First Year Seminar
First Year Seminar (FYS) Course Descriptions
Northern’s First Year Seminar program is designed to serve as a springboard to success in your college career.
While honing your skills in college-level reading and writing, critical thinking and teamwork skills, you will
benefit from the opportunity to explore an area in depth as indicated below in the descriptions for the various
FYS courses offered during the upcoming academic year.
Fall 2025
• Great Books, 2-2:50 p.m., MW (N05, 79561)
The theme of this section of FYS is “great books.” In it you will encounter ideas from the greatest books
ever written and, in the process, hone your reading, writing, and speaking skills. (Oh, and you’ll also learn
about handy campus resources and meet some friendly Northern staff.)
• Introduction to Research Skills, 9:30-10:20 a.m., TuTH (N08, 79598)
In this course, you'll master the essential skills for thriving in today’s information-driven society. Learn
how to effectively navigate the web and scholarly resources to conduct top-notch research. Explore the
importance of academic integrity, uncover strategies for spotting misinformation, and sharpen your ability
to critically evaluate sources. By the end, you'll be equipped to communicate your research clearly and
confidently, all while applying strong media literacy skills to separate fact from fiction.
• Metacognition: Thinking Fast and Slow, Huron campus only: 6-8:50 p.m., W (NHC, 79238)
“Metacognition” refers to the awareness, analysis, and deeper understanding of one’s own thought
processes. Developing your metacognitive skills is an essential practice in an increasingly digital age,
when immediate and easy access to seemingly unlimited information can lead us to overthink and
underthink the wrong things. We may spiral for days on something trivial, but blitz through complex
topics that deserve much more care. In this course, we will interrogate not only our own mental magic
tricks through the study of cognitive biases and practicing reflective thinking, but we will also learn to
identify the ways in which external forces or groups can (and often do) use our shared languages to take
advantage of the way our minds can (and often do) distort things in times of stress or struggle.
• In My Northern Era, 9-9:50 a.m., MW (N11, 79616)
This is an innovative, interdisciplinary first-year seminar that uses Taylor Swift’s evolving music and
career as a dynamic framework for exploring personal identity, resilience, and academic success. In this
course, you’ll engage in thought-provoking discussions, reflective writing, and collaborative projects that
connect the themes in Swift's eras with your own experiences and growth as a college student. This
seminar offers a creative and supportive environment to launch your college experience at Northern State
University.
First Year Seminar
• Finding Your Inner Flo, 8-9:50 a.m., W (N06, 79596)
1. Identify academic resources, strategies, and personal growth modalities that help overcome academic
challenges in healthcare related fields.
2. Examine professional standards and various career pathways within different healthcare roles and
specialties.
3. Reflect on the impact of organizational involvement and community engagement on personal growth,
professional perspective, and social responsibility of a healthcare provider.
4.Cultivate a deeper understanding of the human connection through reflection on the themes and wisdom
shared in selected readings.
• Amazing Food, 10-10:50 a.m., MW (N07, 79597)
The main focus of this First Year Seminar is to dive into the fascinating world of food and how it nourishes
both our minds and bodies. Throughout the course, students will take part in various writing exercises
designed to boost their writing skills. By the end of the seminar, they will have crafted a detailed five-page
research paper that explores the diverse topic of food. To deepen their understanding, students will read a
selection of articles related to food, helping them enhance their critical thinking abilities.
As they embark on this learning journey, students will learn how to navigate the library’s resources
effectively, equipping them to find and assess scholarly articles about food on their own. Group activities will
also be an important aspect of the seminar; students will collaborate in small teams to invent and create
their ideal pancake. This engaging project will conclude with a presentation of their culinary masterpiece to
a panel, promoting teamwork and communication skills. Additionally, the seminar will include a communal
reading assignment that will be discussed in depth, encouraging a richer engagement with the material. To
further enrich the experience, various guest speakers will be invited to share their insights. These visitors
will cover a range of topics, from navigating library resources to academic advising and personal anecdotes
from faculty members, giving students a comprehensive view of their academic and personal growth. All in
all, this seminar is set to be a lively and enriching experience that feeds both the intellectual curiosity and
creative spirits of all students.
• Personal Finance, Online Asynchronous (NT1, 79239)
In this class, in addition to reading and discussing the common read, you will learn the basics about
personal finances. We will cover budgeting, money management, retirement planning, estate planning, and
investing. We will also learn about different insurance products, time management, credit, loans, and play
an online investing simulation game.
First Year Seminar
• Building Community, 11-11:50 a.m., TuTH (N12, 79638)
This course focuses on how people create spaces and places to build connections and belonging – at
Northern, in Aberdeen, and beyond. This first-year seminar integrates an “Everyone has a Story”
assignment where you will learn what makes a community and reflect on your own values and
understandings to foster your sense of belonging and find your place on campus.
• Learning the Good Life, 2-2:50 p.m., MW (N03, 79537)
This particular seminar considers how we live well. At the end of our lives we all want to be able to say we
lived well. It behooves us, then, to know what “living well” means. The aim of this course is for students to
contemplate what makes for a good life and how their education might be conducive not to just making a
living, but living well.
