It's That Time of Year

“In youth we learn; in age we understand.”
-Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach 

Earlier this month I completed my independent component #1. For my independent component, I registered for a type of psychology class that was recommended for my topic. I thought because I had enjoyed my previous Young Scholar classes, that this one would not be an exception, but it was. Even though the class was only one a week, which is what intrigued me, it was about 4 hours long each night. It was difficult to stay focused for that long, especially when your professor is explaining everything as if we are all already psychology majors. I was very dissatisfied with the class and the lack of knowledge I gained in the the end. 

For part of our final grade, we had to choose a book from a list provided by the professor and complete a 3-6 page book review. I chose a novel titled

 Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain and how it changed the World written by Carl Zimmer. I am going to be honest, it was definitely not one of my favorite books to read, even if it partially helped me with some ideas on my topic. I feel that one of my academic strengths is essays, so that probably explains why I didn't completely fail the class. I also found that some remembered facts from the small Psychology in freshman year came in handy during Week 9, Exam 3, and our Final Exam, which also included an essay. Over all, I did not enjoy my Psychology class and I believe my final grade reflects that.

With that said: Happy New Year!

Mind, Brain, Behavior

This semester has been going by way too quickly. We have been in school for just over one month and we have completed so much in that short amount of time. We are already on our independent component. Since the summer, I determined to get a college class that was somehow related to my topic. When the class were put up, I first looked under the subject of psychology. I wasn't able to find anything directly linked, other than freshmen, general classes. When I went to my senior meeting with Mrs. Hunzeker, she recommended that I look into a class called Mind, Brain, and Behavior: An Integrated Study. From the name alone, I was already intrigued. I had found that the class perfectly fit my schedule and that other young scholars had successfully passes the class. I immediately emailed the professor and he quickly replied with a welcoming approval of me attending his class. I had asked him if the class would help me with my topic of psychopathology and he was slightly unsure. He claimed that it would not cover all aspects of the subject, but focus on the neurological science to the psychology.

When the independent component was officially announced, I wasn't sure if I would be able to use my class for it. I continued doing research on the class and also the professor and found that it is more related to my topic than expected. Also, based on the professor's credentials, I may be able to use him in an interview, if he allows. I was also unsure if I would feel comfortable taking a more challenging class by myself. I would have potentially been the only Young Scholar in the class. I later found that another senior was accepting to the class. I have a much greater confidence in this class and completing it successfully. It was a great relief to know that I had that matter out of the way. Now I would be able to focus on completely my mentorship hours.