University Life
Introduction to University Life is a student success seminar for incoming TCU students that helps students cultivate habits of learning and academic achievement. Designed to impart knowledge, skills, and strategies to flourish and positively transition into academic life at TCU, this one credit hour course provides students with close mentoring by an instructor and student peer guide, who facilitate engaging conversations about important topics, including:
- learning in a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion
- identifying and utilizing campus resources
- goal-setting
- establishing skills in time management & stress management
- thinking, learning, and studying in college
- attending and reflecting upon campus learning experiences outside the classroom
- understanding the purpose of college & the mission of TCU
Mentoring is an important component of Intro to University Life. Each student in the course has an opportunity to develop close, meaningful relationships with the instructor and student peer guide, both of whom meet with the student outside of regular class time to connect, answer questions, and offer advice for flourishing in college.
PEER GUIDES
Peer Guides are upper-division students who serve as mentor, resource, and role model for new students in each section of the course. Peer Guides work with their faculty member to help facilitate conversations, exercises, and activities in the course. They play a critical role in engaging new students in important conversations about the college experience.
INSTRUCTORS
The instructors for Intro to University Life are full-time faculty and professional staff from all corners of TCU. Instructors self-select to teach a section as an opportunity to engage with new students. Instructors share a common syllabus and common learning outcomes, with the opportunity to customize some aspects of the course to match an instructor’s individual style and areas of expertise.