I decided to tack on a neuroscience minor my sophomore year here at Concordia and had always planned on taking the drugs and behavior course instead of this one as one of my electives. When senior year rolled around and I noticed that drugs and behavior was not going to be offered in the Fall of 2020 and I became nervous as I knew deep down, I was going to have to do the inevitable and earn my neuroscience minor through this course. After speaking to students who had previously taken the course, to Dr. Mach, and while I look back at this class at the end of the semester, I realize just how lucky I was to be able to be a part of this class. This course is like none other and having the opportunity to take a course that is unlike any other science class during my time at Concordia is something that I have found to be extremely valuable. Not to mention how I was able to take it my senior year, and therefore bring with all of the tools and knowledge I had acquired from previous classes that were able to be integrated together for this class alone.
So, what do I mean by saying that this class is like none other? Instead of lecturing over chapter from a textbook or going into lab, I was able to read scientific journals regarding some of the most recent studies revolving around topics such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Obesity, Addiction, and more! This was a discussion-based class, so each day during the week, we would be able to discuss class-wide, one-on-one, and in groups on thoughts about the literature, questions we had, and even getting the chance to relate these issues to broader concepts for our community and the world! If that doesn’t make a case for a capstone experience, I’m not sure I’d know what does.
Having the opportunity to discuss scientific literature was both challenging and rewarding. Challenging, in a sense of how this is really the only course that I’m aware of that does anything like this, so you do not have much prior experience. Also, there is still so much future research that is needed, leading to many unanswered questions and thoughts. It is rewarding, however, even due to some of these challenges. It pushed me to not only incorporate new strategies on thinking but to also speak like a scientist and some of their possible thought processes while encountering these relevant problems we face. I was able to develop more of a voice for myself through all of the discussion that took place over the semester and this is something that I will definitely bring with me to future classes and careers as I continue to fine-tune it. Being able to take this with many familiar faces in the course also helps the discussion part of the class be so effective and enjoyable.
Having the ability to research specific questions for our Wednesday “speed-dating” sessions, group discussions on Fridays, and the blog posts all worked together and complimented one another when it came to how effective these parts of the course incorporated connections with the science of signaling all the way to the humanity and ethical concerns that all must be accounted for especially for the careers that many of us are heading into. The blog posts allowed me to grow as a writer, and also become someone who has specifically developed the skill to deduce complex concepts and ideas into a more general language and explanation that makes it easier for the majority of individuals to grasp and understand. This class encouraged me to develop a much broader thought process when it comes to problem solving and everything that goes into the continual efforts to advance the field of science.
In such a short amount of time, this class has left an impact on me that I know will exponentially increase my skills in the future as a leader through communicative interactions that establish connections with others and critical thinking towards problems we face in science that are often not just black and white answers. This course to me has been the epitome of what a capstone course at Concordia is all about. The experience this course provides through interactions with students who all have their niche in a variety of majors and lived experiences is one of the many factors that contribute to just how rich this course becomes. As I write this, I am struck with similar feelings from when I found out I would be needing to take this course, except the feelings are no longer fear and anxiety but rather one that is bittersweet because unfortunately now it is inevitably time for this course to end. Although the door for this course is closing, the memories, experience, and learning is here to stay and live on through all of my future endeavors.
