Life Architecture Short Term Course

Life Architecture (EXDS s21) is intended for students who feel relatively undecided about their next steps after college, including what to do and where to live. It’s perfectly fine to take this class if you already have your first job lined up (we hope you do!), but you’re best suited for Life Architecture if you feel “open to possibilities” beyond that first job.

This course is sponsored by Purposeful Work. We are thrilled to bring Professor Susan Mangan back to campus in 2025 to offer this dynamic course! (LinkedIn and Google Scholar)

“Building a life is about so much more than being able to pay your taxes and to budget properly, and to find a place to live. There has to be some deeper thread running underneath so you know why you’re doing all those things.”
-Rebecca Fraser-Thill, former instructor and director of Purposeful Work Design Team (read the full Life Architecture Q&A here)

Helpful Resources for students and recent graduates, compiled by students in the Short Term 2018 session of Life Architecture

Course Description:

Everyone works, whether for pay or for pleasure, in public or in private, with gusto or with dread. This course supports students as they prepare for their adult lives beyond Bates, including finding a meaningful career path and learning how to prepare for an adult world that is always changing. Students in this course will spend time contemplating who they are, what they’re good at, and what a purposeful career path forward looks like. They will also spend time learning key adult life skills necessary for both work and play, such as setting boundaries, stress management, and emotional intelligence. Lastly, students will learn some of the practical aspects of adulthood, such as how to find a good apartment and reliable roommate in a new city, how to budget, and how to save for retirement.

Counts toward:

  • Philosophy and Psychology GEC (C031)
  • The Psychology major, as a 200-level course in the Development and Personality area

Learning Goals for the course:

  • Develop insight into one’s own strengths, interests, values, identity status, skills and personal qualities including grit, resilience, mindset, and emotional intelligence
  • Understand the concepts of flourishing, happiness, and meaning and purpose in life, including knowing what they are, why they matter, and how best to attain these states
  • Understand their developmental life phase of Emerging Adulthood and learn the practical matters related to life after college, including searching for a job, cultivating mentors, budgeting, choosing benefits, finding and keeping housing, saving for retirement, and pursuing work-life balance
  • Appreciate the context surrounding vocational choices, including historical, socioeconomic and cultural factors

Class Elements:

  1. Who am I, what am I good at, and what do I want to do with my life?
    • Here we’ll explore the phase of life you’re in (emerging adulthood), what happiness and well-being are, what your strengths and talents are, and how to best attain an adult life and career that are meaningful to you
  2. Adult life skills 101
    • Here we’ll explore topics that will prepare you for a successful adulthood. The exact subjects change a bit each semester, but we’ll likely cover issues such as setting boundaries, healthy communication, healthy romantic relationships, stress & problem solving, emotional intelligence, making adult friends, resilience, growth mindset, emotional intelligence and  adulting 101 topics such as finding an apartment and finding a roommate, etc.
  3. Getting down to brass tax
    • Here we’ll tackle some of the practical things you need to know about life after college that nobody teaches you including financial advising (e.g. budgeting, saving for retirement, using credit wisely) and career skills such as finding a job, interview skills, resume design, networking, etc.

Course Requirements (letter grades):

  • Class participation & preparation using readings
  • Questions for guest speakers
  • Journal entries
  • Quizzes
  • Final Project: Emerging Adult Resource Development

Questions?

  • Contact Marianne Cowan at mcowan@bates.edu