More alert first-year student (7)
I believe the answer is:
fresher
'first-year student' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for fresher that I've seen before include "More familiar" , "First-year undergraduate" , "First-year college student" , "person up for the first time?" , "First-year university student" .)