One of the most popular required activities 
in Freshman Seminar is the Group Interaction Course. Students 
report that it is a 
powerful experience.  They tell us that its impact reaches far beyond the 
group 
challenges, class fun, and individual self-discovery that occurs during the 
activity.  It 
raises them to a new level of understanding about what college means. All of 
this 
happens outside the classroom, away from campus, in the quiet beauty of 
the University 
Woods. The GIC becomes a metaphor for building community, valuing 
difference, 
seeking instruction, planning, dealing with criticism and failure, 
focusing attention, 
managing time, and many other things related to college success.  Because it 
has proven 
to be such a valuable student experience, we have agreed that all classes 
will participate 
in the GIC early in the semester, preferably in September.  
<br><br>
We'll do some activities
that require some problem solving ability and have some connections to physics
too.