New Student FAQs

What happens after I have completed the survey?

If you are matched to a summer or fall UF Quest 1 course, the matched course will appear on your course schedule in OneUF. If you do not want to take the matched UF Quest 1 course or it conflicts with another course that you need to take, you may drop the matched course from your schedule during Preview and can look for another Quest 1 course during schedule adjustment or postpone taking a UF Quest 1 course until the spring semester.

If we are unable to match you to a UF Quest 1 course, you will see a note in One.UF that Spring 2025 is your designated semester to complete the UF Quest 1 requirement (see instructions). You will have the opportunity to choose a UF Quest 1 course when advance registration begins for the spring semester. You also have the option of checking for openings in summer or fall UF Quest 1 courses during schedule adjustment for those semesters.

If you did not take the survey or did not complete it by the deadline, the spring semester will be your designated semester to complete the UF Quest 1 requirement. You also have the option of checking for openings in summer or fall Quest 1 courses during schedule adjustment.

Why was I designated the spring semester even though I completed the survey?

UF Quest 1 courses are offered every summer, fall, and spring, so that new students can take a UF Quest course 1 sometime in their first year. The survey is used to match the most number of students to one of their preferences, but there are not enough seats in the summer and fall courses for all new students to take a UF Quest 1 course in their very first semester. That’s why it’s not possible to match every student to a summer or fall UF Quest 1 course.

If you are not matched to a UF Quest 1 course for summer or fall, you will have the opportunity to take a UF Quest 1 course in the spring. If you would prefer to take a UF Quest 1 course earlier, you can check for openings during schedule adjustment and drop/add for the summer or fall.

What if I wasn't able to complete the survey by the deadline?

Don't worry. We got you covered!! You will have a chance to find a seat in a UF Quest 1 course during schedule adjustment. You also can wait to take a UF Quest 1 course until the spring semester. We have enough seats for all incoming students to take a UF Quest 1 course sometime during their first year at UF.

What is UF Quest?

UF Quest is part of the University of Florida's General Education requirement, which undergraduate students are required to complete except if they have an A.A. degree from a Florida public college or an A.A. certificate from a Florida public state university.

Quest courses invite you to consider why the world is the way it is and what you can do about the problems confronting us. UF Quest promotes a high level of faculty engagement in undergraduate education, connects to and goes beyond your major, and gives you the opportunity to choose courses that are meaningful to you to complete the general education requirement. 

Undergraduates take one UF Quest 1 in their first year to satisfy 3 credits of the general education requirement in the Humanities and then one UF Quest 2 course, typically in their second year, to satisfy 3 credits of the general education requirement in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Biological Sciences, or the Physical Sciences except if they have earned an A.A. from a Florida public college/state university or are in the Innovation Academy program.

Who is required to take UF Quest courses?

Students who enter UF in or after Summer B 2020 are required to take Quest courses to complete the general education requirement except if they have an A.A. degree from a Florida public college, an A.A. certificate from a Florida public state university, or are in the Innovation Academy program. 

For more information, please consult the UF Quest Requirement page.

Why do new students take the New Student Quest 1 Survey?

Most new students* take the New Student Quest 1 Survey by May 3 so that they can choose a Quest 1 course to complete the UF Quest 1 requirement. For more information, please consult the New Student Guide to UF Quest.

*New UF Online students, PaCE students and student athletes do not need to take the New Student Quest 1 Survey. They will be able to choose their Quest course during Preview. 

 

What if I don't want to take the course that I select in the survey?

You can remove the course from your schedule during Preview and look for a different course that you would prefer to take during schedule adjustment or wait to take a Quest course until the spring semester.

Do all new students take the New Student Quest 1 Survey?

After confirming their intent to enroll at UF, new students (including transfer students and students with an A.A.) need to answer a Short Questionnaire to learn whether they need to to take the New Student Quest 1 Survey to choose their Quest 1 course.

New PaCE students and student athletes do not take the New Student Quest 1 Survey. Instead, they will have the opportunity to choose a Quest 1 course during Preview.

 

Do transfer students take the New Student Quest 1 Survey?

Transfer students and students with an A.A. need to answer a Short Questionnaire to learn whether they need to take the New Student Quest 1 Survey.

I have transfer credits. Do I need to take a Quest 1 course?

