Reply to comment

Hi I'm Jackie and I'm a sophomore at Bryn Mawr. I consider myself to be pre-med, and I am leaning towards a biology major, but for now I am still 'undecided.' I learned a decent amount of introductory biology in high school, and I continue my studies of biology in Bio 101 and 102 here at Bryn Mawr, but I have no other experiences in the field of biology. The material and style of this course are new to me, but I see this as a positive characteristic and I am excited to learn more about what has always interested me, and to explore these topics in the context of neurobiology and behavior.

I consider myself to be a person with a large number of interests in many areas. I have always loved the outdoors, I played many sports when I was younger, I have always been an active person, and I enjoy exercising. Also, from a very young age I have traveled to many places both in the United States and in Europe. As I grow older I find that I have an increasing interest in and appreciation of other cultures, especially in Europe. I lived and studied in Pisa this past summer (under the auspices of the Bryn Mawr Summer Study in Pisa program) and I had the time of my life. Another strong interest of mine is in music. I have played the piano since I was three years old, and picked up the clarinet and saxophone in middle school. I have played in many concerts/recitals in the past, but since I came to Bryn Mawr, I find that I enjoy playing the piano for fun/leisure in the quiet of my dorm room (electronic keyboard). The last big interest of mine that I'll mention is that I love to cook, bake, and experiment with foods/flavors. As a high school graduation gift, I enrolled in a 5-week, 40hr breadbaking course at the French Culinary Institute in NYC and I have since expanded upon my knowledge/enjoyment of breadbaking and the culinary arts in general.

So, with all of that said, I would love to incorporate my interests in exercise, travel, music, and food/foodscience into an investigation of behavior. I would love to explore the power of memory or memories, or the science of the 5 senses, or maybe the origins of stimulation or motivation. I am excited to learn about the interests/thoughts of others, to learn more about my own interests, and for a great semester in general!