Freshman Seminar Course Descriptions

This course will introduce students to resources available at ASU to help them be successful in and out of the classroom. The course will cover a variety of “adulting” topics and includes reflection, self-evaluation, and discussion as the student transitions to the college learning environment.

An introduction to the biology of bees and other social insects with an overview of hobby beekeeping. 

The purpose of this course is to increase skills and knowledge of American culture among international students and enhance their integration into the university community. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of both national and local culture. In addition, students will be introduced to campus resources and strategies that will help them to be academically successful and to enhance their study abroad experience. The course will provide opportunities in and out of class for students to learn about American culture and values, apply critical reading skills, practice oral and written communication, and get involved in campus life.

According to American College Health Association (ACHA), only 61.6% of college students were at a healthy weight, 48.7% of students met the federal guidelines for aerobic physical activities, and only 37.6% of students met the federal guidelines for muscle strengthening activities. The goal of the course is to help freshmen develop a healthy lifestyle with a proper diet and exercise regimen. In this interactive course, students will learn about healthy diet, supplements, and the normal values of various health/fitness markers (such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, cardiopulmonary fitness, body mass index, body composition/body fat, and muscle strength/endurance). More importantly, students will have hands-on experience in testing some of those markers to assess their own health and fitness level. The instructor will further provide guidance to improve students’ health and fitness, or direct the students to proper health professionals as needed.

The purpose of this course is to provide a replete overview of the genetic and production goals regarding various livestock breeds and species of greatest importance and relevance within U.S. farm and ranch animal breeding and production.

Cover the required course topics in a manner to create personal growth and improvement.

From the perspective of a physicist, we will discuss observations from the cosmos and how beauty, symmetry, order, perpetuity, and simplicity declare a similarly characterized creator.

This GS 1181 freshman seminar creates a classroom environment where first-year students can interact with faculty and other students who love the TV Reality Game Show, Survivor. Students will explore topics related to college success built around competitions from Survivor.

Freshman Seminars focus on contemporary or interdisciplinary issues while covering an array of topics related to success at the university level.

This class will center around helping students discover, or more completely understand their major and career goals. Using software that identifies students’ values, aptitudes, and aspirations, students will learn what majors and careers are the best “fit,” and they will have a better understanding of the coursework and education required to succeed. This course is a great option for students unsure of their major or future career goals. Emphasis will be placed on advancing communication and information literacy skills, along with the transition to success at Angelo State University.

Embark on the ultimate adventure in College Survivor: Outlast 101, where you’ll learn the skills to navigate the challenges of your freshman year with strategy, resilience, and teamwork. Inspired by the popular TV show Survivor, this interactive course will guide you through the essentials of college success, including time management, effective study habits, campus resource navigation, and building strong relationships. Through engaging activities, group challenges, and reflective exercises, you’ll develop the tools to “outwit” academic obstacles, “outplay” stress, and “outlast” the competition—emerging as a champion of your own college experience.

This particular 1181 course will use the concept of fantasy football and illustrate how it applies in an educational setting. As surprising as it may seem, fantasy football is a huge phenomenon. It seems counterintuitive due to the fact that in order to be a good player (and give yourself the best chance of winning), it requires thorough planning, organization, coordination, and research. Although it takes a tremendous amount of work and effort to be successful, it is a very fun game.

When fantasy football is examined through an educational lens, there are many overlapping themes. In order to be successful in either endeavor, the four previously mentioned characteristics are essential. Along with those four, some others are important including, but not limited to, time management, study skills, following established rules, working with others, mapping out a road to success (graduation), and good, old-fashioned work ethic (follow through).

This course is designed to help you succeed as a college student. We will address issues related to the successful transition from high school to the university, campus resources, college-level study skills, time management, interdependence, goal-setting, multiple intelligences, and other issues relevant to your journey as a college student. We will engage in collaborative learning activities, reading and class discussion, field investigations, writing, reflection, and presentation. Our objective is to use this class to stay on track and directed on a path toward graduation and self-worth. 

This course will survey the evolution, diversification, and extinction of major lineages of dinosaurs throughout Earth’s history. Additionally, the course will focus on the role that dinosaurs have played in entertainment and pop culture.

This engaging course introduces students to the foundational skills of data analysis using Microsoft Excel, with a unique focus on the music and career of Taylor Swift. Through exploring Taylor Swift’s diverse musical eras, students will learn to collect, organize, and interpret data in Excel to uncover patterns, trends, and insights.

Students will apply Excel’s core features, such as formulas, charts, pivot tables, and data visualization tools, to analyze song performance, lyrical themes, album sales, streaming data, and more. By the end of the course, students will have developed both the technical ability to manipulate data in Excel and the critical thinking skills to draw meaningful conclusions from data.

