TPSS 491 Scientific Communications is a new one-credit undergraduate course in the TPSS Department. It was offered for the first time in Fall 2023 with six undergraduate students. The objective was to enable personalized instruction and mentoring of students on their projects. Consulting with the instructor, each student decided on two projects to work on. Students indicated what specific feedback they were looking for, and the instructor provided individualized assistance. One-to-one meetings enabled more detailed personal instruction. Students were more motivated when working on their own projects. This course’s flexible meeting dates and times allowed tailoring it to each student’s schedule. TPSS 491 helped me to develop and complete personal projects that are crucial in professional development. The flexibility of the course allowed me to partake in one-on-one meetings that worked with my schedule as a full-time student which was one factor why I decided to take this course. Being able to receive personalized feedback on my projects allowed me to make constant improvements that made me feel confident in my work, especially as I plan to use these as tools to enter the professional setting after graduation. The course’s flexible scheduling and wide choice of projects were very appealing to me. As an upper-class student, I had multiple ongoing research projects, more classes than usual, and a research-based part-time position. Each commitment involved weekly meetings, assignments, and demanded a significant portion of my time and attention. However, the flexibility of the “To Be Determined” scheduling of the course created more freedom within my schedule, providing me with the necessary time to complete my other projects and courses. Having the choice to decide which projects to work on enabled me to receive valuable feedback on an important graduate school funding application and a research project. Without this flexibility, I might not have received as much feedback on these important parts of my academic journey. In conclusion, TPSS 491 is an important course for undergraduate students to receive valuable feedback from the instructor regarding scientific communication. TPSS 491 proved to be an invaluable course for me. The constructive feedback I received on my projects was instrumental in my personal and academic growth. This course allowed me to focus on projects that held significance for my academic and professional development and provided the flexibility needed to balance various commitments required to advance my experience as an early-career researcher.
