What is your big question?

You know your Harry Potter house and your inner Disney Princess. But...

What's your big question?

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Big question Courses At UMD

Beginning in Fall 2024, the I-Series courses will officially be rebranded as “Big Question” courses. The name Big Question will do a better job of communicating the thread that is shared among this suite of courses: complex questions for which there are not simple, singular answers. Any courses previously taken as I-Series courses will count toward the Big Question requirement. Only the name is changing. (Even the course code is still SCIS.) Don’t panic! Instead, let's have some fun and consider what course will answer the question burning inside you ...

Begin

Which minor would you be most likely to consider?

digital storytelling and poetics

statistics

construction project management

Your homework style is....

reading in a hammock on McKeldin mall

reserve an ESJ huddle room for my study group

last-minute cram session fueled by Insomnia cookies

You would most enjoy debating with...

Supreme Court justices

a social media influencer

an AI expert

What's your academic super power?

can write a 10-page essay in my sleep

aesthetic note-taking

photographic memory

Pick a class project:

create a chair from cardboard (no glue allowed)

hold a mock United Nations summit

create an imaginary planetary system

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The Science and Fiction of Planetary Systems

ASTR230

Have you ever wondered if humans will ever terraform Mars or Europa so we could live there without a spacesuit? Have you ever suspected novelists and scriptwriters of creating ridiculous planets that violate scientific laws? Does the fate of our planet's thin biosphere keep you up at night? These are difficult questions, but the Science and Fiction of Planetary Systems will help you develop a deeper understanding of why planets are the way they are. Along the way, you'll see examples of mistakes made in classic science fiction movies, novels and short stories and get the chance to invent your own plausible planets!

Living the Good Life: Chinese Philosophy in the Modern World

SLLC286

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Confucius, Mencius, Zhuangzi and other Chinese thinkers who lived more than 2,000 years ago would argue that the contemporary Western emphasis on self-discovery (Find yourself) and self-acceptance has led you astray. See what they have to say and discuss what relevance it has for the modern world as you study how early Chinese thinkers wrestled with questions of existence, morality, and governance. You'll discuss ideas that are both historical and relevant to students' lives. What is "the Way"? How do we cultivate spontaneity? Is there a stable self? How can we be more alive? These are questions important for ancient kings but also for UMD students choosing a major.

Design in Practice

ARCH270

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How do designers envision better futures? You will discover answers to that question through active learning in this course. Design in Practice teaches design thinking for innovation and entrepreneurship. By the end of the semester, you will be able to collaborate in diverse teams to identify real world design challenges and apply design thinking to create solutions. While most students in this course do not plan a career in the design professions, this course will help you apply design thinking to become a change agent in your own life and career. Bonus: you might also make an amazing cardboard chair!

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