First-Year Experiences
What can you expect from your first J-Term at Carthage? New friends, immersive study, and a month you won’t forget — whether you stay on campus, or get a head start touring the world.
All first-year students are required to take a J-Term course their first year at Carthage. Most first-year students stay on campus for their first J-Term, but freshmen can participate in a J-Term study tour if spots are available.
See On-Campus J-Term courses See our study tours
International Legal Environment and Business in the European Union
Destination: Belgium
Instructors: Prof. Michael Phegley
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I participated in the J-Term study tour to Belgium, learning about the history, culture, business, and international legal environment in Belgium.”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“This experience allowed me to get a taste of Europe. We stayed in Brussels, Belgium, and explored surrounding cities while also traveling to the Netherlands, Germany, and France. I was able to try new foods and meet new people, all while experiencing the beauty that Europe has to offer. It was an amazing trip, and I cannot wait to return soon!”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“I hope to continue to travel and experience new cultures in the future!”
Whodunnit?
Destination: Carthage campus
Instructors: Prof. Leslie Cameron
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I read different murder mysteries and visited Chicago with my class. We visited small bookstores, the Field Museum’s death exhibit, and had a murder mystery dinner theater.”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“There are some really pretty hidden gems in Chicago, like the bookstores, and the class made me realize how much I love reading murder mysteries!”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“I want to travel somewhere far, maybe Italy or Ireland, where both sides of my family are from.”
Memory, Monuments, and Museums: Material Culture and the Creation of the Past in Germany
Destination: Germany
Instructors: Profs. Greg Baer and Temple Burling
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I spent my first J-Term on a study tour in Germany!”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“I learned so much about the culture, history, and lifestyle in Germany. It’s interesting to see all the historical importance in so many different aspects.”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“I’d love to travel to new places and see new things.”
Career Planning
Destination: Carthage campus
Instructors: Anna Hegland, The Aspire Center
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I spent my J-Term exploring my interests and values and preparing for the future. As an undecided student, the idea of picking a major has been quite daunting, but through filling out surveys, going on field trips to a wide variety of companies such as Jockey and Public Craft Brewing, and hearing from amazing guest speakers who are either alumni or Carthage faculty, I feel much more confident in my academic journey and future career aspirations.”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“This course was jam-packed with a plethora of real-life, everyday knowledge that I have found invaluable. I learned how to create LinkedIn, Aspire Network, and Handshake profiles and how to effectively market myself to employers in an interview setting as well as on my resume. I also learned a lot about myself through reflection activities and about what opportunities The Aspire Program provides for all its students when it comes to academic and professional growth.”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“In a future J-Term, I hope to study abroad as I have always wanted to travel outside the country and experience other cultures.”
Electronic Music
Destination: Carthage campus
Instructor: Prof. Mark Petering
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I spent my first J-Term on campus creating new music and soundscapes and exploring the intricacies of sound alteration to complete a requirement for my composition emphasis.”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“I learned a lot about how effects such as panning, reverb, and compression are used in professionally produced music regularly. I also learned how far people have pushed and continue to push what music can be through electronic alterations of the waveforms, as well as the physics behind what those waveforms started as and how they are perceived by the brain.”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“In a future J-term, I hope to explore an area of the arts other than music.”
Examining the Experiences of Women and People of Color in STEM
Destination: Carthage campus
Instructor: Prof. Bradley Zopf
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I spent my first J-Term on campus taking a class that I was extremely interested in. I spent my free time hanging out with friends and exploring the Kenosha area.”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“This class was a lot of fun! We worked as a class to create a Wikipedia page about racial minorities in STEM fields, as one had not been created yet. It was a very rewarding experience to work with new people on such a big project that will influence a lot of people in the future.”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“In the future, I hope to go on a J-Term trip to somewhere that I haven’t been yet to do something that is new to me. I want to be able to explore and learn something new about new places and people.”
Biodiversity, Brains, & Behavior in Honduras
Gabriella Urbano ’24
Destination: Roatán and Copán Honduras
Instructors: Profs. Daniel Miller and Scott Hegrenes
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I spent my first J-term in Roatán and Copán Honduras! The first couple of days we stayed at the CocoView Resort in Roatán snorkeling or scuba diving. While underwater we were asked to try and identify the different marine life by their body shape, location, color, if they travel in a class or alone, etc. The CocoView staff made the whole stay feel like home and we all definitely had a bittersweet moment saying our goodbyes. For the last couple of days, we visited the history of Honduras by going to the Copán Ruinas. It was truly a breathtaking site with amazing historical context and our tour guide was nothing short of extraordinary which heightened all of our experiences while exploring the city.”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“Academically and personally, I learned so much from this trip. It was truly life-changing. I stepped out of my comfort zone, met people I didn’t even know prior to the trip, tried new things, got a deeper understanding of marine biodiversity, and obtained a better understanding of Honduran culture.”
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“I hope to go on this trip again in my senior year! Words do not suffice the feeling of emerging yourself into a different culture and studying abroad with random people who become some of your closest friends. I really think this experience shaped me to want to do more studying abroad even if it isn’t in my major or minor.”
Upper Midwest Sports Tour
Destination: Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul
Instructors: Profs. Greg Barron and Jennifer Madden
How did you spend your first J-Term?:
“I spent my first J-Term taking the Introduction to Sports Management study tour. My class had the opportunity to learn hands-on with almost 100 executives from all levels of the sports industry, from a new college head coach to the president and owner of an NHL team. Spending three weeks in the classroom then traveling to work with professionals was an amazing experience!”
What did you learn from the experience?:
“I learned about the main revenue drivers for the sports industry, how to maximize profits, build relationships with customers, clients, and fellow employees all alike, and the different areas in the sports industry job seekers can go into. The class learned hands-on with professionals from the industry and was able to work two home games for the Minnesota Wild behind the scenes in customer relations, fan engagement, sales, merchandising, and stadium operations.
What do you hope to do in a future J-Term?:
“I hope to have another enjoyable experience with my J-Term class next year as it will be my last one! I want to do more off-campus activities involved with the course and will help me understand the material and learning objectives better.”
Tell us about your first J-Term
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