uwindsorcss · Bovay · Oct 9, 2025 · Oct 8, 2025
diff --git a/resources/guides/first-year-guide.md b/resources/guides/first-year-guide.md
@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ sidebar_label: First Year Guide
 slug: /guides/first-year
 ---
 
-_last updated on 2022/09/06_
+_last updated on 2025/10/07_  
+Maintained by the Computer Science Society (CSS)
 
-This guide is intended to help incoming first year students prepare for a computer science degree at the University of Windsor. It addresses some general information about being a student at the University of Windsor and provides resources specifically to help students succeed in computer science courses.
+This guide helps incoming first-year computer science students at the University of Windsor get started, from setting up accounts and enrolling in courses to joining the CS community and preparing for your career.
+
+---
 
 ## Getting Started at the University of Windsor
 
@@ -29,7 +32,9 @@ The university's Learning Management System (LMS). It is used to view course mat
 
 #### [Microsoft Office 365](https://portal.office.com/)
 
-All University of Windsor students have access to a full suite of Microsoft Office 365 tools and software, including **Outlook** for email services and **OneDrive** for 1 TB of free cloud storage. A Microsoft Account is automatically created using your **UWindsor Email** and **UWin Account Password**. See [this FAQ](https://uwindsor.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1975/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=9552) for more details.
+All University of Windsor students have access to a full suite of Microsoft Office 365 tools and software, including **Outlook** for email services and **OneDrive**. A Microsoft Account is automatically created using your **UWindsor Email** and **UWin Account Password**. See [this FAQ](https://uwindsor.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1975/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=9552) for more details.
+
+---
 
 ## Enrolling in Courses
 
@@ -41,12 +46,142 @@ These wiki resources are maintained by student contributors. Always verify impor
 
 :::
 
-There are several computer science programs offered by the University of Windsor, each with their own course requirements which can be found in [the undergraduate calendar](https://www.uwindsor.ca/secretariat/282/undergraduate-and-graduate-calendars). If you follow the [recommended course sequence](/wiki/courses/course-planning/recommended-sequence), many programs will share the same courses for the first term. They are [COMP-1000](/wiki/courses/comp-1000/overview), [COMP-1400](/wiki/courses/comp-1400/overview), MATH-1250 (or MATH-1260), MATH-1720 (or MATH-1760), and an elective. See the [Courses](/wiki/courses) section for a user-friendly table of course requirements by program.
+There are several computer science programs offered by the University of Windsor, each with their own course requirements which can be found in [the undergraduate calendar](https://www.uwindsor.ca/secretariat/282/undergraduate-and-graduate-calendars). If you follow the [recommended course sequence](/wiki/courses/course-planning/recommended-sequence), many programs will share the same courses for the first term. 
+
+### Recommended First-Year Course Schedule
+
+**Fall Semester**
+- [COMP-1000](/wiki/courses/comp-1000/overview) – Key Concepts in Computer Science  
+- [COMP-1400](/wiki/courses/comp-1400/overview) – Introduction to Programming I
+- MATH-1250 or MATH-1260 – Linear Algebra I
+- MATH-1720 or MATH-1760 – Differential Calculus
+- One elective course
+
+**Winter Semester**
+- MATH-1020 – Mathematical Foundations (*Honours CS and Honours CS SWE*)
+- MATH-1730 – Integral Calculus (*Honours CS and Honours CS SWE*)
+- COMP-1410 – Introduction to Programming II    
+- COMP-2650 – Computer Architecture I - Digital Design 
+- One elective course
+
+See the [Courses](/wiki/courses) section for a user-friendly table of course requirements by program.
 
 ### How to Enroll
 
 Incoming first year students typically have the earliest **appointment time** and may enroll in courses before all other students. Your appointment time can be found on [UWinsite](https://student.uwindsor.ca) under **My Academics -> Enrollment Deadlines**. It is recommended to enroll as early as possible, as courses have a limited capacity and desireable timeslots fill up quickly. See the [UWinsite Guide](/wiki/resources/guides/uwinsite-guide#how-to-plan--enroll-in-classes) for more details on how to enroll in classes.
 
