By Sofia Montoya-Deck //
A new class, HOOD 400: Life After Hood, will be offered in spring 2025 to help senior students prepare for life after graduation.
The idea for HOOD 400 originated as a means of support for senior students completing their undergraduate studies. The spring 2025 offering is a test run for what will become a permanent course with the start of Hood’s new Heart, Mind & Hands curriculum in fall 2025.
“Hood has a strong commitment to seeing students get a solid career launch from college,” Dean of the Center for Career Development and Experiential Education Lisa Littlefield said.
The class will primarily be taught by Littlefield but will also feature guest speakers. Students will also be participating in career events both at Hood and in the Frederick community at large.
Littlefield has taught similar courses for senior students at other colleges and universities, but this will be her first time doing so at Hood.
“It’s really rewarding to see students gain their confidence, solidify their career goals and act on their plans,” she said. “I hope students will leave with skills to help them navigate career choices now and over time. I want them to know they have many options after graduation and that they can achieve great things with their Hood degree.”
Topics covered in the class will include job-searching, resume-building, graduate school applications, interviewing techniques and building a professional network. Additionally, the class will touch on financial budgeting, connecting with alumni and building an e-portfolio.
“Everyone knows senior year is a super busy time for students,” Littlefield said. “One of the goals for HOOD 400 is to offer time and structure for seniors to pursue success after graduation.”
HOOD 400 is being offered as an elective course in spring 2025 but may later become a requirement for academic departments that don’t currently offer capstone courses or senior seminars.
Once HOOD 400 is permanently added to the course offerings in fall 2025, the course will be taught based on demand, but is likely to be offered in both fall and spring semesters.
“A strength of the course is that students can learn from each other too,” Littlefield said. “Students will be working on their individual plans, but there is of course a commonality in many of the experiences and challenges everyone faces as they leave college for the next big thing.”
Students interested in taking HOOD 400 can register for the class when course registration begins the week of Nov. 11.
The two-credit class will meet once a week on Tuesdays from 11:25 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.
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