SPEC 39
Composing A Life: Finding Success and Balance in Life After Williams Winter 2019
No divisional credit
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

“Composing a Life:” Finding Success and Balance in Life After Williams Description: To be at Williams you have experience as a successful student, but how do you learn to be successful in life? How will you define success in both your personal life and in your career? How will you achieve balance between the two? In short, what will constitute the “good life” for you? We borrow the concept of “composing a life” from Mary Catherine Bateson, as an apt metaphor for the ongoing process of defining success and balance in life. This course is designed: (1) To offer students an opportunity for self-reflection, as well as to examine and define their beliefs, values, and assumptions about their future personal and professional lives; (2) To encourage students to gain a better understanding of how culture, ideology, and opportunity affect their life choices; (3) To provide an opportunity for students to consider different models of success and balance through “living cases” (in the form of guests from various professions and lifestyles); and (4) To aid students in contemplating their own life/career options through individual advising and introducing various career and life planning resources. Using selected readings, cases, and guest speakers, we will explore both the public context of the workplace as well as the private context of individuals and their personal relationships in determining life choices. Weekly assignments include cases and readings from a variety of related fields, and some self-reflection exercises. Adjunct Instructor Bio: Geraldine Shen ’01 is a former management consultant, development officer, curriculum coordinator, and admissions officer who currently leads a community non-profit organization in Williamstown. Adjunct Co-Instructor Bio: Joe Bergeron ’01 is a technology consultant, entrepreneur, and software developer.
The Class: Format: mornings
Limit: 15
Grading: pass/fail only
Requirements/Evaluation: regular attendance, class participation, field interview, and a 10-page final paper
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: preference to juniors and seniors
Materials/Lab Fee: none
Distributions: No divisional credit

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