In the COLS 194: You at UM: Curiosity and Life Design first-year experience workshop, we work with first-semester students to apply the design thinking toolkit to search for clear academic, personal, and career goals.
This is a course that is all about you, the student.
“The Odyssey Planning was definitely the best part of the course as it made me think about what I actually want to accomplish while I'm here, not just my major.” -COLS 194 Student, Fall 2023
You at UM strives to ground students in their academics and develop a roadmap for their academic pathways that makes sense to the individual student. Our instructional teams comprised of a student success professional and current undergraduate peer educators help students filter through the many opportunities on campus to actualize and utilize the UM ecosystem.
We are about campus integration and helping first-semester students find success in their first semester.
"The most useful aspects of this course were the parts that helped us figure out both our futures in a career field as well as in college. Also, the parts that helped me put my priorities straight." -COLS 194 Student, Fall 2023
Sometimes campus integration looks like campus resources, student engagement, or time management and prioritization. Our instructional teams are nimble and help students identify what they are looking for and design and create solutions and pathways for themselves.
Our instructors take the extra steps to help their students.
“My instructor is truly one of the best instructors that I have ever had. He was willing to help whenever someone was confused. He helped me feel very comfortable throughout my first semester here.” -COLS 194 Student, Fall 2023
"She was super fun and sweet and she made me actually want to come to class. I felt as though she pushed us out of our comfort zones in the best way possible.” -COLS 194 Student, Fall 2023
Why take a First-Year Experience Workshop?
The first-year experience is "an intentional combination of academic and co-curricular efforts within and across postsecondary institutions ... [that represent] a purposeful set of initiatives designed and implemented to strengthen the quality of student learning during and satisfaction with the first year of college -the stage in American higher education during which the largest proportion of university drop out occurs (Koch & Gardner, 2006, p.2)
Taking a first-year experience course during the first semester of college offers numerous benefits, including academic success, adjustment support, a sense of belonging, and personal development opportunities. By participating in these courses, students can lay a strong foundation for their collegiate journey and position themselves for success both academically and personally.
Research and student success statistics consistently support the efficacy of such courses in facilitating a smooth transition to college life and promoting academic achievement.
-
Academic Success: First-year experience courses provide students with essential skills and resources necessary for academic success. According to the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, students who participate in first-year experience programs tend to have higher GPAs and greater rates of persistence and retention compared to their peers who do not participate.
-
Adjustment and Transition Support: Transitioning from high school to college can be challenging for many students. The You at UM instructional teams and ecosystem are designed to offer valuable support and guidance during this period of adjustment. By providing information about campus resources, support services, and academic expectations, You at UM helps students navigate the complexities of college life more effectively.
-
Sense of Belonging: Feeling connected to the campus community is crucial for student retention and overall well-being. You at UM incorporates activities and discussions aimed at building community and fostering a sense of belonging. Research published in the Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition indicates that students who participate in first-year experience programs report higher levels of social integration and campus engagement, leading to a greater sense of belonging.
-
Personal and Professional Development: In addition to academic support, You at UM focuses on personal and professional development including goal setting, career exploration, leadership development, and opportunities for self-reflection and growth. Engaging in such activities early in their college journey can empower students to identify their curiosities, strengths, and career aspirations, setting them on a path toward success at UM and beyond.
Why study design thinking?
Design thinking, as laid out by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans in their book, "Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life," is a set of research-based skills and mindsets used for innovative problem-solving strategiesStudying design thinking through the You at UM FYE course provides students with a powerful framework for approaching challenges, fostering creativity, and building essential skills for academic and professional success. By integrating design thinking principles into education, students can be empowered to navigate the complexities of the modern world with confidence and resilience.
Design thinking offers students:
-
Problem-Solving Skills: Design thinking teaches students a structured approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, ideation, prototyping, and iteration. By applying these principles, students learn to identify complex problems, generate innovative solutions, and adaptively iterate through multiple iterations to achieve optimal outcomes.
-
Creativity and Innovation: Design thinking encourages students to think outside the box and explore unconventional solutions to real-world problems. By fostering creativity and divergent thinking, students develop the capacity to innovate and generate novel ideas that address pressing challenges in their academic studies and beyond.
-
Empathy and User-Centered Design: Central to design thinking is the concept of empathy, which involves understanding the needs, perspectives, and experiences of the college student. By empathizing with one's self, students learn to design solutions that are truly centered on themselves and responsive to their diverse needs.
-
Iterative Learning and Adaptation: Design thinking promotes a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation through iterative experimentation. By embracing failure as a natural part of the design process, students develop resilience, perseverance, and a growth mindset that enables them to learn from setbacks and iterate toward success.
-
Career Readiness: In today's rapidly changing world, employers increasingly value employees who possess strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills. By equipping students with design thinking skills, You at UM prepares students for future career success by instilling the adaptive mindset and innovative thinking required in the 21st-century workforce.