Neurochemistry, or neurochem as we like to call it, has been single handedly the most interesting class I have ever taken. Neurochem has spiked my interest in numerous areas of study and educated me to a whole new level on various subjects. I have thoroughly enjoyed nearly all class periods and learned so much more than I initially thought I would. This class was the pinnacle of my chemistry major and neuroscience minor during my college career and I know that because of this class I will follow many of these topics as they become further researched. This class is the reason I have chosen neurodegenerative disease research as a possible career plan for myself.
In this class we delved into the most recent research on hot topics for diseases and disorders. We broke down what each main article had to say, answered any questions we had by doing research of our own , then had a class discussion on the big picture of the problems and what maybe we can do as scientists to help get closer to answers we don’t have. This class helped us as students understand what it means to learn in a liberal arts school and how we can help change the world.
The first goal for a liberal arts education was to instill a love for learning. In this class we learned about the most recent research there is and I found that fascinating. I love that I not only can understand the problem, but also what needs to be done to fix it and even give input of my own. Very rarely do I have classes that I actually enjoy going to, however, this class made me feel like I can make a difference and actually led me to decide on a possible career path.
The second goal is develop foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities. In this class we first started out talking about a lot of basics that we need to know to understand the articles. Most of the information was not new to me for I have a background in neuroscience, however, it gave us a foundation needed to move on to bigger topics. We also read many scientific articles which, a less obviously, helps us understand scientific literature and will help us in the future when writing and reading may be essential to our careers.
The third goal of a liberal arts education is develop an understanding of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections. In neurochem we read about many different diseases, disorders, and conditions. It helped us understand that the brain is a very plastic organ and is extremely complex and fragile. We learned that when one area goes wrong it can trigger a number of different problems. Many diseases and disorders in the CNS are different, but in many ways they are all connected. This class challenged us to see these differences and similarities and explain why they might be. Much of the class was coming up with hypotheses as to why something might be happening the way it is.
The fourth goal is cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding. In this class we saw many different ways the human mind works. Using the knowledge we gained from the readings we are able to examine ourselves and maybe answer questions as to why we think a certain way or why we act a certain way. There is a lot we can learn about human behavior from observing the effects of diseases and disorders. This class helped us be able to execute many of these actions.
Finally, the last (but certainly not least) goal of a liberal arts education is to encourage responsible participation in the world. As I stated before, this class has spiked my interest on many topics and I have become quite passionate about many over the past few months. It has changed the way I think about food. It has changed the way I look at someone when they are acting out of the ordinary. It has even changed the way I think about certain topics like alcohol and marijuana. I have told many people what I have learned from the class and what they should know to live a smarter and healthier life. This class makes me want to research certain diseases because I really think I can help research in the field. One of the best classes I have ever taken.
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Neurochemistry: A Capstone Reflection
