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UMST 599: First Year Seminar:

This one-credit seminar is part of UNH Manchester’s continued commitment to the success of its first year students. Unlike virtually all other courses in the college curriculum, the focus of this course is not on a specific academic subject or field of study; instead, the focus is on the student. UMST 599 has been specifically designed to address issues first year students’ face, as they are facing them.

This course is intentionally designed and proactively delivered for the purpose of promoting student success—in college and in life after college—by fostering the development of skills or strategies that are both applicable and valuable across subjects. This seminar will provide students with an opportunity to cultivate the skills, values, and attitudes necessary to become confident, capable college students, and contributing community members. The course integrates personal growth, academic and career success with problem solving, critical, and creative thinking.

The skills that are the cornerstone to success at UNH Manchester are the foundation of this class. These critical skills are:

• Setting goals and achieving success in college
• Studying in college
• Knowing campus policies and regulations
• Learning how to balance freedom with responsibility
• Examining personal ideas and decisions regarding relationships,  wellness, safety, diversity (advance critical thinking/ self-awareness)
• Clarifying values, priorities, and interests
• Establishing effective and appropriate communication skills and patterns of in-class behavior – understanding the culture and expectations of college life, specifically at UNH Manchester
• Becoming comfortable with small group discussions and presentations
• Being familiar with campus resources and knowing when to use them
• Understanding how to comfortably interact with faculty members, instructors, and advisors
• Developing healthy and respectful relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Managing time, stress, finances, and relationships in college

Students who take UMST599: First Year Seminar:

• Students enrolled in ENGL 401.

• Students enrolled in the College Transitions Program enroll in the seminar in the spring semester.

• First semester college students not enrolled in ENGL 401

For further information contact Dr. Karlea Brunelle-Joiner, First Year Experience Coordinator at unhm.firstyear@unh.edu