Lily Baker
Lily Baker
The Student Guide to Success
Going into your freshman year of college can be an overwhelming and isolating experience. It can often feel like you are inundated with new information and responsibilities while also feeling the pressure to assimilate into your new community. UIC freshmen who are undertaking their Foundation Year at the School of Design can feel the weight of all the aforementioned stressors compounded by the pressure of knowing they must build a portfolio of work throughout their first year that will determine their entry into the School. In-depth interviews conducted with current Foundation Year students revealed that many felt a lack of knowledge around the foundation year process which led to stress and isolation that impeded their ability to also build a community amongst students and faculty. The Student Guide to Success doles out information in installments as a way to avoid information overload and allow for curated exercises that connect students with peer mentors, their cohort, and faculty. The guidebook is organized by key touch points throughout a student’s foundation year and includes corresponding activities in which students must expand upon the information provided by learning from their community at the School of Design.
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