Student Success Courses
Proceeding the summer residential program, students participating in STP will receive continued, year-long support during their freshman experience. One way in which this support will be provided is through the requirement to take two credit-level (1) college success courses.
Summer Program
IDIS 111: How to Succeed in College, Pt. I (2 Credit)
This course is designed to teach students how to develop, use and assess effective and efficient learning strategies with the goal of developing a personal system of study. Topics will include learning behaviors and attitudes; goal-setting and self-monitoring; time management and concentration; lecture and text note-taking; test preparation and test-taking; and general strategies for learning and remembering. Course objectives include:
- Developing and achieving an effective and efficient personal system of study
- Developing effective time management and concentration strategies
- Developing effective strategies for listening, reading, memory enhancement, exam preparation and test-taking
Choosing, implementing and assessing appropriate learning strategies that address both academic demands and personal preferences
IDIS 191: Liberal Arts & the World of Work (1 Credit)
This course explores the connections between the liberal arts, disciplinary pathways, and the world of work. Students explore, discover, and evaluate their own interests, values, strengths and skills while examining possible connections to academic programs and employment opportunities as the foundation of the career development process. This course is open to first and second year students and is appropriate for undergraduate students who are undecided and/or who are interested in exploring the connection between personal and professional development.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Articulate the connection between a liberal arts education, the world of work and lifelong learning
- Explain where their talents and passions connect
- Design and implement a plan for their own career and professional development
Fall Semester
IDIS 112: How to Succeed in College, Pt. II (1 Credit)
This course is designed to encourage students to be reflective in identifying personal strengths and weaknesses and to place emphasis on team-building with fellow students. Throughout the semester students will be reading, writing, and discussing how to enhance their prospects for academic success. Course objectives include:
- Participating in service learning opportunities in order to create connections between the academic environment and community experiences focusing on civic responsibility & social justice issues
- Developing mutually supportive relationships with other students who will support you as you achieve your goals
- Exploring majors at UMW and to determine which ones best fit with students’ values, strengths and career interests.
- Developing presentation skills to support and enhance assignments throughout students’ college career
- Becoming familiar with the types of financial assistance available to college students
- Encouraging student involvement in extracurricular, intellectual, and cultural activities at UMW