PHYS 1000 — Designing Your Next Step + Preparing Your Final Grade Proposal (Week 14)

Designing Your Next Step + Preparing Your Final Grade Proposal

This is our last class meeting! Today you’ll bring together everything you’ve done this semester so that you leave with:

  • A clear sense of your developing identity as a physics/astronomy/engineering learner
  • A concrete next step in your academic journey
  • Insight into the range of interests and goals across your cohort
  • The foundation for your Final Grade Proposal, which you’ll present or submit during finals week

This class is designed to help you synthesize your learning and prepare for the final assignment in a thoughtful, meaningful way.

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🗣️ Check-In

What is one thing about yourself as a physics / astronomy / engineering learner that became clearer this semester?

How this connects to our goals: This reflection helps you begin articulating the growth you’ll describe in your grade proposal.

Highlights from the Week

You have the option to post anonymously in D2L, if you choose.

Part 1 — Your Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Path Card 🎴

Create a 1-page “Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Path Card” that includes:

  • Your name
  • One Odyssey Plan highlight
  • One energizing discovery from your Energy Logs
  • One value from your Lifeview/Workview that feels important now
  • One concrete next step you plan to take before next semester

👉 This card will become one piece of evidence in your final grade proposal, showing how you’ve used course tools to reflect on and design your path.

Part 2 — Gallery Walk 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

Post your card on the wall in the room.
Walk around and read your classmates’ cards.
Leave one short note (sticky note) on each card you feel drawn to. Your note might be:

  • A connection you noticed
  • A suggestion
  • A resource or opportunity
  • A word of encouragement

This gives everyone a chance to see the variety of directions and ideas in the room.

✏️ Part 3 — Designing Your Real Next Step

You’ve explored your energy patterns, imagined multiple futures, clarified your values, and learned decision-making tools. Now it’s time to turn all of that into one real, concrete next step you will take after this course ends.

This is not about committing to a major life change.

It’s about choosing one small, meaningful action that prototypes a direction you’re curious about.

🎯 Your task

Step 1: Identify an area you want to explore further

Choose one theme from the semester that still feels energizing or interesting to you:

  • A topic you heard in seminar
  • A possible career path from an Odyssey Plan
  • A value from your Lifeview/Workview
  • A course, research area, or student org you’re curious about
  • Something you don’t know enough about yet

This can be big (“astrophysics”) or small (“how do students get into research labs?”).

Step 2: Choose ONE concrete next step

Pick an action you can complete before next semester. Examples:

  • Email a professor with one question
  • Visit a lab during open hours
  • Ask someone in the department about a research group
  • Attend Women in Physics or SPS once
  • Go to the observatory on Friday night
  • Watch a recorded seminar from the department website
  • Shadow an upper-level student in a physics course
  • Explore a summer program website (REUs, internships)
  • Attend The Minute and ask a question
  • Visit the physics advising website and map out potential schedules
  • Read one short article on a topic that sparked your curiosity

The step should be small enough to complete — but meaningful enough to teach you something.

Step 3: Explain why you chose this step

Write 3–5 sentences about:

  • How this step connects to your energy log patterns
  • How it fits with one of your Odyssey Plans
  • Which value(s) it aligns with
  • What you hope this action will teach you

This helps you justify your decision and later support your grade proposal.

Step 4: Consider what you need to complete the step

Think about:

  • Information you’re missing
  • People you might reach out to
  • Deadlines
  • Time needed
  • Any obstacles you can identify now

This builds the habit of planning before acting.

Step 5: Commit to a timeline

Write:

  • When you will take the action
  • How you will know you completed it
  • What your follow-up step might be

Even a simple commitment like “I will email Dr. ___ by Monday” has power.

Why this matters

This is your final prototype of the semester — a way to put design thinking into practice in real life.

And it becomes direct evidence for your Final Grade Proposal.

🚪 Exit Ticket

Before you leave today, go to the D2L discussion thread and post:

What is one insight you gained from seeing your classmates’ cards?

What is one thing you’re genuinely proud of from this semester?

These final reflections support the evidence and narrative you will include in your grade proposal.

🎯 How This Week Connects to Our Learning Goals

This final module helps you:

  • Discover yourself by synthesizing your learning
  • Explore careers and academic paths by seeing the variety of directions and interests among your peers
  • Design your path by identifying your next step and preparing your grade proposal
  • Reflect meaningfully on your growth as a physics student