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Cartoon by Dylan Moriarty (B.S. 2013, History)

Taking Initiative is a key part of SuccessWorks in the College of Letters & Science (L&S). In this one-credit course, students alternate week-by-week between large-group lecture taught by the professor and small group discussion led by graduate student teaching assistants. All of the assignments are online right here in Canvas.

What happens in lecture?

There are five lectures over the course of the semester. Each student registers for either the in-person version of the lecture or the online version of the lecture:

Students registered for the in-person version of the lecture attend on selected Wednesdays at noon (see the Syllabus or the Calendar to the left for dates and locations). You'll be able to interact with your fellow classmates and your professor in realtime if you chose the in-person lecture format.
Students registered for the online version of the lecture must download and view the lecture material on their own, after it has been presented in the in-person lecture, right here in Canvas (see the Modules to the left to download the lecture videos). View the online lecture any time between Thursday evening and Sunday evening.

No matter whether you are attending the lecture in-person or viewing it online, you'll learn about the lifelong value of a liberal arts and sciences education, the real meaning of personal branding and building a professional network, the variety of opportunities available to you in the Wisconsin Experience, the theory behind creativity in diverse workplaces, and the benefits of "planned happenstance" in your own search for success.

What happens in discussion?

Any week that there is no lecture, all students will be expected to attend in-person discussion section. There are nine weeks of discussion section. All discussion sections are in-person; there are no online discussion sections. (Use the Syllabus or the Calendar to the left to keep track of whether you have lecture or discussion each week!)

In discussion, you'll engage in hands-on activities to reflect on your academic and career strengths, research your academic and career opportunities, and refine your academic and career communication skills. You'll do this with the help of a group of engaged experts:

Your TA. Your section will be led by your graduate student Teaching Assistant, who will explain and grade all of your assignments. (You can visit with your Teaching Assistant outside of class during their office hours.)
Your Career Mentor. Each section is paired with a professional UW adviser or Career Mentor who will be on hand to assist students and answer questions. (You can also visit most Career Mentors outside of class at their campus offices.)
Two Alumni Mentors. During two of the discussion sessions, successful past UW students who we refer to as our Alumni Mentors will visit or Skype in to class to offer real-world stories of career preparation. (Most Alumni Mentors are happy for you to contact them with questions outside of class as well.)

What are the readings for the course?

Almost all of the readings for this course are freely available online, except for two paperback textbooks which should cost about $25 each. The professor has also designed a freely downloadable custom textbook to go along with the course (our Student Guide), meant to help guide your career preparation until you graduate.

Is this course difficult?

This one-credit course requires students to attend one class each week (either lecture or discussion, it varies), to read roughly two articles or chapters each week, and to complete sixteen bite-sized assignments over the whole semester. The assignments support our learning outcomes of helping you on your career journey. The course is graded on a 100-point scale: each assignment is worth 4 points, and each discussion session you participate in is also worth 4 points (several extra credit points are also available). There are no tests or quizzes or final exams! Check the following pages for more details about the course:

Students tend to earn high grades in this course. However, you will only get out of this course what you put into it. The assignments cover tasks like reflecting on your experiences, putting together a resume, and setting up a LinkedIn site, which you'll have to do anyway -- so why not get some guidance and credit along the way?

What do students say after taking this course?

This course launches students on their Career Journey. After taking this course, students report that it works!

93% felt better prepared to utilize campus resources to assist with career planning.
85% felt better prepared to apply for an internship
85% of students felt better prepared to explore career options

Student reflection from summer 2016

Ready to get started?

Use the Canvas menu on the left to Login to Your Account and navigate this course web site:

Click on Modules to see a list of everything in the course, in order week by week, including assignments and activities.
Click on Assignments to see a list of all the assignments and extra credit opportunities. (In general the assignments are turned in online, by uploading a file; however, you should bring copies of your assignments to discussion section as well.)
Click on Syllabus to see a calendar-list view of what's coming up next -- including optional outside activities like career fairs and industry presentations.
Click on Announcements to check out the latest news related to the course.
Click on Grades to check your progress.
Click on Files to browse through all of the raw information associated with the course.