Winter 2023
NEUSCI 402, NEUSCI 403,
HONORS 496, NEUSCI 499
NEUSCI 402/403
NEUSCI 402 covered neurological diseases, with every topic taught by a different instructor. I was familiar with most of the diseases we studied like Parkinson's, epilepsy, and stroke. But it was fascinating to learn about ones I hadn't heard about before, such as malignant hyperthermia and Balint's syndrome. Something I'm proud of is how I studied the content—as shown on the right, I wrote summaries for each topic and learned to identify a disease from its symptoms/causes and vice versa, ensuring that I memorized small details but also got the big picture.
NEUSCI 403 focused on computational models and how they can be applied to cognitive neuroscience. Although I didn't enjoy the content as much, I appreciated the emphasis on discussions and group projects. For the latter, my group presented a paper that outlined the benefits, pitfalls, and future directions of computational approaches to study altruism and social motives. It was interesting to explain how these models can improve our understanding of altruistic decision-making and how to predict or alter it.
HONORS 496
Curating my portfolio has been one of the most meaningful experiences I've had as an Honors student. Although I'm proud of how thorough my portfolio is, I realized while taking HONORS 496 that a 10-minute presentation wasn't enough time to go through all of it. So I developed “The Recap," which highlighted the key courses and experiences that shaped my college journey. I presented this to my friends and family in the Honors Suite while standing in front of the Honors timeline I had made just one year prior, which marked a special moment for me.
Now, after 15 quarters of updating my portfolio, 12 Honors courses, 2 Experiential Learning activities, 1 quarter of being a Peer Educator, and 1 Honors independent study, I completed my Interdisciplinary Honors requirements! Although Honors has given me an interdisciplinary education and global awareness, it has also connected me with an incredible community and countless opportunities to grow as a leader and researcher. I'm so thankful for the people who supported me along the way and I'm looking forward to becoming an Honors alum!