Freshmen Seminar 2025: Explore Your Library, Borrow a Book
Eudora
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10-2Mia: To kick off our Freshmen Seminar, we're diving into a crucial resource for your academic journey: the university library. To ensure you can make the most of it right from the start, Eudora has designed a mandatory pre-class task. This involves visiting the library, getting acquainted with its spaces, and importantly, successfully borrowing a book using the self-service system.
Mars: This is a brilliant way to demystify the library for new students. By requiring them to actively engage with the self-service borrowing system, it tackles potential intimidation head-on and builds immediate confidence.
Mia: So, this isn't just about borrowing a book, is it? What's the real so what behind this practical task?
Mars: Exactly. The real takeaway is about proactive engagement. By completing this task, students are forced to confront their potential anxieties about navigating a large institution, understand the tangible steps involved in accessing information, and begin to see the library not just as a building, but as an active partner in their education. It’s about building academic self-sufficiency from day one.
Mia: Absolutely. It’s about building that initial confidence and familiarity. So, for everyone listening, remember to head to the library, borrow that book, and prepare to share your experience in our next session. Now, let's talk about how you'll actually document this experience...
Mia: After your library visit, you'll need to document your experience. This involves writing a reflection of about 300-400 words, starting with the mandatory sentence, I went to the library for the first time on.... Your reflection needs to cover what you saw, thought, and felt, and importantly, outline your 4-year plan for using the library. You also need to provide the title, author, and your reason for choosing the book you borrowed.
Mars: The inclusion of the 4-year plan is particularly insightful. It pushes students beyond a one-off task and encourages them to think strategically about how they'll integrate library resources into their entire university career, from research papers to personal development. It’s the difference between saying I went to the gym once and Here's my workout plan for the next four years.
Mia: That makes sense. It forces a long-term perspective. And to add a visual element to your submission, you're required to include one clear photo. This could be the cover of your borrowed book, its call number, an interesting page, or a photo of the library area where you found it.
Mars: This photo requirement adds a great personal touch. It makes the submission more engaging and provides a quick visual anchor for the shared experience later in class. It turns an abstract report into a concrete story.
Mia: Right, a little piece of evidence. Finally, in our next seminar session, you'll work in groups to share your library visit experiences. You’ll discuss key points from your reflection, how you felt about the self-service borrowing system, any interesting things you discovered, and your plans for future library use.
Mars: This group sharing is where the real collective learning happens. Hearing diverse experiences and plans can spark new ideas and strategies for library utilization that individual students might not have considered on their own. Someone might have found a quiet study nook, another might have discovered the inter-library loan system. It creates a shared pool of knowledge.
Mia: A perfect way to wrap up the whole experience. So, to quickly recap the main points for everyone…
Mars: Of course. First, a mandatory library visit and book borrowing using the self-service system is required before the next seminar. Second, you need to submit a structured reflection of about 300-400 words that covers your observations, feelings, and most importantly, a 4-year plan for using the library. Third, don't forget to include one clear photo as visual evidence. And finally, be prepared to share your journey in a short group discussion during our next class.