Psyched Up! Analyzing Psychology Learning Community By Alexis Lehman, Psychology Department Academic Advisor
Are you familiar with UNL’s Learning Communities? Learning Communities are groups of first-year students who share a common major (or academic interest), live on the same floor of a residence hall, take classes together, meet with a peer mentor, and participate in career and academic activities that pertain to their area of interest. The Psyched Up! Learning Community made its debut four years ago.
Connections
PSYC LC students can expect to meet Psychology Department faculty, build relationships with the PSYC advisors and peers, and explore career and research opportunities. Highlights of the past few years include touring the Center for Brain Biology and Behavior (CB3) and a private screening of the movie Concussion with a discussion led by Dr. Dennis Molfese about concussion research. An informal way the students get to know a few of our faculty is through the September ice cream social. The event should probably be renamed the “annual frozen t-shirt challenge,” as the ice breaker has become tradition. Thanks Dr. Cal Garbin, Dr. Manda Williamson, and Dr. Carolyn Brown Kramer for welcoming PSYC LC students with enthusiasm and style!
Boy's Town
Another unique opportunity for LC students is a day trip to Boys Town in Omaha. Touring Boys Town introduces students to a variety of career paths related to psychology. Did you know that Boys Town employs and collaborates with behavioral technicians, mental health therapists, child psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and neuroscience researchers? Our trip to Omaha also featured a stop at the Henry Doorly Zoo to consider the role of animal observation in psychological research.
Chicago
In order to explore career settings outside of Lincoln and Omaha, the Learning Community staff organizes a trip for various Learning Communities to a larger city. The past few years the “Big Trip” has given students a chance to visit Chicago. Psychology-related site visits have included meeting professionals that work with organizations providing healthcare, housing, and assistance for persons with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, along with stops at Roosevelt University to learn about graduate school in Psychology (specifically Industrial/Organizational Psychology), and the Shedd Aquarium.
