Life of the Mind
Freshman Reading Program
2013 Selection:
Eaarth by Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben will join us on Monday, August 19, to discuss his book. This event is free and open to the public and will be held at Thompson-Boling Arena. Stay tuned for further details!
Reading together helps bring us together.
By reading this year’s Life of the Mind selection you will arrive on campus having shared an experience with your fellow freshmen. During Welcome Week you’ll get a feel for college life as you join classmates and professors to discuss the book in small group settings. This experience will help you establish your identity as a Volunteer and develop a network of friends within the larger campus community.
In short, Life of the Mind gives you a first chance to experience college as a member of the UT family.
This experience will continue throughout the year as exhibits, lectures and movies will explore themes raised in this year’s Life of the Mind selection. In addition, several freshmen courses will use the book in class—so you can expect coursework that incorporates the book’s topic and themes.
Life of the Mind is your first assignment as a student at the University of Tennessee, and as such you should approach the program seriously, with a willingness to study the book on your own and then join in—and learn from—discussion with others. This program not only unites the first-year class in an act of scholarship, but also sets the tone for your entire career here at UT, allowing you to develop the skills and make the connections crucial for graduation from UT and beyond.
Through reading together we gather together to learn and pursue the life of the mind at Tennessee. Reading builds community. Reading builds the University of Tennessee Class of 2017.
The Life of the Mind Program is overseen by a committee of UT faculty, staff, and students who work together to select a theme and book designed to engage and inspire the incoming class.
FYS 100 Resources:
Questions? Contact the First-Year Studies Team
First-Year Studies
1817 Melrose Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: 865.974.3523
Fax: 865.974.2944
E-mail: firstyear@utk.edu
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.