4 Reasons why SSCI 299 is not a typical class:

4 Reasons why "How to Think Like a Social Scientist" is not a typical GE class:

1. This is NOT a standard, information-driven introductory course where you memorize a lot of information about a particular subject. Rather it focuses on ways of thinking about and understanding social science – both in academic and non-academic contexts. These are skills you can use in GE classes, social science major classes, and in everyday life.

2. A lot of the learning in this class will be by "doing" -- reading and analyzing articles by and about social science, working on in-class tasks, and working on a group project for the second part of the semester.

3. This course prepares you for upper-division work and/or work in a social science major, by challenging you to think in new ways, by assigning a little more reading and writing than you may be used to in a 200-level survey, and by introducing you to social science techniques and ways of thinking.

4. This class is NOT like an FYE class, but it does give some attention to supporting you in the next stage of your college career through the practice of focused exploration.

- - Are you a sophomore? Now that you’ve found the good coffee spots and generally adjusted to college, your job is to take things to the next step, working on 4 goals: Choosing or affirming your major; Deepening your study through academic options like major clubs, study abroad, etc.; Beginning to explore career ideas and paths; and Exploring how academic AND co-curricular choices can help prepare you for a career.

- - Are you a transfer student? You have probably done some of the work of sophomores, but you have come to a new campus. Transfer year is a time to get better acquainted with SSU faculty, students, and resources so you can hit the ground running.
  - Are you a senior? You are getting ready for the transition out of college to whatever comes next -- a job, grad school, a gap year, Peace Corps, or some other adventure. This is a good year to learn how focused exploration can help you make decisions about what comes next.

Course Learning Outcomes

We are surrounded by social science. Advertisements, politicians, wellness apps, professors, parents, and peers all make claims about how humans behave and interact with each other and the environment, both in the past and in the present. How do we know what to believe and what's "fake news"? How can we learn more?

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

- 1. Articulate how social scientists gather and evaluate information and use social science techniques to investigate questions about human individual and social behavior, past and present.
  1. Apply social science habits of mind and methods to develop a research proposal.
  1. Describe and apply teamwork skills as you develop your research project.
  1. Discuss social science research on college success, particularly for sophomores and transfers, and use it to create a more meaningful and coherent story of your learning.

Check out our videos about Sophomores and Transfers:

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