Course Overview
It’s certain: you are going to get admitted to college, your family will want you to do well in college, and when you get there, you are going to experience a whole bunch of new things you may not have expected.
Why not approach the experience armed with a toolbox so that you will be confident, assured, calm in the face of uncertainty, and ultimately, self-reliant? Though there are many challenges of a new experience (and let’s admit, there really is no other experience like the college experience!) a lot of times, facing challenges is mental. This course offers you a one-week retreat at beautiful Syracuse University, with time to read, think, imagine, explore beautiful places on campus, and ultimately, to prepare your mind in several ways for the exciting new experience of college using strategies related to mindfulness. (Heck, these skills will likely also trickle into your final years of high school!)
This course will involve exploring meaningful stories and research about college students and stress, lifestyle issues in college, post-pandemic issues for college students, mindful study habits, time management, health and illness, sensory input, working with the nervous system, mindful communication with professors and peers, and most importantly, practices that can be used in college to
keep the mind steady. The best part of this course will be putting your tools to work: spending time practicing mindful habits, trying them on, and developing self-efficacy traits. The main takeaway for you will be self-efficacy: you will leave the course empowered, and likely, braver and wiser than before…and more prepared than most other new college students. -Students will be able to identify several current aspects of college life that create mental, emotional, and physical stress for college students using researched, credible sources.
All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University noncredit transcript.
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to identify specific ways that particular stressors affect a college student’s mind & body.
- Students will be able to recite, demonstrate, and lead others in practicing several mindful habits that improve nervous system functioning in the face of stress.
- Students will be able to match appropriate mindful strategies with stressful situations that call for mindfulness interventions.
- Students will experience calm, relaxation, reflection, and nurturing through the use of mindful methods.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: TBD
Format: On Campus (at Syracuse University)
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school sophomore, junior, or senior status – or a 2025 high school graduate.
Credit: Noncredit
Grading: Pass/Fail
Cost:
- Residential: $2,395
- Commuter: $1,908
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College – On Campus: Experience what college is really like: take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals with friends in a dining hall, and participate in activities and events on campus.
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College – On Campus | 1-Week Session II: Sunday, July 20 – Friday, July 25, 2025 | MTWThF; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Noncredit |
To see if this course is ‘open,’ refer to the full course catalog.
Course Requirements
Required Supplies
Please know that any supply purchases are not included in the overall tuition fee. Students will need to budget for additional course supplies, textbooks, supply kits, etc.
- A laptop for handing in homework or viewing texts is required for this course.
- A yoga mat or exercise mat for outdoor seating is encouraged.
- A notebook and pen, basic art supplies (sketchbook, colors) are also encouraged.
- Phone with the ability to record voice memos and video.
- Good walking shoes and a water bottle.
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
9:00 – 9:20 a.m. – Meditation and mindful practices, trying new habits.
9:20 – 9:35 a.m. – Reflection (group, verbal, or individual written/drawn)
9:35 – 10:15 a.m. – Discussion of readings, texts, stories, research and video resources viewed for homework
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. – Group exploration of spaces on campus, useful spaces for reflection, “normal” spaces that can be “turned into” mindful spaces, escape spaces, head-clearing spaces, and places to find resources
[Examples: art galleries or installations; meditation room; outdoor seating; hallways or private spaces in campus buildings; libraries; walkways, gardens, or paths; cafes; health center(s), exercise spaces, or resource offices; places to eat]
11:15 – 11:45 a.m. – Generating and brainstorming questions and co-creating new knowledge with our discoveries, feedback sessions
11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Closing meditations, relaxation methods, mindful practices. Students will have homework. Readings, texts, media, and written or creative reflection, storytelling, and sharing will be the focus of homework assignments. Light research using SU Library resources.
Afternoon sessions: Field trip to wellness-related spaces to learn about where students can go for self-care, inspiration, healing off campus in a campus community, learning to use public transportation, etc.
There will be an end event open to parents and other guests at the end of this course.
When class is over, and on weekends, students can look forward to various Summer College – On Campus activities to meet and connect with other students! Check out our On Campus Experience page for more information!
Faculty Bios
Emily Luther
The course is taught by long-time Syracuse University faculty member Emily Workman Luther, who teaches about mindful communication, diversity in professional spaces, and is an expert in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and youth wellness. In her spare time, Emily runs the youth meditation and yoga programming branch of a national non-profit based in Philadelphia. Emily has been teaching writing and English courses to diverse student populations for 20 years. Throughout her career, Emily has held a long-term commitment to developing educational opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds and economic status, including refugees, international students, part-time students, and first-generation college students. She is also a faculty visitor for Syracuse University Project Advance, a program that hosts SU classes on high school campuses nationwide. She has a background in studying literature and gender and has taught in several high schools in the USA.