• In-(Sane) Crowd, 6-7:50 p.m., M (N02, 79536)
Everyone wants to be liked and accepted, but what lengths will some go to be so? This course is designed
to enlighten students on the nature of groupthink, mass hysteria, and cults through the interdisciplinary
method. Participants will also gain insight on the legal issues these phenomena generate, their long-term
effects on participants, and how to identify red flag warnings of these circumstances.
• Advice You Will Take and Give, 11-11:50 a.m., TuTH (N04, 79560)
This course is designed to provide college students with essential life skills and knowledge to navigate
the challenges and opportunities of higher education and beyond. Students will learn essential life skills
such as stress/time management, effective communication and interpersonal skills, personal
development, and health and wellness etc. Through interactive discussions, activities, and reflective
assignments, students will explore their values, set personal goals, and develop a growth mindset. The
course also emphasizes the importance of self-care and resilience in the face of challenges, preparing
students to thrive both academically and personally throughout their college journey and beyond.
First Year Seminar
• Dialog in the Digital Age, 10-10:50 a.m., MW (N01, 79453)
In today's world, navigating the vast flow of information while engaging in thoughtful, respectful
dialogue is more important than ever. This freshman seminar introduces students to the essential skills
of information literacy, critical thinking, and civil discourse in an increasingly digital world.Students
will learn how to evaluate and analyze the credibility of information, identify bias, and develop
strategies for engaging in productive conversations on complex and sometimes controversial topics.
The course will emphasize the importance of informed dialogue, providing tools for effective
communication and argumentation in academic, personal, and public spheres.
Additionally, this seminar is designed to support students in transitioning to college life by focusing on
key skills for academic success, including time management, active listening, effective collaboration,
and navigating academic resources. Through class discussions, case studies, and interactive exercises,
students will build a strong foundation for both their college careers and their roles as informed,
responsible citizens in a civil society.
• The Student Leadership Challenge, 4-4:50 p.m., TuTH (N13, 79864)
Students will delve into the transformative Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, as outlined by
Kouzes and Posner, through active participation in the Student Leadership Challenge. They will assess
their leadership abilities, identify opportunities to engage in student leadership roles at Northern,
explore and critically evaluate student success resources, and collaborate on a group leadership project
using the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework developed by Doerr.
• All the World’s a Stage, 2-2:50 p.m., MW (N09, 79599)
Why do we study things like theater, literature, and history? “All the world’s a stage,” said Shakespeare,
and, whether or not that’s completely right, thinking of the world in theatrical terms can be a real
advantage in approaching university life. Over the semester, students will explore theater essentials
(imagination, concentration, motivation, complications, etc.) and literary essentials (plot, character,
theme, setting, tone, and point of view). We’ll look at various literary genres as well.
The class will feature many participation activities (e.g., theater games) that will take them out of their
comfort zones—but will hopefully enable them to integrate more fully into the college environment.
First Year Seminar
• Rhetoric of Horror, 12-12:50 p.m., MW (N10, 79615)
From legendary monsters to chilling social commentaries, horror movies have always reflected our
deepest fears—and kept us coming back for more. This course dives into the past six decades of horror
cinema, exploring everything from ‘70s creature features and ‘80s slashers to ‘90s meta-horror and
today’s thought-provoking thrillers. We’ll uncover how these films make sense of real-world anxieties,
why we can’t get enough of the scares, and what our favorite horror icons say about American culture. If
you love movies that make your heart race and your mind spin, this is the class for you!
***WARNING***
We will be watching horror movies in this course. There will be blood, violence, and nudity in some of the
films.
• The Benefit of Being Present, Online Asynchronous (NT2, 79562)
Throughout this course, students will learn and apply strategies for building effective habits to expand
interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, leading to habits that help them create a more productive and
impactful life. Students will reflect upon their own skills and areas of personal improvement while
working together to understand how these personal improvements can lead to deeper relationships with
others – profoundly impacting their personal and professional lives. Additionally, the course will focus
on the practice of mindfulness and the benefits that come with intentionality in our habits and
behaviors.
Spring 2026
• Just Edit Yourself!, 1-1:50 p.m., MW (N01, 29525)
Writing well is a skill that will serve you both as a student and in your career path, whatever that may be.
The purpose of this FYS is to help you begin thinking about what you write and the way you write it.
Want to avoid massive embarrassment when presenting that proposal to your future boss and
colleagues? This is a gentle introduction into proofreading what you have produced. One low-key writing
task a week alternates between a response to a piece of lively literature and your opinion about social
media, a favorite television series, movies, music, Youtube and more! A light introduction to basic
grammar via games and open book exercises is also included. Rest assured there are no exams nor
lectures here and nothing to buy! Along the way we take brief field trips to important NSU services such
as the Writing Center, Career Services and the Circle Program. Never-a-dull-moment class engagement
combines with an introduction to practical skills that will come in handy. You will never know until you
go!