What course would you make mandatory at your college?
As the dean of a University, I would require all students to take Introduction to Psychology. While learning about Physics. Calculus and History are
important, students need a fundamental understanding of a subject that has a direct impact on all people. As social animals, human beings should understand why
they act as they do, while understanding how their behavior effect others. As a fifteen year old boy, I learned first hand the feelings of despair, anxiety and sense
of overwhelming fear. Due to a congenital condition called Pectus Excavatum my chest was sinking in and my life changed.
Over the period of a year, I went from being an active teenager to a boy struggling to breath. My grades dropped because I did not have the energy to study
and had to stop playing sports as a result of the increasing shortness of breath. Socially I withdrew from people because I didn't want anyone to see the hole in my chest.
Fortunately, I had corrective surgery which changed my life. Grateful for having my "normal" chest again, I also gained a new sense of empathy for people.
Then I took AP Psychology and I gained a greater understanding of human behavior which has been beneficial in so many ways. Most profoundly, I learned about the
power of social ostracism and its detrimental effects. All college students should learn about "The Fundamental Attribution Error" , a theory that states people attribute
undesirable behavior in themselves to their situation, while seeing undesirable behavior in others as a character flaw. While no one can be molded into the perfect
being, if everyone practiced this principle there would be less arguments, hostility and people would be much happier. In order to be successful, we need to be
accountable for her behavior, learn from our mistakes and move forward. As an idealist, we should treat all people with respect regardless of the social standing,
other wise, we narrow our focus, limit our learning and close countless doors for our future growth and success.
As the dean of a University, I would require all students to take Introduction to Psychology. While learning about Physics. Calculus and History are
important, students need a fundamental understanding of a subject that has a direct impact on all people. As social animals, human beings should understand why
they act as they do, while understanding how their behavior effect others. As a fifteen year old boy, I learned first hand the feelings of despair, anxiety and sense
of overwhelming fear. Due to a congenital condition called Pectus Excavatum my chest was sinking in and my life changed.
Over the period of a year, I went from being an active teenager to a boy struggling to breath. My grades dropped because I did not have the energy to study
and had to stop playing sports as a result of the increasing shortness of breath. Socially I withdrew from people because I didn't want anyone to see the hole in my chest.
Fortunately, I had corrective surgery which changed my life. Grateful for having my "normal" chest again, I also gained a new sense of empathy for people.
Then I took AP Psychology and I gained a greater understanding of human behavior which has been beneficial in so many ways. Most profoundly, I learned about the
power of social ostracism and its detrimental effects. All college students should learn about "The Fundamental Attribution Error" , a theory that states people attribute
undesirable behavior in themselves to their situation, while seeing undesirable behavior in others as a character flaw. While no one can be molded into the perfect
being, if everyone practiced this principle there would be less arguments, hostility and people would be much happier. In order to be successful, we need to be
accountable for her behavior, learn from our mistakes and move forward. As an idealist, we should treat all people with respect regardless of the social standing,
other wise, we narrow our focus, limit our learning and close countless doors for our future growth and success.