--Original published at Sarah's Blog

Hello! My name is Sarah Peppe, and I am a first year Music BA student. I am taking this psychology class to fulfill the Social Sciences core, but also because I have always been interested in psychology and did not get to take the class in high school. I do not have much background in psychology, but I have always wanted to take this class since the beginning of high school. When I hear the word “psychology”, I think of the mind and how it works. I relate the term “psychology” mainly with mental health and how they affect the body and mind. Three topics that look the most interesting to me are Stress, Motivation, and Mood Disorder and Anxiety. I believe that these are related to my life the most, and I am hoping to be able to take what I learn in those topic discussions and relate them back to my own life to be more present and aware  Three topics that look the least interesting to me are What is “Addiction”?, Scientific Method, and Mechanics of Sleep. I have learned the Scientific Method for many years, so I believe that I already have the knowledge of that topic. I have also learned about addiction and sleep in prior health classes, so I also feel that I know a lot about those topics. I am very excited to learn all of the information this class has to offer, but one question I would like to answer by the end of the class is: How does mental illness affect the brain specifically, and how does someone get diagnosed with a mental illness (is it hereditary, etc.)?