General Studies 199: The University Community

Welcome to the University of Washington!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to your very first fall quarter here at the University of Washington! My name is Andy, and I'm your FIG teacher! I'm still trying to set things up on this page, but I'll make sure to send an announcement and email when something major happens in our class.

I'm a 5th year whose finishing up degrees in chemistry and microbiology, but my focus in both center around environmental ecology. I'm interested in the impacts our environment have on our microbiome, and especially how it affects the way people age. I'll send out google forms to figure out what topics in ecology you would all be interested in, and try to make sure we have some kind of tie-in with ecological issues each week.

This is my third year being a FIG teacher (which means I'm a bit of a dinosaur compared to other FIG teachers), and I am extremely happy that you chose to join us. Each FIG has a clustering of classes that correspond with an interest, and this was actually the theme for my FIG when I was a first-year student in 2016.

Environmental science at UW is actually one of the coolest programs around (in my opinion) because we were some of the first people to discover a lot of the fundamental concepts you'll be learning about in ecology, the life sciences, or even chemistry. I won't spoil that information here, but stay tuned to learn some really cool history about UW.

Majors Guide (You all have some great questions, so here's my write-up of majors, minors, and other UW Academics):

UW Majors pt. 1 Links to an external site.

UW Majors pt. 2 Links to an external site.

UW Majors pt. 3 Links to an external site.

Fourth and Final One-on-One Sign up: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18Xhxw_sXMydcCcGINW7bVo0srA_5gs_idxZK7TNSZpI/edit?usp=sharing Links to an external site.

Third One-on-One Sign up: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-wmnxE508dFtk2tPv-J0a2R5hW0C_QS2SBkd0TAnRHk/edit?usp=sharing Links to an external site.

Projects - Check this spreadsheet out, if you want an email; if you want deadlines, check the spreadsheet, and please email me too so I can set up your deadlines! Links to an external site.

CoRe pt. 1 -https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1398382/quizzes/1312100

CoRe pt. 2 - https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1398382/quizzes/1312102

CoRe pt. 3 - https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1398382/quizzes/1312097

Mapping pt. 1 - https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1398382/quizzes/1312106

Mapping pt. 2 - https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1398382/assignments/5724179

Projecting Forward - https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1398382/assignments/5724180

My Contact Information:

If you ever need to contact me, texting my cell phone is going to be the easiest way for me to get back to you. If you have anything you want to ask over email, please send it to my email found here. I do check my school email, but my personal email is something I check more often.

• Andy R. Chia
• chiabacon@gmail.com
• (425) 246-2976
  
• Personal Zoom Link Links to an external site. (which isn't our classroom link!)

Resources and Handouts

Choosing a major: https://blog.collegeboard.org/the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-a-major Links to an external site.

Professional Development (Internships/Jobs/Resumes)

A Few Thoughts on Research and Jobs

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/how-to-write-a-resume (I use this webpage for my own resumes) Links to an external site.

https://careers.uw.edu/ (The UW's own internship database)

My Lab Space

Academics

General Academic Tips

Registration Tutorials

Researching Quickly

Free and Reduced Textbooks

Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning

UW Academics Guide Links to an external site.

Leisure and Campus

Navigating Campus

The Ave and Food Recommendations

Husky Dining and Utilities Accounts - "Dawg Bucks"

https://www.washington.edu/studyabroad/ Links to an external site.

UW Resources Master List Links to an external site.

Extra Sessions:

These are completely optional, but will take place on Thursdays at 5 PM. Each week we will be going over something supplemental to our lectures, or something that I think is worth your time.

Here are the topics:

My Teaching Philosophy

I think that the FIG program is about making connections. I try to make this class as beneficial as I can for you, so I'm always open to your feedback and suggestions about what you do and don't like. I personally believe that you all have the talent and motivation to do great things, and I'm here to help you figure out what it is you want to do with your lives.

If you're more curious about the "complete" version of my teaching philosophy, please feel free to go to this page.

Fast Facts About Me:

- I've changed my major 5 times now (I originally wanted to do film)

- I've ate at every restaurant on the Ave (as of 2018, things have changed since)

- I research ways to extend human lifespans

Course Expectations & Canvas:

The course is designed to help you find out more about the UW. As such, there are projects that we will do throughout the quarter. These are designed to be pass/fail, and all I ask is that you submit your reflections (in whatever form you choose) before Monday, November 30.

In this space, please be your authentic selves. I think a classroom should be a space where we can have open and honest conversations about who we are, but also a space where we should be respectful of ourselves and others. Our class expectations are outlined in this document as a reminder.

Academic Support Programs Success Coaches:

We're very fortunate to have academic success coaches working with our class this year. Even though we will talk to each other in our one-on-ones and I'm more than happy to meet with you to talk about academics, Kassie will be another person that you can reach out to talk about anything: exams, study habits, or even what classes to take.

You name it, and she'll be a great person to contact throughout this quarter. You can find her contact information here. Links to an external site. Please don't hesitate to talk with her whenever you feel like you want another person's opinion!