CollegeKnowledgePaper

NoahW.

ThecareerIchoseisHistorian.IwouldspecificallyliketostudyAncientGreece
orRomeandDarkAgesEurope.ForthesakeofthisprojectIhavechosenmycareerto
beHistorianmainlybecauseIhavealwaysbeeninterestedinHistory.Someskills
necessaryareReadingComprehension,Writing,Speaking,CriticalThinking,Active
Listening.AndsomeusefulabilitiesforthatcareerareWrittenComprehension,Written
Expression,OralExpression,InductiveReasoning,OralComprehension.Acollegethat
willhelpmetodeveloptheseskillsisUCSantaCruz.ThelifestylethatIwanttoliveisa
veryflexibleone.Iwouldliketobeabletodothingswhenthemoodstrikesme,and
travelasmuchaspossible.SoideallyIwouldfindacareerthatwouldletmetravelas
muchaspossibleorisjustratherflexible.OrjustallowingmetohaveacareerwhereI
canbeatleastfairlyindependentwithmyworkorgivingmethechancetotravel.And
givingmetheopportunitytoworkinafieldthatIampassionateabout.Ibelievethatthis
pursuitisrightformebecauseIamafairlyindependentperson,soideallyIwouldwork
inafieldthatwouldallowmetocontinuetobe.

Peoplelearnbestwhenquestionsaretriggeredwhensomethingunexpected
happens.Thehippocampus,parahippocampalregionandareasofthecerebralcortex
allcontributetoanindividual'scognitivememory.Theamygdala,striatum,and
cerebellumallcontributetobehavioralmemory.Avarietyofdifferentfactorsaffecthow
effectivelywelearn.Includingphysicaleducation,socialconditions,stresslevels,and
evenexposuretotheartsallaffecthowwelearn.Ithasbeenfoundthatstudentsthat
workinsmallgroupslearnbetterwhendiscussingproblems,ratherthanhaving
studentsbelectured.Morespecificallywelearnbetterthroughpeerinstruction.
Meaningthatwhenlefttoworkinsmallgroupsofpeerspeopleonaveragewillbeable
tolearnandsolveproblemswithgreaterconsistencythanattendingalecture.Italso

encouragesstudentstoactivelyquestionanddiscusswhattheyarelearningandhow
theyarelearningit.TwodifferenttypesoflearningareObservationalLearningand
AssociativeLearning.Observationallearningiswhereyoulearnbywatchingothers,is
typicallythingsthatcanbetaught.Associativelearningislearningbydeveloping
connectionsbetweenevents.Memoryistypicallydividedintoafewcategoriesbased
aroundhowlongthememorylasts.Somelastforonlyafewmillisecondscalled
immediatememories,somelastafewminutescalledworkingmemories,andthen
somelastanywherefromhourstoyears.Eachtypeofmemoryistiedtoacertain
function.Longtermmemorystoresfacts,observationsandstoriesofourlives.Working
memoryisusedforholdingthesameinformationbutforashortertimeperiod.Usually
justlongenoughtoforittobeuseful.Immediatememoryisusuallysoshortlivedthat
wedontevenreallythinkofitasmemory,itsmoreofacollectingbinofsnapshotsthat
thebraintakes.OneofthereasonsthatIresearchedhowwelearnwassoIcouldgain
aneurologicalunderstandingofhowthebrainfunctionsandlearnhowitconnectswith
myowninterests.AnotherwassoIcouldlearnwhichstructuresofthebrainrelateto
certainskillsorattributes.AndalsosothatIcanbeawareofthemostefficientwaysto
learn.

AsImentionedbeforethecareerpathIchosetofollowisbeingaHistoriandue
tomypassionforhistory,andIwouldpreferablyliketoliveasemiflexiblelifestyle,
beingabletodothingsatthedropofahatsotospeak.Oratleastbeingabletobe
fairlyindependentwithwhatIdo.WhichisalsooneofthereasonsIchoseHistorian,
becauseseveralimportantskillsinvolvebeingselfreliantandselfdisciplined.Asa
Historianmyjobwouldbetostudyandinterprethistoryandrelaytheinformationto
everyoneelse.Somemoreskillsthatwouldbeusefulareanalyticalandproblemsolving
abilities.Alsoimaginativeinsightandcreativity.Thelobesofthebrainthatcontrolsome
oftheseskillsarethetemporallobewhichhelpswithhearingandvisualrecognitionso
controlsthingslikereading.Alsotheparietallobewhichcontrolsmathematicaland
analyticalskills.Theselobescontrolskillsthatarevitalformychosencareer.Afew

habitstohelpimprovetheseareasofthebrainaretogetenoughsleep,physical
exercise,andmentalexercise.Thesearejustafewhabitsthathelpimproveyour
brainshealthingeneral.Gettingenoughresthelpsaffectmood,attentiveness,
memory,andabilitytoconcentrate.Physicalexercisehelpstorelievestresswhichis
vitalforhavingahealthybrain.Andmentalexerciseshelptoimproveyourgeneral
brainscapability.Forexamplereadingregularlycanhelpimproveyourmemory.