What is a game? How do you win at college? In this course, we will explore the history and philosophy behind games and game theory. We will discuss strategies and techniques to win at games, college, and life.

Do you love the great outdoors? Do you love the oceans, forests, deserts and mountains? Are you interested to know more about how to protect nature and reduce your environmental footprint? Whether you have a green thumb or could kill a cactus, this class will cover all kinds of “green” topics while also growing your skills and knowledge to boost your success as a new student at Angelo State University. The goal of this course will be to develop basic skills you will need to be successful in all college courses, through activities and discussions that focus on topics such as sustainability, community gardening, going green, and environmental stewardship.

This course will establish how personality can impact the university experience. Students will engage with personality assessments, guest speakers, and course discussion to discover the strengths and areas of improvement the different personality types have as they relate to the university and career experience. 

This course seeks to introduce students with disabilities or other chronic healthcare conditions, as well as students who hope to work with the disabled, to life at the university. Students will learn about University services for students with disabilities as well as their rights and how to become an effective self-advocate for their needs.

This seminar is designed to introduce first-year students to the fundamental principles of leadership. Through interactive discussions, group activities, and personal reflection, students will explore various leadership styles, develop essential leadership skills, and understand the importance of ethical decision-making. The course aims to foster self-awareness, enhance communication abilities, and encourage active participation in campus and community life.

Want to have less stress and more success in college? There’s no secret formula, but there ARE many habits, strategies, and skills you can learn to make your semesters at college easier to manage. We’ll look at questions like these in this course:

• “How can I keep organized the hundreds of online files I’ll create over the next four years?”
• “How can I save money each week?”
• “When should I email my professor, and when should I not?”
• “How do I write college-level papers?”
• “Which citation generators are more accurate?”
• “What is the difference between MLA and APA?”
• “What can I do to reduce my testing anxiety?”
• “What do I do if I have roommate issues?”
• “What daily habits can I adopt to strengthen my physical and mental health?”
• “How can I find time to enjoy my hobbies when my weekly schedule is so packed?”

This course will encourage you to improve your organizational and life habits; develop your reading, writing, and thinking skills; and adopt methods of learning that will serve you well beyond your first semester of college.

This course is designed to help first-year students transition to university life by learning about Angelo State history and traditions, life on campus, and resources to support their success. 

This course emphasizes the use of information literacy, oral communication, and writing skills for examining macabre medical procedures, health care ethics, AND for preparing students to enter health professions fields. This course will also explore the somewhat bizarre history of modern western medicine, including a detailed investigation of some of its more macabre and gruesome practices and procedures. We will integrate these practices into a discussion of healthcare ethics and evidence-based practices to examine the consequences of such actions on patients. We will also discover what it takes to become a competitive applicant for entry into various post-baccalaureate, health professions programs including medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, physical & occupational therapy, chiropractic, and physician assistant schools. 

This section incorporates an interactive learning environment for fellow peers in their first year of college to explore topics related to college life – both in and out of the classroom. This section utilizes concepts of media and information literacy to teach critical thinking, analysis, communication skills, and personal responsibility. It also introduces ethical and critical use of artificial intelligence tools and how this robust technology changes the academic and professional environments. Discussions, assignments, and other activities work together to prepare students for success.

Area of interest - media and information literacy (including AI)

This class will center around helping students discover, or more completely understand, their major and career goals. Using software that identifies students’ values, aptitudes, and aspirations, students will learn what majors and careers are the best “fit,” and they will have a better understanding about the course work and education required to succeed. This course is a great option for students unsure of their major or future career goals. Emphasis will be placed on advancing communication and information literacy skills, along with the transition to success at Angelo State University.

This course will focus on four things:

1. Personal history (narrative as well as visual)
2. Family history (helping a parent or grandparent record their personal history)
3. Genealogy
4. Resources at ASU that will help you research and write effectively and efficiently

As we learn how to organize and present personal and family histories, we will explore everything that ASU has to offer to help you succeed as a student.

The nursing profession is one of the most-in-demand fields among aspiring professionals. This course is designed to introduce students to the nursing field through hands-on learning, guest speakers from various specialties in nursing, and career immersion. Students will develop essential academic, communication, and self-care skills required for success in the nursing profession. 

We will investigate why sexual reproduction exists and why it may be an advantage. Then we will look into variations in how sexual reproduction occurs and how mates are selected. We will discuss how technology can interfere or assist with the natural process. Expect to discuss why sea horse males give birth, how a human male was pregnant, how a human baby might have 5 “parents” and why there are no hermaphrodite humans but there are lots of hermaphrodite fish and invertebrate animals.

You will learn about the biology of sex, but we will also investigate or discuss social and ethical considerations. You will be asked to write responses to questions in class and on homework assignments, including an opinion paper that demonstrates critical thinking and information literacy.

