Prior to walking into the Neurochemistry 475 classroom for the first time, I merely thought of the class as just a capstone required for graduation. However lazy this may seem, I think it is safe to say that several of my classmates had similar notions. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I would later find out that the next three to four months of my life in Neurochemistry 475 would provide discussion into many controversial topics involved with neurodenerative disorders, behavioral disorders, and many other mechanisms involved with the brain. This may seem like pure science malarkey, but it actually turned out to be a combination of viewpoints blended into one mass discussion. This was not a simple coincidence, though. It was the underlying agenda of Professor Mach that brought the cornucopia of student masterminds to the discussion table. Students’ majors included biology, chemistry, and psychology. This provided for a conversation displaying a wide range of the opinionated spectrum.
The first few weeks of class were spent investigating background information relevant to the articles we would eventually discuss. This seemed to be what we college students refer to as “busy work,” but it was much more than that. We studied topics ranging from amino acids and nitric oxide to the endocannabinoid system (the system through which marijuana acts). Contrary to my prior belief, neurochemistry was starting to spark my interest. I found myself having conversations involving the class material outside the classroom. Being a chemistry major, it is rare to find a connection between science talk (molecules, mechanisms, etc.) and what is considered to be normal/social conversation. Not saying that I am completely antisocial, but it was nice to be able to bring something from the classroom into everyday life.
Since the ultimate goal of every college student is to get hired at that perfect job and become successful, it is only right that students apply what they learned in college to their occupation. This class has given me a brief insight into that sort of application. More importantly, I feel that the last four years of my life, particularly referring to chemistry, have combined to make this class more of a discussion on what I have learned than a traditional lecture-based class. I thoroughly enjoyed the group discussions for the mere fact that everyone in the classroom brought their own opinions to light. There is a time for talking, and there is a time for listening. By hearing the opinions of my peers, I was able to formulate my own ideas with their influences. I guess I found it really interesting how the different majors made for such diverse responses to the articles we read.
Overall, I really enjoyed this class. It allowed me to reflect my own thoughts into areas concerning my major and listen to others’ insights. The controversial topics we covered definitely grabbed my attention and made the assignments much more enjoyable. I was actually intrigued by the information we were researching. If I can leave any advice to Concordia students (particularly chemistry, biology, and psychology majors) aspiring to take this class, then I would have no problem in saying that Neurochemistry 475 is great for bringing together what you have learned over the past four years of your life.
