Academic Skills Workshop: "Lost? That’s Normal. -Your Guide to Major Declaration at ICU-" (Jan 27 & 30, 2026)

Lecture Session

【Date】January 27, 2026 (Tuesday) Convocation Hour 14:00–15:00 (1 hour)

【Format and Location】Face to Face, Troyer Memorial Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 171, Japanese

【Lecturer and Speaker】NASU, Kei, Professor, History Major / Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Staff (Academic Planning Support)

【Target】1st- and 2nd-year undergraduates

【Attendance】50 students

Game Session

【Date】January 30, 2026 (Friday) Lunchtime 13:00-13:50 (50 minutes)

【Format and Location】Face to Face, Othmer Library, 1st Floor, Japanese

【Lecturer】CTL Staff (Academic Skills Team)

【Target】All students

【Attendance】4students

Content

The Major system is the hallmark of liberal arts education at International Christian University (ICU). To help students navigate the process of declaring their major at the end of their second year, we held a two-part Academic Skills Workshop: a Lecture Session and a Card Game Session.

During the Lecture Session on Day 1, Professor Kei Nasu shared his own experiences with academic uncertainty during his student years. He lectured on how to choose a major by combining personal interests with the specific research methodologies students wish to pursue. This was followed by a presentation from the Academic Planning Support staff on how to design a course plan with a major in mind, featuring testimonials from the ICU Brothers and Sisters (IBS) student advisors.

The Card Game Session on Day 2 utilized "31 Majors," an interactive card game developed by the CTL. Students explored ICU’s 31 available majors through dialogue and gameplay to find the field of study that best fits their goals.

【Participants' comments (Excerpt) (*Translation from the original Japanese comments)】

Lecture Session

"I had no idea where to start with my major selection, so this was incredibly helpful."

"It was great to hear real-life examples from seniors and learn about potential pitfalls to watch out for in the future."

"Before this lecture, I was too focused on the names of the majors. Hearing Prof. Nasu describe a major as a 'tool' to explore your interests changed my perspective. I want to spend my upcoming classes searching for the right approach for me."

Card Game Session

"The positive atmosphere was wonderful. I felt that the game was very well-designed—a true catalyst for learning at ICU."

"It was so much fun! I wish I had encountered a game like this when I was younger. Thank you!"