We want to start your college experience with one of our favorite Knox vocabulary words:

Preceptorial: noun

1. a college course that emphasizes independent reading, discussion in small groups, and individual conferences with the teacher

“First-year Knox students learn how to get the most out of college classes because of what they learn in their first-year preceptorial classes”

synonyms: engaging, interesting, fascinating, one of the best parts of the Knox first-year experience

First-Year Preceptorial

This year, the majority of our FP courses are organized into clusters around a central theme or question. Each course in the cluster embodies the theme or pursues the question from a particular area of study. You will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in your specific course while also connecting with students and faculty in other courses studying the same topic from a different perspective. 

Themes include performing your life, understanding humanity through science fiction, and games and play as sources of insight into the human condition. The faculty that you will interact with around these themes are themselves a diverse group of scholars, coming from many different fields, like Music, Art, Computer Science, Dance, Biology, Political Science, and History. One thing they do have in common: they are excited for you to join them on this uncharted journey.

Summer Common Reading

We will be sending all incoming students a copy of Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect by John Inazu. As a small residential college, we think that it is essential for us to help students learn the value of respectful and thoughtful dialogue across the many differences in our community. We plan for the insights and lessons of Learning to Disagree to serve as a foundation and guide for your work in FP and beyond. To get you warmed up, the book will be tied to a summer assignment that you will learn more about later. 

Books will be mailed to students later this summer, with additional options to access electronic or audiobook versions. Our goal is for you to have lots of ways to engage with the book!

Smart Start

Smart Start prepares you to launch into summer advising and get ready for fall term. During the last part of June, there will be advising and registration for fall.

Advising Week kicks off Monday, June 15, 2026 with a mixture of general information and advising meetings offered by faculty and specialized advising sessions offered by a mixture of faculty and staff, all virtual but live. Attending a general information session and meeting with an advisor is required for all students and specialized sessions are optional, but encouraged if you want to learn more about various professional pathways at Knox. 

If you cannot attend during the live sessions, you can watch the recordings of these sessions on the Smart Start landing page.

Smart Start general information sessions will assist you in pre-planning your schedule on the MyKnox dashboard before you meet with your academic advisor for fall registration. 

Registration Week kicks off Monday, June 22, 2026 and during this week, you will get to select your courses for fall term. You’ll learn more about that during Advising Week and receive plenty of support from our team of summer advisors.

Placement exams

Accurate course placement is vital to your academic success at Knox. Knox offers placement exams to help us ensure you're enrolled in the level appropriate for your skills.

All students will need to take 1 or more placement exams.  Please review the directions for each test to determine what tests you need to complete. These short online exams help us ensure you're enrolled in the level appropriate for your skills. Every student must take their exam(s) by June 12th. These tests will be available on your Pre-Arrival Tracker.

Seymour Library

Seymour Library is a great on-campus resource for those looking to check out books and other materials. From the Knox College Archives to the many study spaces found within, the Seymour Library is one of the most powerful campus resources for students.

Another incredible tool offered through our library is I-Share, an online resource through your My.Knox Hub used to borrow textbooks and other materials for class – free of charge! Learn more about everything the library offers. 

Your To-Do List

✔ Make sure you have gotten your Knox email activated and can access MyKnox before advising starts. 

✔ Complete your Placement Exams. You can complete these through your Pre-Arrival Tracker.

✔ Keep an eye out for your summer reading book in the mail. 

Coming Up Next 

Next week, Blaze A Trail Tuesday will feature important information about signing up for housing at Knox.

See you down the trail!