including:

  • Regular discussions about key topics related to their first-year experience
  • Campus resource connections
  • Various social activities in the residence halls
  • Residential leadership roles through their House Executive Board or Student-Initiated Programs (SIPs)

First-Year students in the FYRE program say:

  • They form lasting friendships as part of a close-knit community
  • They regularly talk about common experiences with other first-years
  • They actively participate in activities in their first-year community, House Community, and across campus
  • They know what is happening on campus and how to get involved
  • They know how to be successful in many areas of campus