First Year Seminar Course

What is courage? Aristotle described courage as the mean between cowardice and rashness. He believed that because human nature tends more easily toward cowardice, we should lean slightly toward rashness in order to achieve balance. Yet Aristotle also emphasized that courage cannot be defined in the abstract; it must always be understood in the context of a particular situation. Moreover, no two situations are identical. Therefore, what counts as courageous will differ from ca

Vulnerability can mean many things, but here it refers to the willingness to voluntarily reveal one’s weaknesses or limitations. This can feel risky because it exposes us to potential judgment or rejection. When we open ourselves up, hoping for empathy, we may instead face ridicule or dismissal, so it is no surprise that many people avoid being vulnerable. In professional settings, admitting a lack of knowledge or skill can seem especially dangerous, as it may appear to threa

The Greek word for virtue, areté  (ἀρετή), means “excellence,” “goodness,” or “fulfillment of purpose.” In Greek thought, virtue and excellence are inseparable. The Latin virtus —from which we derive the word virtue also means “excellence” or “skill,” as in the term virtuoso , someone with exceptional ability in an art or craft. So, what does it mean to be excellent? What should we strive to be excellent at? And what if we never become “the best” at anything? Does that mean

The word integrity  comes from the Latin noun integritas , meaning “wholeness” or “completeness.” One way to understand integrity, then, is as the state of being whole and consistent in our thoughts, words, and actions. As individuals, we lead rich inner lives filled with ideas, feelings, values, and principles we strive to live by. All of these exist in our minds, private and invisible to others. No one can truly “see” what we think or feel except ourselves. We express our i

Reasonableness requires a commitment to evidence-informed decision-making and respect for open, civil dialogue, fair deliberation,...

The word confidence  originates from the Latin root fidere , meaning “to trust,” combined with the prefix con-  meaning “with” or “fully.” Confidence, then, is the habit of self-trust —learning to trust your talents, abilities, beliefs, ideas, and vision. At its core, confidence is the decision to believe in yourself. But how does one achieve a strong level of confidence? Consider this example: John is not a confident dancer. Because he does not trust his ability to perform s

Humility does not mean devaluing yourself or degrading your worth. Quite the opposite: humility requires recognizing your incredible potential to accomplish great things while also acknowledging your humanity. We all make mistakes. None of us can know everything. Mystery will always be part of life—there will always be events we cannot explain and truths beyond our grasp. Humility accepts this reality without frustration or arrogance. Humility also means recognizing that we a

To be authentic means to be your true self—to resist the temptation to become someone you are not. Some say we should “fake it until we make it.” But if you pretend to be someone else and then achieve “success,” can you truly say that you  made it? Authentic success requires that the real you—the person you honestly are—is the one who succeeds. But how do we know who we really are? Isn’t identity always changing? Am I the person I am now, or the person I aspire to be? If I ch

This year I am teaching a First Year Seminar course for the first time. It is only a 1 credit course and we meet once a week. About sixty...