Almost to the finish line, one semester to go!
I’ve officially PEAKed. Another semester has come and gone. During my time in neurochemistry, I was able to learn so much. This class is significantly different from any other science class someone would take. It is heavily reading and discussion based, meaning everyone has to be prepared and active. Neurochemistry has expanded my learning experience through reading research articles and discovering what is really happening deep within a person’s brain. I hope that no matter what I end up doing in the future, I will be able to apply what I have learned from this class and apply it. It has taught me to not just speak in science terms but to stop, think, and explain in a simplified version to someone with little science background.
Who doesn’t love a good project?
This was definitely tested during the addiction CAP project while entering a middle school and talking to students about vaping. After learning about addiction in class, it was simple to speak hard science terms. The hardest part for me during this project was simplifying terms and not brain overloading the students.
To do this, a variety of questions were asked, some science, some simple such as favorite activities. Neurochemistry has allowed me to think about what is happening in peoples every day lives, and that it really is important to take care of your brain. Because without it, you wouldn’t be you. With each person’s different personality, it was important to adapt and adjust to grab and keep the student’s attention. Our CAP project was very successful and it will be continued in the future. I have enjoyed working on it, and knowing that starting with neurochemistry, us college students can help make a small difference in our community.
Diversity
My years here at Concordia, a liberal arts institution, has also helped reach these middle school students and other people in the community. I not only learn about science, but I have been able to take a wide variety of classes and even minor in Spanish. This diversity expands student’s knowledge about different areas of study, even if it is only taking the introductory class. When speaking with friends that do not attend liberal arts colleges but rather big universities, they don’t understand why we take the classes we do. After some explanation, they sometimes wish that they had the opportunity to take those classes to help expand their knowledge.
What to do next?
Well, after yet another semester of chemistry, I have learned more about myself than many other classes. In order to succeed, it is very important to be productive and manage your time wisely. It is very important to not go down the rabbit hole, even though you really want to. Even though you may learn something new, it can confuse you even more. But overall, I think I have improved more on my ability to communicate with people of all ages. From speaking with my professor, to my classmates, to middle school students. I was able to learn and then teach others what I have learned in many ways. It was never the same explanation for all age groups.
I never thought I could learn so much in a neurochemistry that wasn’t completely chemistry related. The reading and analysis skills, presenting information to different ages, and working on a community impacting project has changed the way classes are done. Obviously, the neurochemistry was a lot of fun, but adding in other aspects to make it more thought based and involved just made me love the class even more.
