Life Together / Academic Success classes
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During their first semester, students may be registered for one or both of:
- UNIV 1091 Life Together and UNIV 1090 Life Together Small Group
- UNIV 1001 Academic Success
UNIV 1091 Life Together
Life Together is a Fall semester course for students in their first semester at NU that introduces them to the formative values of truth, beauty, and goodness, as well as guiding them through navigating the university ecosystem. For the course, students will be placed in small groups led by NU staff and faculty as well as a student peer mentor. These groups will be continuations of the small groups students are placed in during Welcome Weekend.
The course is held weekly on Mondays at 10:10am-11:10am, with the majority of class sessions consisting of small group discussions that focus on an assigned reading. Students will be given a journal at the beginning of the semester, and their primary assignment is to write their reflections on the reading in their journal. Four or five plenary sessions will also be held throughout the semester instead of small groups. In these sessions, the course instructor, Dr. JP O’Connor, will introduce students to NU’s core values, guidance for success in university, and tools for navigating their classes.
The Life Together course requirement is waived for students who turn 20 years or older during the calendar year in which they matriculate to NU. For example, a student starting in Fall 2026 who turns 20 before January 1, 2007 will not be required to take Life Together.
UNIV 1001 Academic Success
Academic Success is a Fall semester course for students in their first semester at NU that provides extra academic support and content in developing skills, strategies, and habits for university success. The course is taught by Chrystal Helmcke and Matthew Haddick, staff members in the Academic Success & Advising department. The primary curriculum is the Executive Function Toolkit, a compilation of strategies created by NU’s Associate Professor of Education, Dr. Heather Lucas.
The course is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the Tuesdays focusing on the Executive Function strategies and/or other success habit for academics, and the Thursdays as “study hall” sessions in which students earn points for attending and submitting a summary of the work they completed. Academic Success is designed to help students thrive and find better habits for both school and life. It’s a great opportunity for building strong practices for success!
iMAP (Individual Master Academic Plan)
The iMAP is an assignment in both Life Together and Academic Success in which students will create a full plan for completing their remaining degree requirements, semester-by-semester. Using degree planning tools on the Academic Success & Advising Eagle page (primarily degree guides and their What-If plans), students determine which classes they need to complete their degree and fill out the provided PDF worksheet: