This course is for first-year students who are interested in the social sciences and want help turning that interest into direction.
In this class, you’ll explore how different social science fields look at real-world issues — things like people’s behavior, systems, inequality, policy, culture, and change. You’ll learn what kinds of questions different majors ask, what skills they build, and how they connect to real jobs and opportunities. You’ll also spend time learning about what actually excites you: What kinds of problems you care about, what types of classes energize you, and what ways of thinking feel natural to you.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a clearer sense of how your interests connect to future academic and co-curricular opportunities at UW. Using what you discover about yourself, you’ll begin shaping your own plan for your second year and beyond.
- Thursdays - 2:30-3:50pm
- 1 credit, CR/NC
- GEN ST 222 A (SLN: 21307)
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand how different social science majors approach questions about people, systems, and power.
- Understand how social scientists think, gather evidence, and tackle complex, real world problems.
- Navigate majors, opportunities, and high-impact practices with confidence.
- Articulate your interests and questions within the social sciences.
- Identify concrete next steps for Year 2 coursework, exploration, and engagement.