Transfer students are required to take a Quest 1 course unless they will have received an AA from a Florida public state college or university.

Does my dual-enrollment, IB, or AP coursework count toward the UF Quest 1 requirement?

No. Only Quest 1 courses fulfill the UF Quest 1 requirement. You may not substitute a dual-enrollment, AP, or IB course for a Quest 1 course.

I expect to receive an AA before I start UF. How do I answer the survey?

If you either have or expect to receive an AA from a Florida public college or Florida public state university, click the "yes" button about the AA degree.

Why can't I access the survey?

The New Student Quest 1 Survey closes at 11:59 pm on May 3. New students will have access to the survey one business day after they have confirmed their intent to enroll at UF except if they are new PaCE students, new honors students, new student athletes or new students in the Innovation Academy program.

1. If you are a PaCE student or student athlete, you cannot access the survey because you do not need to take the survey. You will choose your Quest 1 course during Preview.

2. If you are a student in the Innovation Academy program, you cannot access the survey because you are exempt from the requirement.

3. All other admitted students, including transfer students and students with an AA who have confirmed their enrollment, will be able to login to the Quest 1 survey with their Gatorlink username and password. A few days after you were admitted, you received an email that prompted you to create your Gatorlink username and password (see Admitted Student Checklist). If you did not receive the email, you can request a new Gatorlink Invite.

4. It may take one business day after you have confirmed your enrollment for your credentials to be updated so that you can access the survey. 

 

Why am I asked in the survey to select more than one UF Quest 1 course?

You are asked to list several preferences in order to increase the odds that you are matched to one UF Quest 1 course. 

Does the order of my preferences matter?

No. The order of your choices does not matter because the algorithm has been designed to match the greatest number of students to one of their preferences, not the most students to their highest preference.

If you are matched to a UF Quest 1 course but don't want to take it, you can drop the course during preview and either check for openings in other courses during schedule adjustment or wait until the spring semester.

If you are not matched, you may check for openings in Quest 1 courses during drop/add or complete the requirement in the spring semester

The survey shows me summer courses, but I switched my start date to the fall term. What should I do?

Don't do the survey. You will be able to complete the UF Quest 1 requirement in the spring semester. If you would prefer to complete the requirement in the fall, you can check for openings during schedule adjustment or drop/add for the fall semester..

I switched from PaCE to the campus program. What should I do?

Don't do the survey. You will be able to complete the UF Quest 1 requirement in the spring. You also can check for openings in Quest 1 courses during schedule adjustment and drop/add for the fall semester.

Why do I choose a Quest course 1 through a survey rather than during Preview?

During each Preview session, seats are released randomly in various classes. This way every student has the same chance of getting a class that they want or need when they attend their Preview session. If seats for Quest were released in Preview, you might see one or two Quest seats in your session, but they might not be in those Quest courses that most interest you. By polling students ahead of Preview, an algorithm can be used to match the greatest number of students to one of their (unranked) preferences.

I received a reminder email even though I completed the survey. Do I need to complete the survey again?

No. Some students, who have or expect to receive an AA from a Florida public college/university, are reporting that they received our reminder emails even though they have answered the first two questions of the survey. Please disregard the reminder emails. You do not to complete the survey a second time.

How do I create a Gatorlink Username and Password?

In order to complete the Quest 1 Survey, you will need to log in with your Gatorlink username and password. A few days after you were admitted, you received an email that prompted you to create a Gatorlink username and password (see Admitted Student Checklist). If you did not receive the email, you can request a new Gatorlink Invite.

If you are a PaCE student, honors student, or student athlete, you will not be able to access the survey because you do not need to take the survey. You will choose your Quest 1 course during Preview.

Where can I find a list of the UF Quest courses?

For a complete list of Quest 1 courses that are in the New Student Quest 1 Survey click on the links below:

 

What is the difference between Quest 1 and Quest 2 courses?

Quest 1 courses fulfill the UF Quest 1 requirement and satisfy 3 credits of the General Education requirement in the Humanities. Quest 2 courses fulfill the UF Quest 2 requirement and satisfy 3 credits of the General Education requirement in the Biological, Physical, or Social and Behavioral Sciences. 

Students must first complete a Quest 1 course before taking a Quest 2 course. Please consult the UF Quest Requirement page for more information.

What if I have another question?

Please email UF-Quest@ufl.edu