Winter Quarter
My schedule this quarter was really nice for many reasons. First I became a morning person and was productive during my morning breaks. I also didn't have classes on Friday which was very helpful.
Notable Classes
Biology 200 and Organic Chemistry were my top two classes this quarter that challenged me and I feel very proud of what I accomplished this quarter.
Biology 200 went very well this quarter (well, until the Pandemic hit). The material that we covered was extremely interesting and relevant, we were able to cover materials that informed us about antibodies and the crucial biological processes that take place in the body. This was fascinating as COVID-19 spread around the globe and we could apply our knowledge to vaccines and DNA changes due to viruses. Our final exam even included a portion of reading research papers about COVID-19 and seeing the connections that we could make to the material we learned in class. I did the best on these exams that I have done all year which I really celebrated.
Organic Chemistry 238 was a really exciting course because I took it in conjunction with the lab class, 241, and I was able to apply the knowledge of Organic Chemistry from 237/238 to see the experiments take place right in front of me. I truly felt that I understood the experiments taking place and was able to put my knowledge into the reports. The two key concepts that I used were NMR and mechanisms which proved to be very applicable in creating new drugs and other real world applications. This is the first course that is really helping me take that "next step" and look at future careers.
The Third Class
Introduction to Social Welfare was not my favorite class this quarter, but I certainly learned a lot.
Introduction to Social Welfare provided an in-depth explanation of what Social Workers do and their importance. This course covered a wide range of materials from the Ethics of Social Work to how Social Works come up with a plan to help their clients. Before taking this course, I had never really understood what Social Workers do (I thought that were mostly Child Protective Services), however I know understand the limitless roles that they play and their importance in advocacy work. I think that in my work with people with disabilities it will be important to involve Social Workers and others who have these techniques as well as continue to learn about these techniques so that I am able to be an effective communicator and leader. Attached is a final reflection paper that I completed that covers some case examples as well.