First-Year Experience:

Life Design Application

Lizz Giordano
First-Year Experience

› Designed to help first-year students

transition from high school to college
› Faculty and staff develop an
intentional and holistic experience for
first-year students through a
collection of programs integrated
from across campus.

New Student and First-Year Experience (n.d.)

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What is Life Design?

› A way to problem solve

› Explore possibilities of what could be
› Create desired outcomes that benefit
the end user

Burnett & Evans (2016) 3

First-Year Experience Course
› Transition course most likely taught by Student
Affairs Professional
› Topics typically include:
› Campus Resources
› Time Management
› Note Taking/Study Tips
› Strengths
› Social Justice
› Academic Advising
› Career and Major Exploration
› Financial Literacy, etc.
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Life Design + First-Year Experience
› Goal Setting
› Strengths (VIA Character Strengths)
› Values & Knowing your Why
› Holistic Wellness
› Identifying your Purpose & Meaningful Work
› Major & Career Exploration
› Plan the rest of your first year
› “How to Succeed at the G!” Presentations

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Coaching
› Meet with Instructor or Peer Mentor
biweekly or monthly
› Discuss progress in classes and talk
about each activity set

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Reflections

› Critical Reflection Journals (7 per

semester)
› Utilize Life Design Activities

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Activity #1: Knowing Self & Your Story

› Complete the Kick-Starter Questions

› Complete the My Story Activity
› Write a short reflection (1-2 pages) on
who you are, what did you do in high
school, what are you hoping to get
out of the course and college
(Introduction to Instructor and Peer
Mentor)

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Activity #2: Holistic Wellness

› Complete the Health/Work/Play/Love

Dashboard
› Complete the Good Time Journal (7
days)
› Write a short reflection (1 page) on
how the activities made you feel

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Activity #3: Strengths & Meaningful Work

› Complete the VIA Character Strengths

› Complete the Meaningful Work and
Values Worksheet
› Write a short reflection (1 page) on how
the assessment and meaningful work
activity helps you define values

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Activity #4: Career & Major Exploration

› Complete the Strong Interest Inventory

or Focus2 Assessment
› Write a reflection about your workview
and lifeview
› Create a Mind Map based on the majors
and careers that resulted from your SII
or Focus2 Assessment
› If exploratory major: meet with
Academic Advisor to declare major (if
applicable at this time)
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Activity #5: 4-year Plan & Goal Setting

› Complete the Odyssey Plan Activity

› Complete the Prototyping Activity
› Interview a professional in your 1st
Odyssey Plan Career
› Write a short reflection (1 page) on if the
career you’ve chosen is still the best
option

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Activity #6: Purpose, Reframing, and
Building your Team

› Complete the Reframing Failure Activity

› Complete the Board of Advisors Activity
› Write a short reflection (1 page) on how
you will use your advisors to be
successful in college and beyond and
how they may change in the future

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Final Project: Your Life Designed

› Utilize all activities, campus resources,

and class instruction to design your life
plan
› Answer: what will you do, how did the
assignments help you figure that out,
how do you think these things may
change in the future, how does it relate
to the SPARCK Model

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Why Life Design in FYE?
› Help students early on in designing their
life
› Can help retain students
› Can help students declare a major
sooner
› Students will use on campus resources
earlier and more frequently

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Steps needed to Implement this
into FYE Course?
› Propose the activities and life design
coaching to FYE office
› Pilot with one or two FYE Courses to
assess and evaluate effectiveness

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Training needed
› Have all FYE Instructors complete the
Life Design Training before teaching the
course

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Offices to Include in Course
› Academic Advising/Exploratory Advising
› Career Development
› Leadership Coaching
› First-Year Experience

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References
Burnett, B., & Evans, D. (2016). Designing your life: How to build a well-lived,
joyful life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Johnson, W. H., & Delph, M. (2017). 8th Life Design Catalyst Coach Training
Program. Unpublished training manual from the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro.

New Student and First-Year Experience (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://newstudents.uncg.edu/fye/

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