{"id":297,"date":"2026-07-15T11:56:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T18:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/?p=297"},"modified":"2026-07-15T11:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T18:56:00","slug":"designing-success-first-and-second-year-seminars-helping-students-thrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/?p=297","title":{"rendered":"Designing Success: First- and Second-Year Seminars Helping Students Thrive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Originally posted: Feb. 19, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By: Kelsey Claus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your major?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you interested in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you made friends?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For new UNLV students \u2013 whether they are in their first year or transferring \u2013 feel like these questions are on repeat. They just got here. How are they supposed to be sure of anything, let alone their major, career path, clubs, or friend groups? It\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where the college\u2019s First-Year and Second-Year Seminar courses are helping students turn that uncertainty into opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of both courses, COE 103 and 202, is a simple but transformative idea: students design their own futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning to \u201cDesign My UNLV\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Chelsie Hawkinson joined the program four years ago, she saw an opportunity to further develop the seminars into a more integrated and research-driven experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I got here, the classes were focused on things like debate and service learning,\u201d she explains. \u201cThose elements remain central. Since then we\u2019ve worked to more intentionally connect students\u2019 experiences throughout the semester.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where Life Design came in. Emphasizing empathy, reflection, collaboration, and learning through action, Life Design helps students make intentional decisions about their education, careers, and well-being. In the first-year seminar, that means asking questions like.\u201cWho do I want to be at UNLV?\u201d and \u201cHow do I make the most of my time here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students explore a semester-long research question, What is the ideal college experience for me?, integrating scholarly research, structured reflection, and campus engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re teaching them how to thrive, not just survive,\u201d Chelsie says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact shows. Nearly 94% of COE 103 students reported that the course helped them take responsibility for their growth, and 97% said it helped them value collaboration in shaping their career paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore the course, I felt like I was just trying to keep up,\u201d said Teresa Juarez Serrano. \u201cThe Life Design activities helped me slow down and think about what I want my experience in college to look like, and actually writing it down helped me realize that I had more control over my time here than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe course definitely helped me take responsibility for my academic growth,\u201d said Roman Reed. \u201cYou had to stay on top of readings and actually use campus resources. I didn\u2019t think I needed the Writing Center as an English major, but it ended up really improving my writing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Reflection to Real-World Readiness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time students reach the second-year seminar, COE 202, the focus shifts toward professional development and purpose. Here, Life Design becomes career-centered. Students explore pathways, conduct informational interviews, known as prototype conversations, and consider aligning their personal and professional aspirations with their strengths and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt helped me build confidence in my own growth,\u201d said Michael Lacaro. \u201cTaking small steps made me feel more comfortable with why I\u2019m here instead of doubting myself or thinking about dropping out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConnecting my strengths and values to careers made me feel more confident about the path I already had, but it also helped me break things down into mini-goals\u2014like getting my passport so I can study abroad or joining clubs that fit my career plans,\u201d said Reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also dive into Touchstones Discussions, a signature part of the course where students engage in weekly, guided conversations around short readings. The goal isn\u2019t to win arguments. It\u2019s to listen deeply, think critically, and build community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe found that, on these days, students  were more motivated and connected,\u201d Chelsie says. \u201cIt teaches active listening and collaboration. Skills that carry into every other class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReed explained, \u201cHearing my peers open up made UNLV feel less like a distant institution and more like a community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur discussions were often about mental health or just getting through life,\u201d said Juarez Serrano. \u201cHearing other students talk about that helped me feel less alone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings aren\u2019t just anecdotal. Data from the Office of Learning Analytics<\/a> showed that students in discussion-based classes experienced higher engagement and stronger feelings of connection, which in turn enhanced their motivation and self-efficacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By teaching students to reflect, connect, and act with intention, the college\u2019s First- and Second-Year Seminars are doing more than easing the transition to college\u2013they\u2019re helping students build the confidence and clarity to design a future that\u2019s truly their own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Originally posted: Feb. 19, 2026 By: Kelsey Claus \u201cWhat\u2019s your major? \u201cWhat are you interested in? \u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d \u201cHave you made friends? For new UNLV students \u2013 whether they are in their first year or transferring \u2013 feel like these questions are on repeat. They just got here. How are they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[15,34],"class_list":["post-297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-educational-psychology-leadership-and-higher-education","tag-academic-programs","tag-faculty-staff-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":301,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions\/301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coenewscenter.sites.unlv.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}