Reflecting on A Cobber's Capstone Experience

When I first registered to take Neurochemistry I was nervous to say the least. At the same time as taking Neurochemistry I was also enrolled for Biochemistry. I felt at a real disadvantage since I had no prior Biochemistry background and my experience with biology and anatomy was on par with a 7th grade health class (or at least it felt like it to me). My adviser and professor of the class assured me that the class would turn out fine for me. Skeptical, I entered the class with expectations that the course would entail heavy lectures and horrendous assignments. I was meet with a completely different experience. The class turned out to be a lot more low-key and individualized than a regular class.
Lecture was not the main focus of the course. The idea behind the class was all about becoming an independent learner, someone who is capable of reading a scientific research article and critically analyzing the aspects of the research. The class was very much discussion based and I must say it was one of the best discussion based courses I have participated in. It was hard not to find something to talk about. Our topics, such as: obesity, alzheimer’s disease, alcohol, autism, opioid addiction, and concussions, allowed us to extend our discussions to the realms of sociology, psychology, chemistry, and personal experience.
Because I was taking Biochemistry at the same time of this course, the two complimented each other well. Often in Neurochemistry we would discuss a topic looking at specific pathways, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and proteins which I would later hear about in Biochemistry (mainly because Biochemistry progressed kind of slowly). I was able to take what I learned in Neurochemistry and use that to help me understand the basics, which I received in Biochemistry. It sounds a little odd that studying such in-depth topics would actually help me understand the fundamentals of Biochemistry, but because I was able to connect the basics with an application I could see the importance of what I was learning. This application of Neurochemistry to other areas of science and life was one of the major reasons I enjoyed the class.
Compared to the all the classes I have taken up to this point, Neurochemistry wasn’t the hardest class but it did demand and push me the most. Blogging was in part one of the reasons that Neurochemistry pushed me. I have to say I wasn’t the most comfortable with having blogging as an assignment. The one thing blogging did do for me which I appreciated was cause me to reflect on the topics discussed in Neurochemistry. If you didn’t know Concordia College is all about reflecting on one’s personal experiences and this capstone class definitely encompassed this mentality. This class allowed me to apply chemistry outside of chemistry. I was able to broaden my view outside of a simple restricted tunnel. Neurochemistry in a way revitalized my love of chemistry, because I was able to make connections with chemistry to areas I would have never thought could be related. Overall, I enjoyed my capstone experience and will take with me that science, specifically chemistry, has far more application in society that may be apparent at first glance.