| Core Classes |
Skills |
Actions |
Connections to Work and Life |
| English |
Reading Comprehension |
Read the assigned material twice. Once for overview and again for facts and details. Understand the sequence of events in works while noting the development of various artistic or literary periods. |
Helps you understand how to read complex documents (ex: mortgage papers, employment contracts, professional articles/documents, bank documents, investments). |
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Writing Competency |
Develop writing skills including being grammatically correct and using punctuation correctly. This goes beyond the five paragraph papers that were taught in high school. |
You will draw on this skill set when writing reports in your profession (annual reviews, project updates, professional articles, etc.). Outside of work, you may use this skill set to settle disputes (perhaps you will need to write a letter to your insurance company or a credit card company). |
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Communication |
Be able to express your opinions both verbally and non-verbally. |
This is a critical skill set to have in life and work --- you need to know how to express yourself articulately, whether it is holding a conversation with colleagues or strangers, making an effective presentation, or communicating your thoughts/ideas in various formats (artistic mediums and written words). |
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Analytical |
Develop research skills through locating and evaluating sources. Determine which information is pertinent to your topic. What is valid or invalid? Be able to cite sources properly. Know what plagiarism is and how to avoid doing it. |
Research skills come in where you least expect them. You may need them when you have to find supporting evidence to back up an idea or proposal you have at work. You may need to find statistics on an issue to support an argument. You may need to research graduate schools or consumer products. If you get sick, you might want to research treatments.
Analytical skills also help you become more objective and make informed decisions. If you are faced with an ethical issue or caught between friends who are in an argument, you can take all sides into account and base your decision/action(s) on complete information. |
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Conceptual |
Be able to visualize the literature. Have knowledge of literary devices like symbolism and allusions. Examine character motivation and study effects of various literary and artistic techniques. |
You will be learning how to make connections in your life and how to see things in context. For instance, you will begin seeing how college core classes helped you build skill sets needed in various parts of your career. Or you may start to see how previous experiences relate to your current situation.
You are better prepared to see things within context, meaning you can see things more objectively. For instance, you are evaluating members of your group for a class assignment. One of your group members has been showing up late and has poor concentration. Out of context, you might review him or her poorly. However, the person may have had a death in the family or a major problem at home. Knowing these things, you can look at the situation in context, taking into account all the variables which allows you to make an informed decision.
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| Politics, History, and Philosophy |
Analytical |
Evaluate two sides of an issue; compare and contrast theories, groups, behaviors, events, etc. |
Allows you to compare criteria, look at and evaluate alternatives in a logical manner, thereby improving your ability to make good, effective decisions. This can be applied to everything from buying a car to purchasing a home to avoiding making the same mistakes repeatedly. Analytical skills help you become more objective. |
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Logic |
Reasoning, inductive and deductive, to solve complex problems |
This helps you learn how to problem solve effectively. Problems will come up in work and in life --- you can apply logic to solving these problems. You may also use decision making models that you learned in different classes. |
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Reading Comprehension |
Read the assigned material or chapter(s) to be discussed. Plan time to read supplementary material that may help you understand the course material. Maintain a focus on large ideas like concepts, trends, and patterns. |
Helps you understand how to read complex documents, understand complex documents, and even write policies and procedures. Identifying patterns and trends is applicable in any career. |
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Organization |
Creating structure and clear patterns or correct placement |
This will assist you in organizing efforts at work or home. By understanding how things can be grouped together (where things should go that would make the most sense), you can organize your time and thoughts more effectively. |
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Communication |
Interpersonal skills and communicating orally and through written word |
This is a critical skill set to have in life and work --- you need to know how to express yourself, whether it is creating oral presentations, introductions, PowerPoint presentations, etc or another project. |
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Conceptual |
The mental ability to coordinate interests and activities and visualize. By studying how philosophers, politicians, and others from history have approached similar issues, you can learn to draw your own conclusions. |
You will be learning how to make connections in your life and how to see things in context.
You are better prepared to see things in context and objectively. For instance, you are trying to decide who to vote for. By assessing candidates platforms/positions, backgrounds and value systems, you can see candidates in context and make an informed decision. |
| Math and Music (Yes! They are related.) |
Analytical |
a) Recognize how new problems are different from sample problems and how problem types differ. Determine what operations are used and why.
b) In music, recognizing the parts of the musical piece from a hip hop song to a concerto. |
Research skills are used every day.
