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About Connections

Connections is a course specifically designed to ease your transition to Utah State and to prepare you for your exciting collegiate experience. This unique course focuses on developing critical college study skills, time-management techniques, and test-taking strategies, as well as promoting an awareness of the campus community. Most importantly, Connections allows you to develop a support network of classmates, faculty, and staff to help ensure a successful beginning to your academic experience.

Course Format

Connections classes have 20-25 participants per class. A small portion of class time will be spent listening to a formal lecture, while a large portion will be spent involving class members in sharing, reflecting, asking questions, and developing learning strategies for the semester ahead. In addition, classes and workshops will be held in many different areas of campus, so you will learn to navigate the campus easily. Pre-semester sessions will be held the week before the start of the semester, and three one-hour sessions will be held after the semester begins. The three semester sessions are designed to provide additional support during your transition to the University envrionment, including crucial information necessary to your academic success. They provide a good chance to ask more questions, seek resources, and re-evaluate your study strategies for the semester.

Connections 2008 Syllabus

Check-in

Be sure you already registered for the course on Banner. Check in starts the day before Connections week starts and you will receive essential materials for the course.

Class Attendance

Do I really need to attend class? YES! Much of the learning that occurs in Connections is a result of participation in class discussions and activities. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recreate a missed class session or workshop.

Assignments

To complete the course with an acceptable grade you will be required to fulfill certain assignments. Some assignments require writing, following personal observation and research of topics. Other assignments require you to create checklists of the facts and concepts discussed in class or workshops. All assignments are graded and designed to help you apply information during the semester. Students should be aware that Connections is an academic course and carries the same GPA weight as two credits in a university math or science course. Be prepared to give the Connections assignments your best effort.

Common Literature Assignment

Connections students join in a common literature experience and study/journal assignment. Students will read the book and bring the completed assignment to the first class. Be a part of the experience and nominate a book for the literature experience!

Evening and Sunday Activities

There are fun and exciting evening events planned during Connections week including the "Taste of Logan" (Click here for a map).

Connections 2008 Schedule