AsImentionedbeforeacollegethatwillhelpmetoachievethiscareer/lifestyleis
UCSantaCruz.IchosetoresearchthiscollegeforthisprojectbecauseIfeelthatit
wouldbeagoodchoiceforme.Forfourmainreasons.Thefirstbeingthatitoffersthe
majorandclassesIneedinordertogetthecareerIaminterestedin.Thesecondis
thatthelocationandcampusarebothidealforwhatIamlookingfor.Ifindthistobe
oneofthemostimportantthingswhenlookingatcollegesbecauseoneofthemain
thingsIamlookingforincollegeisachangeofscenery.Thethirdisduetoitbeinga
UCschoolthathasaccesstotheUCeducationabroadprogramtherearemany
opportunitiestostudyabroad.FinallythewaythemajorIwouldbetakingissetup
wouldallowmetostudythespecifictopicsthatIamparticularlyinterestedin.A
majorthatthiscollegeoffersthatwouldpreparemeformycareerishistory.Sincethe
careerIchoseisahistorianitisentirelynecessarytomajorinhistory.Bymajoringin
historyIwouldlearntodevelopabilitiesinresearch,criticalthinking,andanalysis.And
everythingthatIwouldlearnwouldbevaluableformycareer.Itwouldalsoallowto
studycertainfieldsofinterestInordertocompletethehistorycourseIwouldneedto
takecertainclasses.ThefirstbeinganintroductorycourseinHistorywhichisrequired
byallwhomajorinhistory.AfterthatIwouldneedtoselectaregionofconcentration
whichwoulddeterminewhatIwouldbestudying.Thethreeregionsofconcentrations
areAmerican/Africanhistory,Asian/Islamichistory,andEuropeanhistory.Iwouldbe
requiredtotakefivecoursesinmyregionofconcentrationandthentwocoursesfrom
theotherregions.FinallyIwouldneedtotaketwomorecoursesinanyregioninorder
tocompletetherequirementsforthemajor.TheclassesatUCSantaCruzare

structuredinawaythatencouragesgreaterthoughtthroughresearch.Whileitmaynot
bespecificallyprojectbasedatonepointoranotheritisrequiredtodoagroupproject
withotherpeers.Aswellasprovidingcritiqueandfeedbackthroughoutthecourse.A
specificclassthatIwouldtakewouldbeTopicsinRomanHistorywithDr.Hedrick.
SinceRomanhistoryisasubjectthatIaminterestedinthiswouldbeagreatcourseas
itwouldalsoalignwiththecoursesIneedformymajor.

GoingintothisprojectIhadnoideaaboutanythingwithinthecollegeapplication
process.OrTheneurologicalbasisoflearning.Ialsohadnoideaofwhatmypotential
careerwouldbe,orwhatIwouldmajorin.Ihadalsoneverputthoughtintoaparticular
pursuitorlifestylethatIcouldpossiblypursue.TheonlythingIhadandideaofwas
certainsubjectsthatIaminterestedin.AfewofthethingsthatIstillneedtoknoware
whereexactlyIwanttogo,andaroughideaofwhatIwouldliketodo.Mainlybecause
thethingsIchoseweremoreofforthesakeofthisprojectIwouldliketo/needtofindan
ideaofsomethingthatIwoulddo.Currentlymygameplanforpreparingforand
applyingtocollegeisstudyingfortheSAT,findandparticipateinmoreextracurricular
activities,findmorevolunteeropportunities,taketheSATinMay,dogoodontheSAT,
Applyforcolleges,improvise.Afewimportantdeadlines/datesareAugust1storwhen
theapplicationsopen.November30thwhentheapplicationperiodends.Andfinally
March1st31stiswhenthenotificationsofadmittancearesentout.Thoseareallthings
IfeelIneedtocontinueorstartdoingbeforeapplyingtocolleges.

Sources:BrainfactsIntroductionCollegeKnowledgeReader,Collegeandmajor
searchesonNavianceandCollegeBoard,HTHCollegeKnowledgeemailnewsletter.
http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/2013/03/12/howwerememberandwhywef
orget/
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/howdoesthebrainlearnbestsmartstud
yingstrategies/

http://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/schoolofhumanities/history/careerswithyourhis
torydegree/whatmakeshistorygraduatesemployable/thehistoriansskillsandqualitiesofmin
d/
http://www.amenclinics.com/cybcyb/12prescriptionsforcreatingabrainhealthy
life/