Math and musical intelligence go hand in hand. In Chesapeake Bay, Peter Weyl, an oceanographer, was trying to understand a complex natural system and explain it to others. He united with a synthetic musician to form a partnership. When data was put in a musical format, it created patterns that were clear in the music yet hard to see in the data. |
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Quantitative Analysis |
The study of quantity, structure, space, relation, change, and patterns (deductive reasoning). It involves analyzing information from the perspective of patterns. It encompasses every aspect of life. |
This helps you design a room or select a home or apartment. This also helps you understand how one event affects other events. It can be as expansive as understanding our solar system by creating a scale model, or it can be as simple as understanding how compound interest can make you richer. |
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Logic |
Reasoning to describe and follow steps in solving problems or proving theorems in real life situations. |
An algorithm solves problems by breaking the problem down into smaller steps. People actually do this all the time. The sequence is the key. |
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Abstraction |
The process of generalizing by reducing information, content, or concepts. |
Thinking abstractly helps you understand large issues by simplifying complex systems in a visual manner which you can then comprehend. Think maps! |
| Science |
Analytical |
Study unexplained phenomena, describe how events occur, and be able to explain why natural phenomena occur. |
This is scientific method. Propose a hypothesis and test it to verify how something works and even predict behavior. This works in everything from psychology and sociology to rocket science. |
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Quantitative Analysis |
The study of quantity, structure, space, relation, change, and patterns (deductive reasoning). |
This involves numerical representations of any process you need to understand. It allows you to make predictions on everything from weather to the time value of money. |
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Logic |
Solve practical problems |
This could be as simple as understanding how two prescription drugs could counteract each other, or understanding the differences between a car accident occurring at ten miles per hour and 80 miles per hour. Knowledge effects decision making. |
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Abstraction |
The process of generalizing by reducing information, content, or concepts. |
This allows you to apply a principle like diffusion to traffic patterns for timing traffic lights. |
| Theatre, Communication, Music, and Art |
Communication |
Understand how to communicate effectively both verbally and physically. |
Creativity in communication involves understanding non-verbal communication, expressiveness, intonation, and body language. |
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Conceptual |
Mental ability to coordinate interests and activities and visualize to understand context --- from setting, or cinematography, to the structure. |
You will be learning how to make connections in your life and how to see things in context. For instance, how have you structured your Facebook page? What does it say about you? How will you be perceived based on what you have presented? |
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Creativity |
Express yourself using words, ideas, or materials to create art forms or new concepts. |
In work and life, you may find that you run into problems that require creative solutions. If you have been exposed to classes that have required you to think creatively (creative writing) or be creative (art, theatre, music), you will be more inclined to use your creativity to come up with a solution that is "outside the box." For example, in an art history course, you may come across a painting or a sculpture that you now think would be perfect in a marketing campaign in your career. If the art is contemporary, you may even be able to commission the artist to create a piece specifically for the marketing campaign. |
| Foreign Language and Global Studies |
Diversity |
Understanding multiculturalism, understanding demographics |
Workplaces are steadily becoming more diverse --- you will work with people who have a different cultural background than you. Learning how to be sensitive to differences as well as value them can help you connect with others and bridge communication gaps. (Your foreign language classes are a great opportunity to learn about a different culture --- the customs and traditions.) |
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Cultural |
Understanding shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices; an integrated pattern of knowledge. |
This allows you to appreciate differences of others while seeing how much we do have in common. |
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Communication |
International aspects of communicating outside your native language. Be able to find commonalities. |
The internet has made the world much smaller and small business owners can do business on every continent from their own home while understanding the international or multinational aspects of the world today. |
| Human Health and Behavior |
Analytical |
Develop research skills through locating and evaluating sources and understanding individual health and community health issues. |
Research skills apply to everything from understanding your BMI to your cholesterol. Being able to comprehend your own health helps you be proactive. If there is a medical issue, being able to research the condition and make an informed decision is important. By understanding your own health, you will see how your choices can impact the health of others. |
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Organization |
Creating structure and clear patterns or correct placement |
This can assist you in your organizational efforts at work or home. You may become aware of community issues and how they affect you and the people you care about. |
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Comprehension |
Understand the totality of health as a concept. |
This allows you to take a holistic approach to your health, seeing how mind, body, and spirit are all part of being a healthy individual. |
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Team/Group Dynamics |
Understanding social relationships and the process of interaction and influence through norms, roles, and behaviors. |
This is necessary in understanding public health issues from obesity to swine flu and understanding appropriate responses and actions. |
| Psychology |
Interpersonal |
Develop an understanding of why people do things and how different people work. What makes us tick? |
Helps you understand where people may be coming from and why they do what they do. This knowledge can help you take things less personally and become more compassionate. |
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Intrapersonal |
Develop an understanding of how the brain works; therefore, develop an understanding of how you work. |
This helps you learn more about who you are and why you do what you do. This helps you make better decisions and helps you to take better care of yourself. |
| Sociology |
Interpersonal |
Develop an understanding of group dynamics and how groups come together to form societies. |
Understanding social norms which are behavioral expectations in a group. Knowing the rules for what is considered appropriate or inappropriate behaviors. Working within social norms can lead to acceptance and a better understanding of any given circumstance. It also helps you understand where people may be coming from and why they do what they do. This knowledge can help you take things less personally and be a force for positive change. |
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Intrapersonal |
Understanding your own group roles. What parts of society do you belong to --- why? |
This helps you learn more about who you are and how you see your place in the world. This helps you make better decisions and see what an impact one person can have. |
