COLS 194: First-Year Experience for TRIO Students
This 2-credit First-Year Experience workshop teaches the research-based skills and mindsets of Design Thinking (innovative problem-solving strategies). Through hands-on activities and assignments targeting individual interests, students learn how to apply this toolkit to search for clearer academic, personal, and career goals.
In addition to addressing persistent questions, like why college, who you want to be, and where do you want to go, students develop resilient and exploratory mindsets that help them persevere through the various challenges college (and, eventually, life after college) will throw their way.
Students also benefit from engaging in class workshops and group-based classroom activities. We combine relevant readings, in-class discussion, reflective exercises, and out-of-class activities and interviews to help engage students in and out of the classroom.
The course is largely intended for incoming freshmen enrolled in TRIO, and fulfills the freshmen seminar requirement. As with all TRIO courses, interested students will need to visit with a TRIO advisor to receive a registration override and enroll in the course.