Freshman university students often face challenges adjusting academically due to a number of complex factors, including increased academic demands and changes to their social environment. Universities, mindful of the financial and academic costs of attrition, seek effective initiatives to increase retention rates. One such initiative, called the Freshman Year Experience program (FYE), is taken by the Petroleum Institute (PI) in the United Arab Emirates. This study, conducted with 80 second-semester students with a mean age of 19, sought to identify the effect FYE had on students' well-being. Data were collected from written papers that required students to reflect on experiences of well-being. Results showed that students experienced many types of well-being during the FYE program; common factors included meetings with advisors, workshops, and social and volunteer activities. Participants' self-confidence, self-awareness, and ability to communicate effectively were also affected. It is argued that an integrated, structured intervention program linked to the needs of freshman students has the potential to positively affect feelings of belonging, a desire to learn, and motivation for overcoming barriers to success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]