Pathfinder Guidebook ยท FYE 100 Merit Guide
Part 1

How Merit Works in FYE 100

Three activities, paced across the course.

About 4 minutes 1 of 6 in this guide

Some of the most important learning in college happens outside class.

Merit activities are your chance to step into it: a campus event, a workshop, a community gathering, something you wouldn't have tried otherwise. You'll complete three Merit-approved activities of your choice during the course. After each one, you'll write or record a short reflection on what you experienced and why it matters.

Three activities, paced across the course

Each activity lines up with a module. You can always go earlier, but don't save all three for the end: Merit activities are tied to events that happen on a certain day, and you can't make them up later.

  1. Merit #1By Module 4Start exploring early
  2. Merit #2By Module 7Try something new
  3. Merit #3By Module 10Stretch yourself

Each activity has its own submission link in Blackboard. Check Blackboard for the due dates, and make sure you use the link that matches the activity.

Pathfinder Tip

Put a reminder in your calendar two weeks before each Merit checkpoint. That's enough time to find an activity that interests you.

How it works, start to finish

  1. Set up your Merit page

    Do this once, early. It's where OCTC records your involvement. Setting Up Your Merit Page walks you through it.

  2. Find an activity

    On campus, online, or in your community. Find Your Activity shows your options and what proof each one needs.

  3. Go, and pay attention

    Notice what you learn, who you meet, and what surprises you. Jot down the event name and date.

  4. Reflect and submit

    Write or record a short reflection and submit it to the matching Merit link in Blackboard. Write Your Reflection shows what to include.

What counts, and what doesn't

Merit is about stepping into something new.

Counts

  • Merit-approved campus events
  • Approved virtual or on-demand activities
  • Community or off-campus events your instructor approves before you go
  • Something that stretches you: a new place, new people, a new idea

Doesn't count

  • Things already part of your regular routine, like a standing weekly commitment
  • Your usual work shifts
  • Events you would have attended anyway
  • Community events approved after the fact

Why it matters

Students who get involved outside class tend to feel more connected to their college, and connected students are more likely to keep going. Merit activities are also where you meet people you wouldn't meet in class: staff, employers, community members, other students.

And your reflections become evidence. When you build your STAR(T) Stories at the end of the course, a Merit activity can be exactly the kind of real, specific experience you need.

Look back at

The STAR(T) Stories Guide explains the capstone.