SXTH 1: First Year Experience, Fall 2016
Tuesdays, 4:00pm-4:50pmCENTR 216
Instructor
Nicholas Christenfeld
Office Hours: Tuesday 5pm-6pm, McGill Hall 5318
Teaching Assistant
Kiik
Discussion Leaders
HeeYeon hursday, 9AMYORK 3050A
NahianHasanZaim hursday, 10AMWLH 2110
Christian hursday, 11AMMCGILL 2315
Brooke hursday, 2PMYORK 3050A
David riday, 11AMWLH 2208
Course Overview
This course is designed to enhance students’ educational experience at UC San Diego. It offers practical advice about student life and educational strategies (both in and out of the classroom); direct support and guidance to ease your transition from high school to college; an introduction to your college, campus resources, research and involvement opportunities, and an opportunity to think about what it is all for.
Readings
Available as e-readings on TritonEd at and most also as direct links.
Class Structure
Lecture and Sections: There will be one lecture and one section weekly. In lectures, you will be introduced to overarching ideas and strategies. Sections will provide opportunities to compare experiences, and discuss course concepts drawn from readings and lectures.
Expectations
Come to class, come to section*, do the reading, do the video and reflection assignments, don’t cheat, and participate actively.
*Sections seek to build a sense of community, and so regular and active participation is important. Students may miss no more than two section meetings, and should talk to their Discussion Leader about any attendance issues. Further announcements about assignments and campus activities will appear, without warning, in lectures and sections.
Topics, Readings & Resources
9/27 | Class 1: What is the point of this course? Of education?Of life?
Bell, I., McGrane, B., & Gunderson, J. (2004).This book is not required: an emotional survival manual for students. Chapter 2: Grades. Pine Forge Press.
10/4 | Class 2: How to learn stuff
Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., III., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick. InMake it stick: the science of successful learning (pp. 200-217). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Anna Mikulak, Getting It in Writing: Writing the Old-Fashioned Way May Enhance Learning and Memory, APS Observer, 2014
10/11 | Class 3: How to do things
Guest Speaker – Diane LeGree (Dean of Student Affairs, 6th College)
Light, R. J. (2001).Suggestions from students. In Making the most of college: students speak their minds (pp. 23-43). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Campus Resource:
10/18 | Class 4: How to do them well
Guest Speaker – Dr. NiyateeSukumaran(Counseling & Psychological Services)
Russell, Bertrand. The conquest of happiness. New York, H. Liveright, 1930. Chapter 17 (pp. 242-249).
Campus Resource:
10/25 | Class 5: Choosing a major
Guest Speaker – Alicia Ingold, Academic Advising
Cappelli, P. (2013, November 15). Why focusing too narrowly in college could backfire. The Wall Street Journal.
Gebhard, N. (2015, July 31).Four steps to choosing your major.New York Times.
or for those who like sound over sight:
Campus Resource:
11/1 | Class 6: Communicating gooder
What is an academic paper? Dartmouth Institute for Writing and Rhetoric, 2014
And for those who want more detail
Campus Resource:
11/8 | Class 7: Google it, and don’t cheat
What Constitutes Plagiarism? Harvard Guide to Using Sources, 2016
Campus Resources:
11/15 | Class 8: Multiculturalism
Guest Speaker – Tony Jakubsin (Dean of Res Life, 6th College)
Macintosh, P. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peace and Freedom Magazine, July/August, 1989, pp. 10-12.
Campus Resource: - Student-Resources
11/22 | Class 9: Academics out of the classroom
Guest Speaker – TBA (EAP)
18 Etiquette Tips for E-mailing Your Professor, US News & World Report, 2010
Campus Resources:
11/29 | Class 10: Looking back, and forward
DUE: Final Assignment due in section
First Growth Opportunity (AKA Assignment)
ARCHIVE OF WISDOM: Your Advice for Academic Success
DUE: Prior to your sections the week of November 6-12th. Online. Elect a member of your team to email the link for your team’s VIMEO video, along with an attachment of your team’s script, to your FYE discussion leader. Your script should clearly specify the names your team members.
For your first major project you will collaborate in teams of three to five. You will reflect on the behaviors, technologies, study rituals, learning communities (ex. study groups), organizational tips, exercise and relaxation regimens, etc. that have led to your academic success.
In a 5-8 minute VIMEO video, the members of your team will present one piece of academic advice per team member for the UCSD community and the next class of FYE students. Describe the contexts in which thesetipswork for you, why you believe they work and how they will promote success for others. For guidance, your discussion leaders will model presenting a piece of their academic advice during every lecture. Watch them and take notes.
Your video or its editing need not be fancy. Video taken by smart phones is fine, and simple editing technology is available for free, at all hours, in the Digital Playroom (2nd floor Pepper Canyon Hall).
Remember that the more specific the advice, the better. For example, if you eat a small piece of candy before taking tests because it provides you a burst of mental energy and focus, you should tell us what specific kind of candy you think works best. You should also identify whom you think this advice would work best for (ex. non-morning people).Remember the benefit of a video is you can also present props and demonstrate activities.
Your script must reference/connect with at least two of the readings for this course. What have you read that supports the advice you are giving? Make sure to attribute any quotes back to the writer.
Remember that asking you to speak aloud and perform isn’t about making you feel nervous. It’s about you having some wisdom to share with your peers and us. Your audience may be more willing to engage with your words and transform their academic behaviors if they see and recognize the person connected with your writing.
If you are worried about any privacy issues, it is very simple to make your VIMEO video password protected. Instructions are available on TED. Make sure to give your discussion leader the password for your private video, so that they can grade your project.
If you any questions or concerns about this assignment, you can make an appointment to speak with the TA Supervisor for this course (Kiik’s email is ).
Second Growth Opportunity (AKA Assignment)
Charting the Course: Reflection Essay
This assignment asks you to reflect on material covered in the FYE course and to apply it to your own experience. Consider what issues you found most valuable in this course and how the FYE course addressed new topics, alleviated existing concerns, or helped in other ways with any issues that you may have had.
To do so, follow these steps:
1: Reflect on the FYE readings, lectures, discussions, and assignments. What topic was most significant for you and why? What did you learn? Were any misconceptions and myths debunked? If so, how has this new knowledge affected your plans?
2: Identify one or two specific topics or problems that you were able to examine through the FYE course.
3: Explain how you plan to address (or have already begun addressing) the topic or problem using knowledge gained from the FYE course.
4: Write a 3-4 page essay (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, no title page, plus Works Cited in a standard format) that charts the course for meeting your goals related to the questions or issues that you have identified. Draw on specific material and experiences from the course to give substance to your plans.