Influence and Me year 2 (Bachelor year 2)

Description

This course focuses on your personal and professional development.

We all deal with expectations, about ourselves, about others, and about the society and world we live in. There is a strong tendency to aim for perfection. Who do we blame when life does not seem perfect, when something unexpected happens, when you don’t feel fulfilled and content, or when things don’t work out in spite of your best efforts? Many of us believe that the pursuit of success and happiness is an individual responsibility. But who defines success and happiness? And what do they mean to you?

In the courses on Influence & Me, you will focus on yourself and the voices that surround you. You will reflect on the factors that influence you and explore what kind of an impact you would like to have, on yourself and the world around you.

We focus on questions such as: who are you when nobody is watching? What story do you tell yourself about yourself? Is that story true? What beliefs do you hold? What the consequences of holding those beliefs? How do you distinguish your own inner voice from all of the other voices surrounding you? How do you remain true to yourself and choose your own path?

The topics for year 2 include: what are the factors that have shaped you and influence how you view the world; what is it like to walk in someone else’s shoes; and what are some of the helpful and not-so-helpful thoughts and beliefs that are part of your self-image?

The topics for year 3 include: dealing with setbacks, identifying what you have control over and what not; what are your central values, and how do you stay in touch with them; and based on everything you have learned in this course, how would you like to contribute to our society and world, what is the next step in your own development, what is the next step on your path…?

This course will employ different teaching methods than you are used to in (most) regular BA courses. We will not dive into theory; instead, we will use an experiential approach. We invite you to explore – with curiosity – your thoughts, feelings and experiences so that you can be more in charge in shaping your own path in life. A key element will be peer to peer interaction. Together we will explore, reflect and learn about ourselves, maybe even step out of our comfort zone, and document our findings. We will create a safe environment for this process to take place.

Course objectives

Through the Influence and Me courses (year 2+3) students are able to:

• identify the various sources of influence in their lives, understand the nature of their impact and how this impact varies from person to person;

• interactively explore, learn, reflect, give feedback, and provide support to each other in a peer groep;

• reflect on personal qualities, challenges, drives, beliefs, expectations, setbacks and set personal goals accordingly;

• understand how these insights can help them to live a more meaningful, empowered, and resilient life.

Course material

The course covers a variety of materials, which will be announced during the course.

Mode of instruction

Each year, students are expected to invest approximately 28 hours for this course by:

• Attending three sessions (participation is mandatory) – 6 hours

• Working on the preparatory assignments – 11 hours

• Working on the reflective assignments – 11 hours

Assessment methods

Student pass the Influence and Me year 2+3 courses when they have attended the three sessions and completed the preparatory and reflective assignments. We expect from all students that they attend all sessions and participate actively during the sessions.

Language

We will speak English during the meetings. The preparatory and reflective assignments can be submitted in English or Dutch.

Timetable

Students can register for group A&B (on Mondays) or C&D (on Wednesdays).

Admission requirements

Students of the Honours College FSW programme, Science, Society and Self, who are in their second year of their BA programme must take this course.

Registration

You do not need to register for this course. You will be enrolled by the Honours College FSW.

Contact information

If you have any questions, please contact the course coordinators: Simone Keijsers, Eva van der Meer and Dorothée Out (iam@fsw.leidenuniv.nl).