This course will help students understand the importance of self-care, healthy relationships, and being comfortable asking for clarification and help from faculty members and those around them. The discussion within the course itself will easily allow the added discussion of self-care to be a secondary topic and objective of the course.

Students will learn about how to create a self-care plan, which can include planning and organization, communicating conflict with others, having a sleep hygiene routine, and other resources and skills to protect them during this new transition of life.

The Ram Band is one of the largest and most visible student organizations on the ASU campus. The Ram Band Family is a large and connected group of people from all walks of life that have contributed to the great history and tradition of this organization. Being a part of an organization like this can be and often is very time consuming. We will discuss and learn multiple ways to maximize your time, utilize university resources, achieve at the highest level, and graduate on time while staying involved during the year. 

Life skills for college life. How to best support your collegiate journey.

Putting in a competitive application package to medical or dental school requires years of preparation. The Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) at ASU works hard to help students with this process. This course will review the components of an outstanding application while making sure students have the tools they need to get off to a great start academically.

In this course, students will read various articles that describe the journeys of those athletes who have reached high points of success in sports, as well as the marketing efforts that have communicated their achievements to promote products and services. This course will include article research on various sports champions with a class presentation by each student of an athlete of their choice. The application of these skills will help improve and develop research, writing, and presentation skills necessary for success at the university level.

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the field of sport psychology. An emphasis will be placed on psychological theories and training techniques specifically for improved sports performance and coaching effectiveness. In doing so the student will gain a holistic understanding of the psychological aspects of sport and exercise. 

Video Games are the 21st century’s most exciting storytelling format! In this course we will learn and use beginning coding to design, animate, imagine, think critically, and collaborate as we create our own story-based video games! 

In today’s information-driven world, the ability to think critically and ask the right questions is essential for success in college and beyond. The Art of Inquiry: How to Think Like a Scientist is an 8-week freshman-level course designed to cultivate curiosity, improve problem-solving skills, and teach students how to evaluate information like a scientist.

Students will explore the principles of scientific thinking, including observation, hypothesis testing, logical reasoning, and skepticism. Through engaging discussions, hands-on experiments, real-world case studies, and interactive projects, they will learn how to differentiate between fact and fiction, analyze data effectively, and make informed decisions.

This course is not limited to science majors—students from all disciplines will benefit from learning how to apply scientific reasoning to everyday life, academic challenges, and career decision-making.

Course Goals:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop Scientific Inquiry Skills – Learn how to ask meaningful questions, form hypotheses, and test ideas logically.
• Evaluate Evidence and Sources – Distinguish between credible and unreliable information in science research.
• Strengthen Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving – Use scientific reasoning to make informed decisions in academics, career planning, and daily life.
• Foster a Curiosity-Driven Mindset – Develop habits of lifelong learning and intellectual curiosity that extend beyond the classroom.

The Stoic Project is an eight-week class that combines historical insights, philosophical discussions, and collaboration to empower students with the timeless wisdom of Stoic philosophy. Whether you’re seeking personal growth, improved decision-making skills, or a deeper understanding of human nature, this course provides a valuable framework for navigating life’s challenges with resilience and wisdom. Marcus Aurelius said, “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” He also said, “In your actions, don’t procrastinate. In your conversations, don’t confuse. In your thoughts, don’t wander. In your soul, don’t be passive or aggressive. In your life, don’t be all about business.” This is one example of stoic philosophies you might examine in the class.

This course will look at the role of the Western movie in shaping, and being shaped by, American Culture.

Moving-in and starting your college journey can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Through this course, you will learn skills to help the transition from high school to college life. We will focus on communication, utilizing campus resources, and getting involved on campus.

Objectives:

1. Learn about resources that are available to you as a student at Angelo State University including academic support and health services.
2. Understand key strategies for managing time, stress, and academic course loads.
3. Find ways to get involved on campus by attending events or joining a student organization.

Are you a true crime junkie? Do you like to follow true crime podcasts, television shows, books, and anything you can get your hands on? This is the course for you!

This course will utilize true crime podcasts to dive into the world of crime. We will examine 7 true crimes. Some of the cases are still unsolved to this day. You will need to put your detective skills to work and figure out who you think committed the crime. Who knows, perhaps we will find a clue which can help solve a cold case!

We will use the interaction between Agriculture and everyday life to accomplish the outcomes of the course and aid in the transition to college life. Designed for any major.

Tips to help students with success and add in additional AI resources to assist with being successful as a student.

This class will center around helping students discover, or more completely understand, their personal and professional values and college goals. Emphasis will be placed on promoting belonging, strengthening communication skills, practicing information and financial literacy, and advancing career readiness. The purpose of the course is to support students in successful transitions at Angelo State University.