Cross-listed with PSYCH 2311.

College students face the challenge of how to craft meaningful lives for themselves. This course provides them with a combination of knowledge, tools, inspiration, and space for reflection. This course exposes students to the ways in which the most essential topics of their everyday lives (i.e. happiness, intimacy, money, despair) have long been taken up by scientists and artists alike. The Monday lectures will focus on the “science” of these topics and the Wednesday lectures will approach those same topics through four artistic disciplines (literature, music, art, and theatre). In smaller Friday break-out sections, students will engage in a series of activities that complement what they have been learning in the classroom: from meditation to drawing, from drumming to silent reading. All course materials can be found on Canvas; students do not have to purchase any books. Attendance and in-class participation are essential. Out-of-class preparation will be minimal. Assessments include weekly “mastery quizzes” (completed at your own pace) and multiple, short reflection papers. This course is co-taught with Dr. Laura King from Psychological Sciences.