IDS 94/Cooperman Scholars – Spring 2021

IDS 94 – 03
0 course units (no-credit)
Term:  Spring 2021
Time:  1:30-2:50pm W
Place:  Social Sciences 226
Prerequisites: None		 Prof. G. Steinberg
Office: Bliss 216
Office Phone: 609-771-2106
Office Hours:  by appointment only (remote)
Email: gsteinbe@tcnj.edu

GOALS.  By the end of the course, I want you

      1. to know more about the academic culture of TCNJ,
      2. to share experiences and give each other advice and support,
      3. to develop methods to help manage your time,
      4. to start developing a long-range plan to manage future decisions, and
      5. to learn to use the support services available on campus.

REQUIREMENTS.  As part of your contract with the Cooperman Scholars Program, you are required to

      • meet with your Cohort Mentor and participate in a weekly group meeting during your freshman and sophomore years. This meeting is estimated to require one to two hours of your time per week and is designed to help ensure your continued success in college.
      • attend one-on-one meetings with your Cohort Mentor every two weeks. This meeting is estimated to require one hour of your time every two weeks and is designed to help support you on campus, check in on your academic progress, and connect you to campus resources.

This course is graded Pass/Unsatisfactory.  In order to pass the course, you must attend and engage in both the weekly group meetings and the biweekly one-on-one meetings.

All our group meetings will take place in a “flex” format (because of the coronavirus pandemic).  Students may “meet” synchronously online during the scheduled time for our class on each of the regular class days of the semester (unless otherwise noted in the course schedule below), or they may meet in person physically in the classroom.  Whether attending in person or online, you are expected to attend all group meetings.  The links for joining the synchronous online group meetings are available in Canvas under “Zoom.”  If you have technology issues or needs during the semester, please contact the IT Helpdesk at (609) 771-2660 or helpdesk@tcnj.edu.

Please note: I am going to require you to keep your camera on for our Zoom meetings.  If you have a good and pressing reason that you need to keep your camera off, let me know before the meeting.  Otherwise, please keep your camera on.  It’s virtually impossible to have a vital discussion when only some people have their camera on.

You are also required to attend one-on-one meetings with me every other week.  We will schedule a regular meeting time and will “meet” virtually, by phone, or in person at that same day and time every other week.

PROFESSOR’S AVAILABILITY.  My office is Bliss Hall 216, but my office hours this term are by appointment and remote only.  You may contact me by email (gsteinbe@tcnj.edu) to arrange a virtual or phone “meeting.”  You may also call my office phone (609-771-2106) and leave a message (if I do not answer), but email is usually the best way to get in touch with me.  In an emergency (minor or major), you have my cell phone number and may call or text me.  Please, do not share my cell phone number with any other students outside our group.

COURSE SCHEDULE.  This schedule is subject to revision at the discretion of the professor.

Dates Topics
W Feb 3 What do you want to learn and do at these meetings?
Possible topics:

      1. career planning – how do I plan for my future beyond TCNJ? how do I find out about and get internships?
      2. study abroad – what are the options?
      3. mental health warning signs – what should I watch for?
      4. sequencing courses – how do I plan out my four years at TCNJ?
      5. faculty – who are they and how do I get to know them?
      6. GPA – how do I figure it out and why is it important? + PAWS tricks
      7. identity – who am I and how do I fit in?
      8. other majors and minors – what are options and ideas?
      9. preparation for last semester’s finals – what worked and what didn’t? what should I do differently this semester?
      10. microaggressions – how do I deal with people’s assumptions and biases?
      11. financial literacy and budgeting – how can I handle my money better?
      12. building support systems – how can I make friends? how can I ask peers for help?
      13. database of assignments – how can we put all our assignments together into a database and use it better?
      14. imposter syndrome – do I belong at TCNJ? when will everyone realize that I don’t belong?
      15. isolation – how to deal with isolation (on campus especially)?
      16. other things?
W Feb 10 Biggest success and biggest challenge of the week
Topic: preparation for last semester’s finals – what worked and what didn’t? what should I do differently this semester?
W Feb 17 Biggest success and biggest challenge of the week
Topic: support systems – how can I make friends? how can I ask peers for help?
W Feb 24 Topics: fellowship opportunities, database of assignments (how can we put all our assignments together into a database and use it better?), and biggest successes/challenges of the week
Use the following link (not the one in Canvas): https://tcnj.zoom.us/j/96838135027?pwd=YTdUY2ZMRWlMOFpqR210MWs5Qmd2dz09.
W Mar 3 Topic: study abroad – what are the options?
W Mar 10 Topic: financial literacy and budgeting – how can I handle my money better?
W Mar 17 Topic: What’s the most interesting things you’ve read recently?  What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned in your classes this semester?  What’s an interesting place you’d like to go or an interesting activity that you’d like to do (especially as the pandemic ends and life returns to normal)?
W Mar 24 Topics: Check-in and discussion leaders
W Mar 31 RECHARGE WEEK
Topic: How do I find out about and get internships?
W Apr 7 Discussion Leaders: Coralie and John
Topic: Sleep management and getting involved
W Apr 14 Discussion Leaders: Cristabel and Daïssa
Topic: Coffee and mental health
W Apr 21 Discussion Leaders: Erica and Irvin
Topic: Credit cards
W Apr 28 Topic: Cover letters and résumés
W May 5