Introduction
Capstone has taught me what it means to be a good student, which includes personal growth both inside and outside of the classroom. For this reason, my Within-the Classroom and Beyond-the-Classroom experiences have equally contributed to my success so far and the personal growth that has taken place. Classes such as University 101, the Capstone Scholars Leadership Program, and Survey of Personality have provided knowledge and skills that I will be able to carry with me and apply to real-world scenarios for the rest of my life. Some of my experiences beyond the classroom so far have been creating a Campus Impact Plan, combining work and school, and participating in undergraduate research. All of these experiences and the connections between them have been a key part of the overall personal growth I have experienced.
Within-the-Classroom
During my time at USC, there have been several classes that made a significant impact on my education and overall college experience. These classes include Capstone’s University 101, the Capstone Scholars Leadership Program, and Survey of Personality. University 101 was created to ease students into their college life by teaching them necessary academic and social skills. A few things I learned were how to use my unique personality when working with others, studying techniques, and time-management skills. At the end of the semester the class wrote notes to each student that explained our favorite parts about them. This stood out to me because it showed that we often do not realize the effects that we have on other people, so it is important to be ourselves and treat others with respect. As a psychology major, I loved watching my peers’ personalities shine through our activities and even learning how to utilize our unique traits to work together as a better team.
The Capstone Scholars Leadership Program (CSLP) focuses on defining leadership and learning how to apply leadership techniques within our lives. One of the most important things I learned from CSLP is that anyone can be a leader because we all have strengths and weaknesses we can utilize in a positive way. There are also different parts and definitions of leadership that depend on the person and the scenario. This stood out to me because everyone will be in a leadership position at some point in their life, and it is comforting to know that every person has the ability to be good at it because of the unique personality, skills, and perspectives that each person brings. I will be going into a field in which I will have to speak with medical professionals, patients, patients’ parents, and other psychologists. I will need to use leadership within my practice and when guiding families through diagnoses and treatment plans. I am thankful that CSLP taught me how to utilize my leadership skills and apply them in the future.
Lastly, Survey of Personality is a course that focuses on the different theories of personality and motivation, along with how to apply them in modern society. This class taught me that I absolutely love the field of psychology. I started college as a biochemistry major on the pre-medical track. Once I took the personality course, I fell in love with the subject and knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life studying the field. However, Capstone’s resources and supportive peer leaders gave me the confidence to follow my heart. Survey of Personality opened a new passion, and I will forever be thankful for the career path that it has opened.
Beyond-the-Classroom
As previously mentioned, Capstone has taught me that being a good student involves so much more than good grades and succeeding within the classroom. Our Beyond-the-Classroom experiences often add meaning and application to what we learn. One experience I have had outside of the classroom is a Campus Impact Plan from my Capstone Scholars Leadership Program (CSLP). Taking CSLP taught me how to combine my skills and passions to be a leader on campus and in my community. Each student was required to create a plan to better our campus based on what we had learned. My plan was to create a music therapy organization on campus to provide easy access to a mental health service and teach students how they can practice it on their own. The impact plan was meaningful to me because I was able to combine my passions and abilities to better the world around me. My key takeaway from the plan was how surprisingly easy it was to be a leader. I realized that anyone can create an impact when they recognize and utilize their strengths and weaknesses and work with others to make a difference.
Another experience I have had beyond classes is working part-time as a student. I worked as a Physical Rehabilitation Aid at Prisma during my freshman year, and I have worked as an usher at the Koger Center of Performing Arts since the beginning of my sophomore year. Earning money to help pay for school was the main reason to work, but I also wanted more experience in working with the public. This has been meaningful because it has taught me crucial time and money management skills that I will use throughout the rest of my life. Balancing work and classes was difficult at times, so I had to learn how to dedicate enough time to each. I also learned how to minimize spending to help pay for school. Managing the responsibilities of work and school can be difficult, but dedicating a small bit of time to each goes a long way in getting things done.
The third experience I have had beyond the classroom is undergraduate research. This past semester I started helping with a study on the neuropsychological effects of sickle cell disease. I wanted to pursue research to better my understanding of psychology and establish a good resume for graduate school. This has been meaningful because I love the work that I am doing and the things that I am learning. The experience has made me even more excited to go into the field and to know the impact I will have someday for those in need. My key takeaway from research has been that it is important to follow your passions and work hard to achieve your goals.
Connections
Both Within-the-Classroom and Beyond-the-Classroom experiences are important to grow as a student and person, but the connections made between the two are perhaps the most valuable. University 101 taught critical skills to help survive the difficulties of college. One of the lessons taught was about time management. Since I did well managing responsibilities in high school and learned about the topic in University 101, I assumed that I had great time management skills. However, my time management was put to the test when I began working at Koger as an undergraduate student. One thing I learned about myself once I started working is that I have a hard time motivating myself to sit down and do homework before I am in a time crunch and can no longer wait. Once I realized this about myself, I knew that I needed to dedicate more free time towards working on homework and studying before my shifts at work. I was able to connect what I had learned in University 101 to my real responsibility management of working and gained a deeper understanding of my personal motivations.
One of my key takeaways from the Capstone Leadership Course is that anyone can be a leader once they know how to utilize their individual strengths and weaknesses. While working on the Campus Impact Plan, I was able to develop a deeper understanding of mental health issues within the college community. Once I saw the need for more accessible resources, I was able to use my passion for music and psychology to come up with a plan to help. Developing the impact plan allowed my strengths to shine through and I was able to apply the skills that I had learned about in the CSLP. While applying what I learned in CSLP to a plan that would impact my community, I gained a deeper sense of the things I love and the heart that I have for helping others.
Taking Survey of Personality contributed to a love of psychology that led to me changing my planned career path. The class made me realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life studying the subject and deepening my understanding. Getting involved in undergraduate research has been the perfect way to dive into that deeper understanding before entering graduate school. I have learned so much about neuropsychology and the effects that sickle cell disease has on pain, sensation, and perception. Although I learned a lot in Survey of Personality and other psychology classes, being able to apply the information to real-world practices through research has led to a deeper knowledge that I am incredibly thankful for.