My time in Neurochemistry has come to an end. It’s been a bumpy ride, full of ups and downs but I think that’s what education is supposed to be. What would I have gained in experience if I could just memorize and recite information with ease? Concordia College makes sure that students are not just learning information to regurgitate back out but actually teaching students to apply their knowledge to the world in a meaningful and impactful way. We call this BREW- Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World. Neurochemistry has been a class where I have been challenged to think outside the box and not just memorize what I’ve learned (although that’s a component too). I actually know what to do with the information I’ve learned and how to explain the importance to other people. The best way to explain the type of learning experience Neurochemistry has been is to explain how it fits in with Concordia’s 5 goals for liberal learning. 
- Instill a love for learning
I’ve always considered myself someone interested in learning, but I think my view of how to learn was too narrow before this class. I paid attention when professors would lecture and took notes when words were bolded in the textbook. However, I rarely had conversations with my peers about their thoughts on the topic and how they understood it. Every Wednesday of the semester, we would each come to class prepared to talk about a topic that others didn’t know about. All of us learned about a different piece of the puzzle and then as a class, we were able to complete the puzzle with our combined knowledge. I loved coming together and being taught something different by each person, especially since everyone has their own unique way of explaining things.
2. Develop foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities
One of the most important skills we learned in Neurochemistry is how to share information with people who may not have a background on the subject. Sure, we as scientists can make a great discovery but does that matter at all if we can’t share that information effectively? We practiced our narrative skills throughout the semester by writing blog posts and trying to figure out how to concisely explain a 20 page article in 500 hundred words. I hope to attend graduate school and this is a necessary skill that any scientist needs to learn, so better I learn now!
3. Develop an understanding of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections
Neurochemistry by itself means almost nothing. We can understand how things happen on a cellular and molecular level but if we aren’t looking at the bigger picture, whether there’s an influx of calcium or activation of GPCRs, it doesn’t matter. We need to determine the consequences of over or under activation in these signaling pathways and that means taking an interdisciplinary perspective. We need to understand the biology of the body, the psychology of the mind, the chemistry of the signals, and the effects of social interactions to grasp the importance of what we are learning. We can learn about how addiction pathways in the brain are strengthened but if we don’t consider the stigma put on individuals or the barriers to treatment, we aren’t going to solve the problem anytime soon. Taking this class with students from all different majors and having an entire class period dedicated to discussions lead to a breadth of knowledge being shared.
4. Cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding
We cover heavy topics in class, a lot of which people have been personally affected by. Talking about our opinions can be hard when some of the topics can be political and deeply personal. Our class has had to learn how to strike the right balance when talking about these issues. It requires a lot of thought and reflection. How do we share our opinions without hurting others? We try to approach each topic with an open mind to learn from others. Maybe I have opinion A but I’m open to the possibility of a classmate teaching me why they think opinion B is important. Going in with a mindset like that had helped our class approach topics in a respectful way without having to cross boundaries.
5. Encourage responsible participation in the world
Part of our class this year was to participate in a community action project to assess some of the needs in the Fargo/Moorhead area. After communicating with some local mental health agencies, we decided to target our efforts to incoming first year students. Mental health education is not required in all states and so some freshman come into college with no baseline information about what some signs and symptoms are and how to seek help. We gave presentations to First Year Transition (FYT) Labs and asked students to rank their knowledge before and after the presentation. We hope that the enthusiastic responses we received will encourage the orientation team to incorporate more mental health curriculum when students arrive on campus.
Attending a liberal arts institution has given me the opportunity to focus on these 5 goals and be a part of a deeper type of learning. Many students don’t get the opportunity to directly impact their community or to have meaningful conversations about topics like addiction and obesity and I have Concordia to thank for that. If I had to choose one skill that this class has given me, it would be the confidence to step outside my comfort zone. I came into this class very nervous because I wasn’t able to take the prerequisites. With a little extra work and the support of my peers and professor, I had a meaningful and educational experience in this class. It’s pretty rare you get both.