+:::warning
+Check your schedule on UWinsite before classes start! Course rooms often change last minute.
+:::
+
+
+### Course Planning
+- [Recommended Course Sequence](https://uwindsorcss.github.io/wiki/courses/course-planning/recommended-sequence)  
+- [Undergraduate Calendar](https://www.uwindsor.ca/secretariat/282/undergraduate-and-graduate-calendars)  
+- [CS Academic Advising](https://www.uwindsor.ca/science/computerscience/1082/tutoring-and-academic-assistance)
+
+---
 ## Recommended Software for Computer Science
 
 For a detailed guide on the recommended software for computer science students, see [Recommended Software](recommended-software.md).
+
+---
+
+## Academic Success
+
+### Study and Note-Taking Tips
+- Focus on understanding during lectures instead of transcribing everything.
+- Take photos of examples or handwritten notes from the board.
+- Create short summary sheets to review key ideas.
+- Practice problems regularly — programming and math require repetition.
+- Teach concepts to someone else to reinforce your understanding.
+
+### Time Management and Balance
+- Use **Google Calendar** or **Notion** to organize deadlines.
+- Schedule daily study sessions and start assignments early.
+- Give yourself breaks and rest. Consistency beats cramming.
+- Attend lectures regularly — even familiar material helps reinforce learning.
+
+### Accessibility and Support
+- **CS Tutoring:** 2nd floor of Erie/Lambton  
+- **Math Tutoring Centre (MSLC):** Erie 3120, open weekdays 12–4 PM  
+- **TA / GA Office Hours:** Posted on Brightspace  
+- **Professor Office Hours:** See your syllabus  
+- **Student Accessibility Services:** [sas@uwindsor.ca](mailto:sas@uwindsor.ca)
+
+:::important 
+Avoid relying on AI tools for coding in your first two years. They are not allowed in exams or technical interviews and prevent you from learning essential problem-solving and debugging skills.
+:::
+
+---
+
+## Community and Involvement
+
+### Join the CSS Community
+- [CSS Discord](https://discord.uwindsorcss.ca) – Course help and student discussions  
+- [CSS Wiki](https://uwindsorcss.github.io/wiki) – Guides, planning, and career prep  
+- [CSS GitHub](https://github.com/uwindsorcss) – Open-source student projects
+
+### Clubs and Groups
+**On Campus**
+- Google Developer Group (GDG) on Campus  
+- Competitive Programming Club ([Discord](https://discord.gg/g5Xwk476))  
+- Women in CS  
+- Women in Cybersecurity  
+
+**Off Campus**
+- GDG Windsor-Essex  
+- Hackforge  
+- WeTech  
+
+### Events and Hackathons
+- **WinHacks** (hosted by CSS) – [winhacks.ca](https://winhacks.ca)  
+- **Hack the North**  
+- **CUSEC** – Canadian University Software Engineering Conference  
+- **ElleHacks** – For women and non-binary participants   
+
+---
+
+## Career and Growth
+
+### Why Start Early
+Computer Science is competitive, start exploring opportunities early to gain experience and stand out.
+
+### Steps to Prepare
+- **Internships and Co-ops:** Paid experience that builds your resume.  
+- **Extracurriculars:** Clubs and hackathons help you network and learn.  
+- **Projects and Portfolio:** Build a GitHub profile to showcase your work.  
+- **Technical Practice:** Use [LeetCode](https://leetcode.com/problem-list/oizxjoit/) and [NeetCode](https://neetcode.io/roadmap).  
+- **Explore Platforms:**  
+   - [Kaggle](https://www.kaggle.com) – Data science challenges  
+   - [Riipen](https://www.riipen.com) – Paid experiential projects  
+   - [MLH Hackathons](https://mlh.io) – Global hackathon listings  
+
+---
+
+## Recommended Resources
+
+### Programming (COMP-1400 / 1410 / 2120)
+- [Neso Academy](https://www.youtube.com/@NesoAcademy) – Video tutorials  
+- [C++ Reference](https://en.cppreference.com) – Official documentation  
+
+### Computer Architecture (COMP-2650)
+- [All About Electronics](https://www.youtube.com/@AllAboutElectronics) – Architecture basics  
+
+### Math Courses
+- **Linear Algebra (MATH-1250 / 1260):**  
+  - [Khan Academy](https://www.khanacademy.org/math/linear-algebra)  
+  - [MIT OpenCourseWare: Gilbert Strang](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-06sc-linear-algebra-fall-2011/)  
+  - [3Blue1Brown – Essence of Linear Algebra](https://www.3blue1brown.com/topics/linear-algebra)
+- **Mathematical Foundations (MATH-1020):**  
+  - Math Turtle Foundations Playlist by Prof. Justin Lariviere  
+- **Calculus (MATH-1720 / 1760 / 1730):**  
+  - Tricks for memorizing trig and inverse trig derivatives/integrals  
+
+### Study and Productivity Tools
+- Google Calendar – Scheduling and reminders  
+- Notion – Notes, planning, and organizing  
+- OneNote / Evernote / Notability – Note-taking  
+- Symbolab – Math problem solver and calculator  
+
+For more curated resources, see the CSS Resource Guide.