--Original published at Alexis' Blog

Hey everyone!!

My name is Alexis and I’m going to be the TA for this semester of Gen Psych! I’m a sophomore Psychology major with a double minor in Studio Art and Data Analytics. Around campus, I’m an RA in Royer on the first floor, I’m a student senate representative for the class of 2020, and I’ve recently been offered a research assistant position for Dr. Lemley’s study in synesthesia (the production of a sense triggered by another sense or part of the body, like tasting or seeing colors for music).

I took Gen Psych in high school for AP credit, but it was definitely one of my favorite classes. At Etown, I took Neuroscience and Abnormal Psychology my freshman year, Psychological Statistics and Social Psychology last semester, and I am currently taking Psychological Research Methods and Counseling Psychology, which I’m really excited for!

I’m most likely going to be holding office hours on Tuesdays in the library from 6:45-7:45, but the exact dates, locations, and times will be announced shortly! Please let me know if you need anything in the mean time!! (My email is trionfoa@etown.edu).

--Original published at TylersPSY105Blog

Hi! My name is Tyler, I’m a freshman and my major is biotechnology. I took this class to fulfill my core requirements. I do not have any background in psychology. When I think of psychology I think of how the brain works and unraveling the reasons behind human thought process and emotion. The three topics that look most interesting to me are “Classifying mental illness”, “Why do we forget?”, and “The Brain: Micro level.” These topics stick out to me as for one, mental illness is extremely prevalent yet very mysterious, and the other two topics are unique concepts that I could not even begin to answer or explain. The three topics that seem least interesting are “How to choose a therapist”, “Personality assessment”, and “Scientific Method.” These are of less interest to me as they seem not as useful, already covered in other courses, or slightly judgmental. I think the history of psychology as a field of study is very interesting, and would like to know considerably more about it by the end of the semester.

--Original published at Site Title

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I look forward learning more about psychology as the semester progresses.

I plan to approach this course with an open-minded attitude, and with a driven mindset. I took this class because it interests me, but mainly because it is required for my major. I have no background in psychology, so I look forward to discovering it this semester. When I hear the word “psychology” I think of the human mind and the way it works.

The three topics that initially interest me the most include How to Make Memories, Why do We Forget, and Personality Theory. These topics interest me be I am curious as to how these things influence me personally.

The three topics that seem to interest me the least Scientific Method, Why Research Design Matters, and Power of Experiements. These topics interest me the least mainly just because they don’t seem as exciting as the others.

By the end of the semester, I would like to bw able to answer the question “What is psychology?”

--Original published at MaddiesCollegeBlog

Hi everyone! My name is Maddie Lazzelle, and I am from Hanover, Pennsylvania. I am a first year Biology with an Allied Health concentration major and a Cognitive Science and Philosophy minor!

I decided to take this class because not only is it required for my major, but I also took AP Psychology in high school and did extremely well, which encouraged me to further my studies in this general direction. Overall, I would say I have average experience with psychology.

When I hear the word “psychology” I immediately think about the brain and how it works as one large unit, though it is brought together by many smaller parts that are very complex and unique. After graduation, I plan on attending PA school with the hopes in becoming a Physicians Assistant with a specialization in neurology. So, the brain is what fascinates me the most about psychology. I also associate psychology with how an individual may analyze ones behavior, reactions, emotions, etc.

Three topics on the syllabus that sparked my interest are Classifying Mental Illness, Emotion, and Stress/Coping with Stress. All these topics seem very unique and seem very interesting. Especially the Coping with Stress because personally, I am always a very stressed individual. So, it will be interesting to see what connections I can make while learning the information.

Three topics that do not interest me as much are the Scientific Method, Chemicals & Motivation. All are things that I have learned so many times so, at this point these topics are getting very redundant.

By the end of the semester, I want to be able to answer the question: “How will advancements in the Psychology field effect the future?”

--Original published at *Psych 105*

Hi! I’m Anna Watts and I’m from the suburbs right outside of Philly. I’m a freshman Occupational Therapy major here at Etown and have survived my first semester of college. I can’t wait to start Psych. I’m enrolled in this class now to fulfill the requirements for my major and because I find psychology interesting. I took AP Psych in high school and I absolutely adored it. I hope that psych here is as amazing as I think it will be. When I think of psychology I think of people and how it seems impossible to understand what people are thinking. Then as I learn more about the details of the various areas of psychology, the seemingly undecipherable actions of people seem a little bit more understandable. The sections that seem the most interesting are the brain on the micro level, emotions, and personality theory. I can see the most interesting of the three being the brain on a micro level. I always found the parts of the brain and how they work extremely interesting. The sections that seem the least interesting are the operant conditioning, theories of intelligence, and the mechanics of sleep. I found sleep a little monotonous. At the end of this class, I hope to have a greater understanding of the fundamentals of psychology.

