Why Major X - Science

I would be thrilled to be invited and accepted into the Science and Humanities Scholars Program, where I could take a fascinating and engaging interdisciplinary academic core program that would include freshman seminars such as Meaning across the Millennia. The following year, I would want to major in psychology and specialize in cognitive-neuroscience.

My interest in neuroscience began at the end of sixth grade. I frequented bookstores a lot, especially Barnes & Noble, and one day, a table there caught my eye: a collection of books related to the brain and the mind. Over the weeks, I became fascinated and began buying books on the subject, including Matthew MacDonald's Your Brain: The Missing Manual. While partially a scientific guide that introduced vocabulary and concepts from biology and psychology, the book also included some advice on how to get the most from your mind. I was especially engaged by how MacDonald connected the physical workings of the brain to their results and implications in daily life. My curiosity has persisted since then through listening to TED talks and reading publications such as Scientific American Mind. I am excited to continue at Carnegie Mellon the adventure of exploring the brain, the “last frontier of human innovation.”

In addition, the academic experience would not be complete for me without the opportunity to conduct research and I would be lucky to be able to research the cellular basis of cognition at the Urban Lab. I would also look forward to presenting my findings at the Meeting of the Minds, the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

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