Choosing a First-Year Seminar

New students at EOU are encouraged to work with their academic advisor to choose a first-year seminar that best fits their needs and goals. All options are designed to build knowledge and connections that support students’ transition to the university.

All are three credits and count toward the Gateway category (GTW) in General Education. Students may take more than one first-year seminar for credit in the same or different terms if they would like.

CORE 101: Gateway Seminar: Academic Literacies	CORE 102: Gateway Seminar: University Studies	HUM 110/310: Gateway Seminar: Language, Identity, and Culture
CORE 101 supports students interested in further honing their academic reading and writing skills. It also provides an overview of study and test-taking skills applicable across disciplines and majors at EOU. The class begins by asking students to reflect on their previous learning strategies and consider how these connect to different kinds of reading and learning they will be asked to do in college. Throughout the term, students have opportunities to practice these skills and strategies in the context of actual tasks and assignments they can expect throughout their time in college.	CORE 102 introduces students to different theories and approaches to higher education, decoding how EOU is structured, what people in different roles and disciplines do, and how this connects to students’ daily experiences and opportunities available to them at the university. Students and faculty consider how different kinds of knowledge are created, shared, challenged, and applied both in and outside of the university, meeting people from different fields and professions who approach complex issues and problems in different ways.	In HUM 110 and 310, students consider connections between their home cultures and the cultures of American universities. This course begins by asking students to consider the values and perspectives of their home cultures and compare how they are similar to and/or different from cultures they are encountering at EOU. Throughout the term, students and faculty consider how different perspectives have helped shape the university and the ways it continues to change.
Appropriate to any new student, first-year or transfer, interested in expanding or strengthening college reading, writing, and study skills.	Appropriate to any new student, first-year or transfer, interested in exploring university cultures, majors, and connections to possible professions.	HUM 110 is appropriate to any new first-year student interested in multiple cultural perspectives, as well as multilingual students hoping to strengthen their communication skills in English. HUM 310 is appropriate to new sophomores and juniors.

Not sure which course is right for you? This is a great conversation to have with your academic advisor!