Concordia College is a liberal arts college that focuses its mission on sending responsibly engaged individuals into the world, otherwise known as BREW. All of Concordia’s classes center around the idea of BREW, but it is the Capstone Courses that highlight and amplify the true meaning behind BREW. Along with BREW, Concordia’s goals for its liberal arts education include instilling a love for learning, developing foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities, and understanding disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and intercultural perspectives and their connections, and cultivating an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding.
Unlike other classes, the Neurochemistry Capstone offers a chance for students to be co-investigators into the papers and topics that are explored. For many, it is really the first time that they are put onto the same level as the professor to come up with explanations, solutions, and future possibilities for the topics at hand. The class is discussion based and provides a chance for students to discuss the material, ethical matters, and possible solutions behind each topic. Many times the topics are somewhat new to the professor as well, meaning that the professor is learning along side the students, unlike most other classes. The structure of the class starts out with the first day discussing the paper and making a list of what materials need a little more understanding. Each student then is assigned one of these topics that they will then present to each other during the next class day, which we call “Speed dating”. Speed dating is the chance for students to really teach one another about the topic that they have chosen to research and it allows students to interact one on one and explore the details of each topic. The third class day of the week is discussion day. Discussion leaders are selected each week and our class is split up into two groups. These discussions look into everything from what we have learned throughout the week to pending questions. Our discussions reach everywhere from possible treatments to ethics. Finally, each of us write a blog in response to the topic covered that week.
As an ACS Neurochemistry and Biology double major, I was excited to see how I could take what I had learned in my other classes to explain neurodegenerative diseases that are affecting millions of people around the world. I was not sure what to expect when we started classes this fall. I had never experienced a class that was laid out in the same format as this class. However, I believe that the structure of the class allowed for the best possible learning experience for the topics and papers that were covered throughout the semester. This class is able to challenge students into looking at the big picture of the central nervous system disorders and hypothesize possible prevention and treatments for them. Not only do you learn about a particular disease, but you also explore its unknown charters. We also look at other factors that affect the chances of a person being diagnosed with certain diseases such as gender, ethnicity, age, and so forth.
We learned everything from mechanisms and pathways for particular proteins and diseases, to drug protocol, and politics. However, probably the most important thing that I have learned and will take with me from my travel through Neurochemistry is the importance of regulation and balance. Many of the diseases and disorders that we looked at all had some type of background affect of something being out of balance and causing factors that influence, and perhaps, resulted in the disease. We see this in every day life as well. When we overeat or under eat, when we have unbalanced sleep, and so forth, we endanger our health. With everything we need to remember that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, too little of a good thing can be a bad thing, and so moderation is key.
This class is able to develop the goals of Concordia’s education in many ways. Unlike some classes, multiple disciplines come into the learning in Neurochemistry from Psychology, Chemistry, Biology, political policies, and so forth. Neurochemistry is able to explore different disciplines and how they work with and deal with these issues that we discuss each week allowing students to better develop an understanding of disciplinary and interdisciplinary connections. Also, the way that the class encourages looking at the connections between the disorder, possible pathways, and treatments helps to better the critical thinking skills of each student.
Overall, I believe that Neurochemistry taught me many things and helped me to better develop my understanding of hot topics in the area of Neuroscience. I feel that my liberal arts experienced has been enhanced by this class as it has allowed me to use my framework education to create a greater connection between the different areas of study. Neurochemistry has allowed me to get the most out of my undergraduate education, which will assist in my success in my future endeavors.
My Capstone Experience – BREWing Made Easy
