CSE 190B Direct-Admit Seminar

Introduction

September 30, 2024

Row C: 12-25

Row B: 11-24

Row E: 1-12

Row D: 1-12

Row C: 1-4 (if D/E Full)

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Row G: 1-14

Row F: 1-14

Row J: 1-14

Row H: 1-14

Row L: 1-14

Row K: 1-14

Row N: 1-14

Row M: 1-14

Row Q: 2-17

Row P: 2-16

Podium

• Do not use row A
• For mini-groups, rows B, D, F, H, K , M, and P turn around

Row E: 14-27

Row D: 13-26

Row G: 16-29

Row F: 15-28

Row J: 18-31

Row H: 17-30

Row L: 20-33

Row K: 19-32

Row N: 22-35

Row M: 21-34

Row Q: 19-32

Row P: 22-36

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Group 8

Group 9

Group 10

Group 11

Group 12

Group 13

Week 1

Hi!

• Welcome: College! UW! Allen School! This seminar!
• Don’t get used to slides or sitting passively!
• No presentation > 10 minutes [including this one]
• I’m Dan Grossman (he/him), faculty here since 2003, but:
• This seminar is a huge team effort: advisors, TAs, special guests
• I wrongly believe I was a freshman not long ago :-)

You are...

• Brand-new to everything here!
• From all over Washington, U.S., Earth
• Each with unique background, personality, goals, fears, …
• Each capable of wild success as you define it

We took all that and more into account in designing this seminar!

Not every minute of 190B will resonate with you, but everyone can learn something important every day toward success in the Allen School and beyond

Our crazy idea

• 8 learning objectives to help you thrive
• 10 9 Mondays
• Every objective, every day: 80 lightning activities
• Nothing that isn’t toward an objective
• So if you’re bored, wait 10 minutes! And can’t just sit there

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Learning Objectives

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Get used to seeing these… will guide everything we do!

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(The order doesn’t matter and will vary week to week)

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Academic Success

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Improve academic skills and adapt study habits, academic integrity, and broader academic engagement to college and the Allen School

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Career Preparation

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Broaden knowledge of career paths for Allen School students and develop skills and resources toward pursuing them

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Personal Growth & Well Being

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Identify key self-care needs related to mental health, confidence, time management, communication, and happiness in college

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Inclusive Behavior and Responsibility

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Learn best practices for working in diverse and inclusive teams as well as how technological innovation can be a tool for or against existing biases and marginalization

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Community Building

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Feel socially connected to other Allen School students and an empowered member of the broader Allen School community

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Extracurricular Opportunities

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Identify co-curricular and extracurricular activities of interest to complement academic pursuits

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Knowledge Building

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Learn some of the jargon and pragmatics of “life in CSE” that can seem obscure or off-putting to newcomers

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Impact

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Learn some of the many, even surprising, ways that computing, including research in the Allen School, can positively impact humans and society while being mindful that technology can also have negative impact

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Also based on your future :)

• Allen School is a multiyear experience as you grow and learn
• DA Seminar complements (“with an e”) your road ahead
• That means:
• Less “career prep” than you want right now: There is lots to come!
• More “well-being” than you want right now: For when challenges arise
• What matters is how you feel about this seminar when you graduate (!)

The ⅓ rule

• We’re going to do 75-80 things
• If ⅓ of them are useful to you:
• I think this class was a huge success for you
• I hope you will agree
• Which ⅓ will likely be different from the person next to you
• That’s a feature not a bug
• That and other things makes this class very unusual
• I encourage embracing this
• Pick 1-2 things each class to learn more about later
• Be open-minded about the things that don’t seem to resonate as they might help you a year from now

Logistics

Web page -- look through it please (grading policy, etc.)

• Will post materials we have but they won’t substitute for participation

Discussion Board

Sit with your TA-led groups [required]

• And engage with TAs/groups in discussions and optional activities

Getting credit

Course is CR/NC, better known as “pass/fail.” It’s about participation!

• Expected:
• Participate in all weeks
• Complete a few very small activities to be announced outside of class
• To pass:
• Participate in at least 7 weeks [this is generous]
• Participate in any short homework for those weeks
• Note: Participate > Attend
• I don’t have a feasible way to “make up” more absences
• CR for less participation isn’t fair to others
• NC is the backup option
• Do not miss unless you really need to

And here we go...

Community Building: Feel socially connected to other Allen School students and an empowered member of the broader Allen School community.

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An actual ice-breaker :-)

Community Building: Intro and Ice Breaker

1. Split into sub-groups of about 5-6 people (3 people in front row, 3 in back)
2. Fill out your nametags
3. Introduce yourselves! (Name, pronouns, high school you went to)
4. Say every minigroup member’s name out loud
5. Make sure a TA says your name too

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Row C: 12-25

Row B: 11-24

Row E: 1-12

Row D: 1-12

Row C: 1-4 (if D/E Full)

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Row G: 1-14

Row F: 1-14

Row J: 1-14

Row H: 1-14

Row L: 1-14

Row K: 1-14

Row N: 1-14

Row M: 1-14

Row Q: 2-17

Row P: 2-16

Podium

• Do not use row A
• For mini-groups, rows B, D, F, H, K , M, and P turn around

Row E: 14-27

Row D: 13-26

Row G: 16-29

Row F: 15-28

Row J: 18-31

Row H: 17-30

Row L: 20-33

Row K: 19-32

Row N: 22-35

Row M: 21-34

Row Q: 19-32

Row P: 22-36

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Group 8

Group 9

Group 10

Group 11

Group 12

Group 13

Week 1

Personal Growth & Well Being: Identify key self-care needs related to mental health, confidence, time management, communication, and happiness in college.

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See the handout for the prompts!

Writing isn’t as fun as chatting with neighbors, but it’s powerful so we will do some of it. :)

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You will not turn this handout in – it is for your benefit!

Academic Success: Improve academic skills and adapt study habits, academic integrity, and broader academic engagement to college and the Allen School.

Inclusive Behavior and Responsibility: Learn best practices for working in diverse and inclusive teams as well as how technological innovation can be a tool for or against existing biases and marginalization.

One handout per minigroup (about 6 students)

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Turn it in so we can combine with others and post for the whole class

Career Preparation: Broaden knowledge of career paths for Allen School students and develop skills and resources toward pursuing them.

Impact: Learn some of the many, even surprising, ways that computing, including research in the Allen School, can positively impact humans and society while being mindful that technology can also have negative impact.

Create four lists with 2-5 items (ok to disagree, just hear each other):

1. Technology that didn’t exist 5-10 years ago that has made lives/society better
2. Technology that didn’t exist 5-10 years ago that has made lives/society worse
3. Technology that might succeed in the next 5-10 years that would make lives/society better
4. Technology that might succeed in the next 5-10 years that would make lives/society worse

Extracurricular Opportunities: Identify co-curricular and extracurricular activities of interest to complement academic pursuits.

Knowledge Building: Learn some of the jargon and pragmatics of “life in CSE” that can seem obscure or off-putting to newcomers.

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DKDK: Don’t Know what you Don’t Know

Voting is open until Wednesday!!

Scan with your phone to access the form, or click the link on the edstem post

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