We all feel it? the siren call of screens; the fracturing of our attentions, the intrusion of Big Tech into what once were the innermost sanctums of the human experience. Our attention has been transformed into a monetized asset in what some scholars call our age of ?surveillance capitalism.? The more human behavioral data these companies collect, the savvier they become at designing devices and algorithms that capture and train our attention. In this course, we?ll consider how the ?attention crisis? impacts our democracy, our minds, our capacity to think, and our connections to each other.

This course will explore the intersections of movement and sleep neuroscience, self-care, and academic performance. Through varied approaches, students will engage with material on both individual and collective levels, fostering interpersonal connections and promoting self-care practices. By integrating theory with practical application, students will gain insights into brain health while developing essential skills for success in college and beyond.

Having a plan helps you achieve more and stress less. Learn how neuroscience can inform goal-setting and time-management strategies to help you create an effective first-year plan focusing on balance, productivity, and well-being.

Images abound. They fill our social media feeds, they are staged to convey our aspirations for ourselves, and they increasingly hold powerful sway over our cultural discourses. Critic Sean O'Hagan has called photography ?the medium of our time, not just defining our globally connected digital image culture, but propelling it.? In this class, we will practice Dr.

The primary goals of this course are to introduce First Year Students to the ideas behind some of the neuroscience and psychological ideas surrounding why we think the things we think. I hope to broaden your perspective regarding how to interpret our thoughts. Just because we think something doesn?t make it true. There are evolutionary reasons for some thoughts we have and also there are life experiences that shape our thoughts, and in both cases, it is possible to understand WHY we think the way we do and the CHANGE the way that we think.

This course, How Learning Happens, provides an in-depth exploration of the habits and practices that will make you a successful college student. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, readings, and practical activities, students will engage with the educational psychology underlying those habits and practices including how to get the most out of lectures, how to read hard texts, how to prepare for a test, and how to manage academic anxiety. The course aims to equip students with the executive function skills that are essential for any field of study.

In this class, we will learn about LGBTQIA+ issues as they relate to children and young adults at school - from preschool to college. This is a broad topic, but we will narrow it down based on your interests as we move through the semester. We will also share "college tips" to help you successfully navigate your first year at UMass.

The sciences are defined by those who push past the bounds of human knowledge and break down the thought barriers of their time. This seminar will explore the stories of women scientists who changed the world and will celebrate their inspiring discoveries which upended our understanding of the cosmos, the planet and ourselves. These pioneers paved the way for future generations of women scientists and explorers. By learning about their lives, we seek to understand the cultural attitudes, historical forces and social realities that made science what it is today and what it will be tomorrow.

Pompeii has been the testing ground for archaeological methods since the first excavations in 1748. Naturally, the introduction of the personal computer at the end of last century and the internet revolution at the beginning of this century have had a profound impact on how we do archaeology at Pompeii and how we understand what we find there. This class is a virtual field trip; it addresses recent technological advances and introduces students to the field of archaeology, cutting edge digital research techniques, and the ancient city of Pompeii itself.

Through readings and short films, we'll learn about the gladiatorial combats and animal fights staged for large audiences in amphitheaters of the Roman Empire. We'll consider the Romans' perspective on violent entertainment along with modern parallels. Weekly reading or viewing response notes will guide weekly small group and full class discussion. Since this is a First-Year Seminar, we will also discuss strategies to support academic success, allow time for talking about our own experiences, and familiarize ourselves with campus resources.