Based on interactionalist theory, we longitudinally examined first-year experience basic communication courses for students' social integration and academic outcomes. Participants completed measures of proactivity, instructor rapport, classroom connectedness, participation, self-regulated and peer learning, and likelihood to persist in college. Results reveal that students' perceptions of proactivity, instructor rapport, and peer connectedness all increased over the course of a semester. Instructor rapport predicted self-regulated learning, participation, and likelihood to persist. Connectedness predicted participation. Student proactivity predicted likelihood to persist. Generally, results suggest social integration (i.e., rapport and connectedness) and proactivity are important to student success.