--Original published at Caleb C's College Blog

• Why you chose to take this class?

I chose this class as a requirement for my minor which is cognitive science which I believe goes well with my major in Biotechnology. I took AP Psych in high school and enjoyed the class very much, so I look forward to learning more about psychology this semester and am happy to take it for my minor.

• What background, if any, do you have in psychology?

I took AP Psych in high school and found the class very interesting and I personally believe it has had a major impact on the world of science and how researchers look at the human body and how the brain plays such a large role in our biology both physically and mentally.

• What do you think of when you hear the word “psychology”?

I think of science and how the brain works in relation to emotions, natural drives, and instincts.

• Look at the course schedule on the syllabus. Which three topics look the most interesting to you? Why? Which three topics look the least interesting to you? Why?

Moral Development, Conditioning, and Chemicals and Consciousness all catch my eye and seem quite interesting. I think that these seem fascinating because I have always pondered how morals impact the development of people and whether or not morals impact a child’s tendency to be a good or bad person. I remember learning about conditioning in high school and want to know more about it because it remember it being a key finding and pivot point in the study of psychology. And lastly, I can’t wait to learn about the chemicals and how they impact your mind considering I am a bio related major and hormones are highlighted frequently in my studies. The sleep section, stereotypes and discrimination, and attachment theory all to me seem not that interesting but I still look forward to learning more about those aspects of psychology.

• What question about psychology do you want to answer by the end of this class?

Whether addiction is a real thing or just something which people who struggle with certain tendencies latch on to as an excuse for their low self control.

--Original published at Rachel's Blog

Hi, my name is Rachel DiDomenicis and I am a chemistry major.  I chose to take this class because this field of study is very interesting to me, and I would like to learn more about how the mind works and why we act as we do.  The background of psychology consists of a class that I took in high school as an elective.  When I hear the word psychology, I think about different parts of the human mind, and how that relates to how we function.  I also think of different emotions people can experience, how people can obtain memories, and lastly I think of psychological disorders that can occur.  One final thing that I think of is Sigmund Freud.  Three topics that look the most interesting to me are how to make and improve memories, stress and how to cope with it, and the brain.  These topics seem the most interesting to me because I feel like all three of these topics can relate to one another.  Also, the topic is about stress is essential to all of us since we are college students experiencing that every day.  I would like to learn more about how people are able to have memories and how the brain does this, which is why I think these three topics are interesting.  The three topics that are the least interesting to me are attachment theory, personality theory, and psychotherapy.  These are less interesting to me because I am not really too familiar with these topics and have never heard of these theories before.  A question about psychology that I have is how do some people remember their dreams at night, while others do not?

--Original published at Pisacane Perspectives

Hi, I’m Angie. I decided to take this class because I’m very interested in psychology and it plays a big role in my major, which is Music Therapy. I’m also thinking of getting a minor in Psychology so this class will help me make that decision. Some background that I have in psychology is the class I took in high school and what I’ve learned so far in my Music Therapy classes. Because of that, there’s a lot that comes to mind when I think of psychology. Mainly, I think of brain functions such as emotion and memory, and brain development. Three topics on the syllabus that look interesting to me are Psychology Then and Now, because I like to see how approaches have developed over time, and Moral Development and Why Do We Forget because I don’t know a lot about those topics but I’m curious about what happens in the brain when it comes to them. Some that don’t catch my interest are the Scientific Method, Why Research Matters, and Chemicals and Consciousness, because they sound very technical, which are usually topics I have trouble with. One question about psychology I’d like to answer by the end of this class is why is it we mirror the feelings of the music we listen to (instrumental, not lyrical)?

--Original published at Michael's Blog

Hello, my name is Michael Sheaffer and I am a sophomore business administration major with a concentration in finance. The reason I took this class is to satisfy my core requirements. I have no background in psychology. When I hear the word “psychology,” I typically think of the brain and how it works.

The three topics that I find the most interesting are “Why do we forget,” “Mechanics of sleep,” and “How to improve memory.” I find it interesting to know more about memory and how to possibly improve it. I am also very interested in how sleep works and possible ways to improve it.

The three topics I find the least interesting are “Emotion,” “Motivation,” and “Stress.” I am not really interested in learning about emotion because I feel it will be kind of boring. I am not interested in learning about motivation because I already know what motivates me. I am not really interested in learning about stress because I know how to deal with situations when I am feeling stressed.

One question I would like to have answered is how do psychologists figure out how the brain works? What is the process they use?