Let’s say in 2017, Captain John Smith and crew flies to Mars, lands there, walks around to our amazement on the TV and internet and he flies home.
In 2018 in his home state he runs for U.S. Senator. A fairly smart guy who said the right things in the campaign. He wins.
Senator elect Smith doesn’t know much about the Senate. He vaguely knows some high school civics, but spent most of his college flying or being prepared militarily. Is their a couse for freshman congressmen? Especially Senators who were not in the government before.
There is an orientation session for new member-elects that lasts a few days. Here’s some interesting info from the US Senate website about the orientation program and an interesting NPR interview at the event [transcript].
In our state there is a several day legislative orientation for the newly elected members. Members of the legislative leadership, the legal staff, and others introduce the new reps to the process, and run through a mock session and mock committee meetings. Most states have something similar.