Readings for a class on adjusting to college life?
August 7, 2008 7:49 AM Subscribe
In the fall I'll be leading a short course for freshmen on adjusting to college, community service, and issues that are relevant to college students. Does anyone have any interesting and fun readings--particularly on diversity, but really on any subject--that they would recommend for this sort of context?
I've led the same course for the past two years, so I already have a number of pieces that are required by the program and some that I have collected from newspapers, magazines, and more scholarly sources, but: (1) a lot of the required readings are fairly dry, and as an undergraduate myself, I know how difficult it can be to get students to actually do readings and (2) I'm looking at my syllabus and feeling bored with a lot of the pieces that I've used and found over the past two years, but I'm not having much luck at thinking of replacements.
Anyway, I'm sure that some of you have used--or read--some really interesting pieces that I just haven't stumbled across, and I'd love to hear about them.
If it helps: the course is required for all incoming freshmen and most of the students were fairly high achievers in high school.
I've led the same course for the past two years, so I already have a number of pieces that are required by the program and some that I have collected from newspapers, magazines, and more scholarly sources, but: (1) a lot of the required readings are fairly dry, and as an undergraduate myself, I know how difficult it can be to get students to actually do readings and (2) I'm looking at my syllabus and feeling bored with a lot of the pieces that I've used and found over the past two years, but I'm not having much luck at thinking of replacements.
Anyway, I'm sure that some of you have used--or read--some really interesting pieces that I just haven't stumbled across, and I'd love to hear about them.
If it helps: the course is required for all incoming freshmen and most of the students were fairly high achievers in high school.
Have them read some Ann Coulter (most any of her columns will do). It's a great example of what not to do when writing essays.
(I'm not kidding; I've given this assignment. It's also a good idea to remove her name so as not to offend delicate sensibilities.)
posted by oddman at 9:20 AM on August 7, 2008
(I'm not kidding; I've given this assignment. It's also a good idea to remove her name so as not to offend delicate sensibilities.)
posted by oddman at 9:20 AM on August 7, 2008
Someone gave me a 1989 book called "Four Years: A Knucklehead's Guide to College Life"
by Russ Clemenza but it appears to have fallen off the web. Good essays about why college won't kill you, buty how to keep it in balance so it *can't* kill you. I think my copy is in the basement.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:21 AM on August 7, 2008
by Russ Clemenza but it appears to have fallen off the web. Good essays about why college won't kill you, buty how to keep it in balance so it *can't* kill you. I think my copy is in the basement.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:21 AM on August 7, 2008
community service, ...diversity
Same Kind of Different as Me: A true story told from two points of view- a share cropper who leaves the farm and ends up in a homeless shelter, and a wealthy art dealer who helps him.
posted by Doohickie at 1:01 PM on August 7, 2008
Same Kind of Different as Me: A true story told from two points of view- a share cropper who leaves the farm and ends up in a homeless shelter, and a wealthy art dealer who helps him.
posted by Doohickie at 1:01 PM on August 7, 2008
Lives on the Boundary: The Struggles and Achievements of America's Educationally Underprepared.
Mike Rose
A friend of kuujjuarapik here. I read this book while researching my grad project.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:03 PM on August 7, 2008
Mike Rose
A friend of kuujjuarapik here. I read this book while researching my grad project.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:03 PM on August 7, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Good Brain at 8:19 AM on August 7, 2008