THE FRESHMAN SEMINAR
RESEARCH PROJECT:
MY FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE
You will change in many ways during your first semester of college. Your
MFE project will be a record of what you experienced.
Much of what you use in your project will be the result of your reflection on
your personal experience. In addition, the project must also include 2
products using library research (3 sources, minimum; hard copy or professional
quality database—not Wikipedia, not unjuried Internet site) and 2 products
using field research (interviews, surveys, related events such as lectures,
movies, clubs, fairs you attend on campus). Label the items for which you did
library or field research with the form of research you used.
As the work progresses, it will be reviewed by your group of classmates (Group
Work My Freshman Experience).
The final form of the project may be any of the following--with additional
analysis and annotation as necessary to fulfill research requirements:
cartoons graphic novel
scrapbook posters
original songs satiric
version of contemporary songs rap
dance
musical performance
performance art visual art
game how-to book essays
portfolio PowerPoint
webpage movie emails
autobiography greeting cards
recipes
fiction poetry
plays mysteries diaries
letters other form(s)
The project is yours to keep. The teacher and peer mentor will asses it on
completeness, creativity, intellectual content, use of library research, and
field research, and appropriate documentation of research.
In December, there will be a special day for selected students or volunteers
to display and present their projects, probably one or two projects per
Freshman Seminar section.
Topics to be
covered in your MFE research project:
Segment 1
-
My favorite writer(s) (authors, poets, etc.)
and musical groups/bands right now are….
-
My favorite role models right now are…
-
My favorite instructor my first semester of
college was…(describe why and show a photo)
-
My favorite TV/cable show I often watched my
first semester of college was…
Segment 2
-
My favorite class my first semester of
college was… (describe why and provide a description of the class)
-
The class I liked least my first semester of
college was… (describe why and provide a description of the class)
-
My best friend(s) my first semester of
college were… (describe and show photos)
-
The things I hated doing most my first
semester of college were…
-
The best book I read my first semester of
college was…(describe what you liked about it)
-
The best film I saw my first semester of
college was…(describe what you liked about it)
Segment 3
-
My greatest insights about myself my first
semester of college were…
-
My greatest insights about other people my
first semester of college were…
-
My greatest insights about the world my
first semester of college were…
-
The things I wish I could have done better
my first semester of college were…
Segment 4
-
The most important stuff I learned my first
semester of college that I never want to forget was…
-
The best time I had my first semester of
college was…
-
The worst time I had my first semester of
college was…
-
I “paid it forward” my first semester of
college when... (describe acts of kindness you did for others expecting
nothing in return)
Segment
5
-
My favorite food I ate a lot of my first
semester of college was…
-
What stuff cost my first semester of
college:
-
Books
-
Tuition
-
Room and board
-
Movie ticket
-
Gallon of gas
-
Loaf of bread
-
Gallon of milk
-
The most significant geo-political conflict
(war) that was occurring in the world during my first semester of college
was…(describe the opposing views)
-
Three things I would not want to be without
if I was stranded on a deserted island are…
-
If I could do one thing to improve how
people get along in the world, I would…(be realistic)
Segment
6
-
I see myself in five years… (doing what,
where)
-
My experience participating in the following
activity made me appreciate the value of diversity in people:
-
The one person who helped me survive my
first semester of college, was…
-
My favorite place that I visited in St.
Louis was (describe where and why)…
-
I got involved on campus my first semester
in college doing… (describe what activities you got involved in and how you
grew from these experiences)
Print and hand in a copy of the MFE summary and
rubric form (below) with your completed MFE on 3 Dec.
My Freshman Experience Summary and Rubric Form
NAME________________________
1. Circle the final form(s) used in your
MFE; list other forms you used):
cartoons graphic novel
scrapbook posters
original songs satiric
version of contemporary songs rap
dance
musical performance
performance art visual art
game how-to book essays
portfolio PowerPoint webpage
movie emails
autobiography greeting cards
recipes
fiction poetry
plays mysteries diaries
letters
Other form(s):
2. Additional analysis and annotation necessary to fulfill research
requirements:
Identify by number and description the MFE items
fulfilling this requirement:
2 products using library research (3 sources, minimum;
hard copy or professional quality
database—not Wikipedia, not unjuried Internet site)
Identify by number and description the MFE items fulfilling this requirement:
2 products using field research (interviews, surveys,
related events such as lectures, movies, clubs, fairs you attend on campus)
Rubric for the My Freshman Experience research project:
-
completeness 1-50
-
creativity 1-50
-
intellectual content 1-50
-
library research 1-40
-
appropriate documentation of research 1-10
-
field research 1-50
Total points for the My Freshman Experience research
project: 250