X152: Right Start Seminar

Many students who are new to IU feel overwhelmed by the size of the campus and many of the lecture classes! The Right Start Seminar is a place where you can get to know a small group of peers and receive a lot of personal attention from the instructor. Class discussions focus on the formal and informal kinds of information you will need to know but might find confusing your first semester (How do I drop a class? Should I apply for financial aid? How do I manage my money?). We also talk about the personal adjustment issues that come up for all freshmen (How do I deal with homesickness? How do I make new friends? Should I think about joining a sorority or fraternity?).

X152 Right Start is a full semester, 2-credit-hour seminar for incoming freshmen who would like to get a jumpstart on how to succeed in college. The first few weeks of the class you will explore important campus resources both in small groups and individually (campus libraries, the Career Development Center, SRSC, tutorial centers in the dorms and the Writing Tutorial Service, to name a few). You will also learn important time management skills and the kinds of study strategies you need to do well in college.

After the class has spent the first eight weeks exploring both the academic and cultural opportunities of the campus, you will be asked to choose a topic you would like to explore at greater length. Topics vary, but some examples are: personal health, choosing a major, arts and culture, intellectual development, diversity on campus, and service learning. Students then spend the next few weeks researching their topic and write a 4-5 page research paper that will be presented to the class. You will learn important research writing and presentation skills while conducting an inquiry study of your own choosing! By sharing the process of discovery in class while the projects are developing, you will learn about topics other than the one you are researching. We look forward to seeing you!