Many new students come into college a little unsure about what their first year will look like. College is a whole new world, from learning how to manage money, living apart from your family for the first time, and even just figuring out which classes you should take.
At UNC Asheville, this transition is made easier with first-year experience courses that help you lay the groundwork students need to get the most out of their college careers. First Year Seminars, with options like “Sports and Society” and “Reptiles and Amphibians in Truth and Culture,” not only teach fascinating, interdisciplinary topics but also how to succeed at college life in general. These are combined with Academic Writing and Critical Inquiry courses (where you'll learn how to read and write like a college student) and the first Humanities course (the foundation of your UNC Asheville liberal arts education).
Students also have the opportunity to complete creative projects – which have ranged from collages to epic poetry to story maps – and present them at the First Year Showcase at the end of each semester.
Below are just a few of the wonderful projects presented at the Fall 2022 showcase:
Alana DeLawter created this mixed media piece as a reflection on growing up with dyslexia for her project.
Griffin Salyer, Kailyn Roberto, Marcos Morais, Samantha Garver, & Stephanie Engelhard created this series of infographics as an introduction to some of the wildlife and plant life that can be found on campus and around Asheville for their LANG 120 class.
Phoebe Carnes wrote a personal narrative about her work with Elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and then turned it into an academic autoethnography presentation.
You can view the full presentation here.
Jocelyn Shutak, Sydney Phillips, Alexandria Gooch, Gracelyn Cox, and Nathan Evans collaborated on a presentation entitled “Laughing Warrior Girl: Love and Masks,” for Humanities 124. It was based off of a story they read in which masks play a prominent role. When they initially presented in class, they had their classmates each draw a mask of their true selves, which are included with this presentation.
“I really enjoyed watching my classmates participate in the activities and I think it was really enlightening to see people's perception of themselves,” said Sydney Phillips.
You can view their full presentation here.
Aidan Rogers wrote an annotated bibliography and created an accompanying story map on King Henry VIII’s Wives and Descendants.
You can find more information about this year’s showcase and view more of the projects here. For information on the showcase program and projects from previous years, click here.
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