Course Objectives:
The main goal of this course is to guide you to become active learners. In addition, General 102 will enhance the following college learning strategies, which will promote academic success in Sociology 101 and other courses:
- critical and creative thinking
- goal setting and time management
- listening and memory
- note taking and writing
- critical reading
- test preparation and test taking
- application of readings and films on the college experience to your own experiences
In addition, as a designated Freshman Year Experience course, General 102 offers you the following opportunities:
- introduce you to a liberal education and awaken intellectual curiosity
- enhance skills needed for academic success
- strengthen your connection to UW-Eau
- engage you in meaningful academic and non-academic out-of-class activities
- enhance your accountability for your education
This course also aims at beginning to fulfill the following “Goals of the Baccalaureate Degree”:
- An understanding of a liberal education
- An appreciation of the University as a learning community
- An ability to inquire, think, and analyze
- An ability to write, read, speak, and listen
- An understanding of values
- An understanding of human behavior and human institutions
NOTE: Since this is a one-credit course, you can expect to spend 2 to 3 hours per week in preparation outside of class. Some weeks you will put in more time than other weeks.
Purchase Text: Higher Learning: Reading and Writing About College, by See and Taylor
Rental Text: Becoming a Successful Student, by Flemming and Leet (BASS)
Course Requirements:
Attendance
Attendance is a requirement that will be enforced each class period. Students who are absent miss a valuable, significant amount of learning that cannot be duplicated. If you miss class you are expected to have completed the assignment and be prepared for class the day you return. This is your responsibility. Late work will not be accepted for grading, although I will evaluate late work.
Becoming a Successful Student presentation
Students will work in “teams” of three to four to prepare a lesson and lead a class discussion on a particular chapter in Becoming a Successful Student. Students will prepare a presentation (NOT a speech) and in-class exercises with the instructor’s guidance. I will send other resources via email. Students are encouraged to present materials that go BEYOND what is available in the textbook.
In-class assignments
Group exercises, independent and group writing projects
Learning Journal
Each student is required to keep a Learning Journal based on the Critical Thinking Points “As You Read,” “After You’ve Read,” or “Some Possibilities for Writing” in Higher Learning. This is not “busy work,” and will not be graded as such. Thoughtful, insightful responses to readings promote critical reading and thinking, as well as the ability to synthesize material.
Each week respond to at least one “Critical Thinking Point” found somewhere within the readings for the week. This gives you much choice in which readings and which prompts you respond to. One page (word processed, of course) minimum.
Please be aware that I will collect these without notice, so you must keep up with your reading and responses!
Two Campus Event Responses
Since this is a designated Freshman Year Experience class, the following options are available to immerse you in “Campus Culture:”
Attend a literary event, campus film, play, sporting event, campus church service (different denomination than yours), a Cabin event, musical event, Forum event, Artist Series event, a Student group meeting, or dorm event; observe a house party; or attend any “campus” option of your own (see instructor first).
Please write a one-page response for each of the two events and include the following information:
- Summarize the experience
- Discuss how the event is a part of “college culture”
- Discuss why you would or would not attend another event like this
Midterm Exam
You will be asked to answer the following question for your midterm exam:
In your opinion, what are the most valuable college learning strategies? Use specific examples to describe how and why these strategies are valuable.
Final Exam
You will be asked to answer the following question for your final exam:
Map your evolution as a college student after nearly completing your first semester at UW-EC. Include specific examples of concepts learned in Gen 102 that helped (or did not help) this evolution. What were your strengths and weaknesses when you started college? What are they now?
Grading
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Campus Event Response 1 |
10% |
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Campus Event Response 2 |
15% |
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Presentation |
10% |
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Learning Journal |
15% |
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In-class assignments |
15% |
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Midterm |
15% |
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Final |
20% |
Tentative Weekly Outline
| week 1: 9/4 and 6 |
Course Intro |
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Preview textbook |
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Overview of UWEC resources
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| week 2: 9/11 and 13 |
Knowing who you are and how you learn (chapter 2) |
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in-class essay: “History as a Student” |
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Self-management and creating a schedule (Chapter 4)
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| September 17:
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Last day to drop full-semester classes with no record
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| week 3: 9/18 and 20 |
Goal setting and Motivation (Chapter 2) |
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Team 1
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| week 4: 9/25 and 27 |
Note taking and Writing (Chapters 6 and 9) |
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Team 2
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| week 5: 10/2 and 4 |
Critical Reading and Studying (Chapters 8 and 14) |
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Team 3
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| week 6: 10/9 and 11 |
Critical and Creative thinking (Chapter 13) |
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Team 4
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| week 7: 10/16 and 18 |
Listening and memory (Chapter 7) |
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Team 5 |
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Campus event response due
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| week 8: 10/23 and 25 |
Midterm due |
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Managing stress
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| week 9: 10/30 and 11/01 |
Test preparation and test taking (Chapters 11 and 12) |
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Team 6
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| week 10: 11/06 and 8
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Summarizing articles
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| November 12
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Last day to withdraw from full-semester class(es)
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| week 11: 11/13 and 15
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Improving your concentration (Chapter 3)
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| week 12: 11/20
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Take Sigi Plus on your own
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| week 13: 11/27 and 29
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Career Lab Tour and exercise
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| week 14: 12/4 and 6 |
Clean-up/catch-up |
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Campus event response due
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| week 15: 12/11 and 13
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Building a Flexible Future
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| Wed., Dec. 19 @ 8:00 am Final exam due (NOTE: you must come to this exam.)
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