Stories Without Words: Photographing the First Year
MIT's freshman seminar treats photography not as simple documentation but as a method of seeing and a tool for understanding a new environment. Students entering college life at MIT use a semester-long series of assignments to build a body of photographic work, then assemble that work into a cohesive final presentation describing the conditions and emotions of their first year. The course materials, provided through MIT OpenCourseWare, include the assignment sequence and guidance on developing a personal visual project rather than a technical manual on camera operation. It suits students curious about using a camera as a reflective tool during a major life transition, with the campus and dorm life itself serving as the ongoing subject matter across the term.