While community colleges have focused on providing access for students to higher education, too many are leaving before completing a degree or certificate. One solution is for community colleges to create First-Year Experience (FYE) courses to provide the skills and guidance students need to be successful in college. This research provides students' first-hand perceptions of the benefits and detriments of the course. My research answers the following question: What are the perceptions of first-time-in-college students regarding the impact a first-year experience course at a campus of a large community college system had on their persistence in higher education? Sub-questions were asked about the content of the course, the particularly useful components of the course for their goals, and the impact it had on students' persistence in higher education. Additionally, the role of intrusive advising was analyzed to determine if that component had an impact on students' retention and persistence in higher education. Using an ethnographic approach, I interviewed ten diverse students who found three consistent benefits to the course: academic support, engaged faculty, and intrusive advising. Academic support included components such as study skills, learning styles, career exploration, goal-setting, and tutoring. Engaging faculty cared about their students and encouraged them to continue toward their educational goals. The intrusive advising mandated in the course helped students know where they needed to go next during their educational journey. Through the multi-layered supports provided throughout the semester, students perceived a primarily positive outcome to this FYE course. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]