1. Robin Younker is a Senior studying Psychology, Brain and Behavioral Sciences.

Ryounke@purdue.edu

2. Why did you choose this major? Describe the process by which you decided
on it.
Originally she was double majoring in Genetics and Psychology. As time went on
she realized it was really the overlap between bio and psych that held her interest.
She looked into the neurophysiology program at Purdue, but was put off by the
number of animal models they work with (she really hate rodents, they creep her out
to no end). She also was not having a positive experience with the people that she
was interacting with within the College of Science. She then learned that in HHS
there is a subset of the psych department that offers a degree in Brain and
Behavioral Science, this program is more neuro and biology based then the regular
psych program. It felt like the perfect fit for her.

3. What are typical major classes like in terms of content, format, and instructor’s
style of teaching? For example, discuss emphasis on labs/lecture/discussion,
small or large class sizes, etc​​.
Her major classes are primarily all lecture format. In her experience, 400 level
classes tend to emphasize more on discussion. It is very common to be required to
read journal articles over a textbook for her major. Class sizes vary from 15 to 150
depending on the course.

4. What has been our favorite class? What did you learn, and why was it your
favorite?
​Her favorite course has been Genes and Behavior taught by Dr. Fox. It was
discussion format on various journal articles with a few lectures sprinkled throughout.
She found that the way they had to engage with the material significantly helped her
learn. She also felt that Dr. Fox did an exceptional job balancing the workload of the
course so that it wasn’t overwhelming. There was no exams, just two big
presentations throughout the semester. This approach allowed her to refine her
professional skills and she hate written exams. She thinks they are artificial.

5. Which classes have been the toughest? What made them tough?
Robin’s toughest classes were actually when she was taking biology. Organic
chemistry and her were not friends. Since she switched majors, she has felt that
while each of her courses presents its own challenges, the topics are things that she
is interested in, making her perception of them significantly easier. She has also
found faculty and students to be more supportive in her current major. Part of that is
 the nature of the topic and career field, but more so the college of science seems to
cultivate a culture of competition between students that she doesn’t appreciate.

6. What skills are abilities do students need in order to be successful in this

major? why?
You need to have proper study habits. In psych there are a lot of theories to retain.
She also thinks the ability to question things without blatant acceptance is vital. Much
of the field is still in the process of discovery. It is important to be able to discern
between facts and theory.

7. W​ hat are you planning to do after graduation? Do students in this major

typically need or want to go to graduate school? What types of careers do
students with this major typically go into?
After graduation she will take a gap year to work and then attend graduate school for
Occupation Therapy. Typically, students do go to graduate school of some kind,
whether that is master program or MBA or clinical program. Careers include but are
not limited to human services, human resources, research, healthcare, and
education.

8. W​ hat extra-curricular opportunities related to the major have you experienced

or can you recommend?
Robin is not involved in extracurriculars related to psych. She used to sit on the
executive board of the College of Science Student Council. She recommends any
colleges student council. She also does a fair amount of volunteer organizations
because she enjoys it and it is helpful to her graduate school applications.