Ideas For Creating A College Course

[Forestluv]

I have the opportunity to design a "Freshman Seminar" college course for Fall 2018. The general aims of the course are to introduce students to academics/critical thinking as well as help them transition to college and develop a social network.

I'm a molecular geneticist by trade, yet I have wide leeway for course topic choice (yet, I wouldn't feel comfortable pull a "Timothy Leary"). . . I have strong interests in eastern philosophy, self actualization, different states of consciousness. Over the last year, I've become more aware of the limits of science and have often questioned how meaningful/significant/true some of the content I teach is.

I hope to get some ideas from the actualized.org community perspective. What do you think would be an interesting/meaningful/significant topic for freshman? I'd like to include space for developing awareness of our programming and challenging beliefs. I'm thinking of something like "Science, philosophy and truth" - where we discuss methods and paths to discover truth. How the perspectives are different and the limits of various methods. I could cover the scientific method, existential philosophy, meditation, nondualism/dualism and psychedelics. I could include videos, TedTalks, Leo :), and guest speakers. I think this could allow creativity in areas I have interest.

What do you think? Other ideas?

[d0ornokey]

show them leo's video where he takes a trip to the middle of the sun 

sorry had to 

[Joseph Maynor]

You could teach them a lot of Life Purpose principles.  Get them oriented to find their authentic-self and get their majors aligned with their Life Purpose and chosen career field.  You should do Leo's Life Purpose Course yourself just for the hell of it.  It's only $250.  You'll love it and it will make you a much better educator.  You're gonna learn a lot about yourself that you still don't even know yet.  I'm going through the course myself now.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Spiral]

I would be careful talking about psychedelics, at least early on.