Category: Academic Interests

Introduction

Classroom has been the second homeroom of our students. It is a place where they stayed for more than 12 years of their lives, shared experiences, met new friends, and many others. Hence, it plays a significant part to who they will become in the future. In the same manner, it is a learning space in which students are being taught. It is room where they gain knowledge and understanding on the different aspects of life. This is where most of the student’s skills where being trained and enhanced by the teachers in order to prepare them in their future endeavours. Likewise, it is where their attitudes and behaviours are being guided and developed for them to become a well-rounded citizen of the country.

Classroom plays a vital part in the learning process of the students, hence, learning environment should have to put into priority. According to Miller & Cunningham, nd., classroom environment encompasses a broad range of educational concepts, including the physical setting, the psychological environment created through social contexts, and numerous instructional components related to teacher characteristics and behaviour.

In this study, it will determine other aspects of classroom learning environment, such as classroom space and ventilation, student’s interest and participation, teacher support and encouragement, as well as fairness and clarity of the rules and tasks in the classroom, which may or may not have an effect to the academic performance of the students.

Learning starts from the time that the students enter the classroom. First to observe is the physical setting, as part of the environmental system, which might influence the student’s comfort and ability to learn. The classroom space and ventilation could have an effect to student’s interest to listen and participate in classroom activities. This has been justified in the study of Shamaki (2015) where he revealed that poor ventilation must be catered for and equally be discouraged so that the classroom temperature should be kept moderate in order not to hinder quality academic activities. Also, he found out that overcrowd does harm to learning mathematics, therefore, he recommended that government should make sure that the number of students per class should not exceed (40) forty. However, classrooms specifically in the public schools, are still catering more than 40 students in a class due to its shortage especially now that more classrooms are needed in the implementation of K-12 curriculum.

Second, students’ interest and participation, as one of the aspects in the classroom learning environment, could have an effect to student’s learning. Classroom participation can lead to interesting and fruitful discussions which results to a high level of energy and enthusiasm in the classroom learning environment. However, poorly managed participation can also lead to teacher’s frustrations and student confusion.

According to Ezike (2018), he reported that there is a significant relationship exists between academic interest of students and achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry. This result is tenable because of the role interest plays in various life activities including academics. It is a well-known/established fact that the decision to exert extra effort or even to engage in an activity is dictated by the level or degree of interest in an individual.

Furthermore, interest has to do with a learner’s predisposition to react positively in certain ways towards certain aspects of the environment and is usually developed in relation to and remains allied to more basic motives (Adeyemi, 2014). In the same way, situational interest which could be generated by the classroom environment is a potent medium that can be harnessed by teachers to motivate students’ interest in learning even by the disengaged and unmotivated students to more effectively learn for probable better performance (Kpolovie et al, 2014).

Third is the support and encouragement of a teacher which he/she plays a key role in the learning of the students. Teacher’s support is likely to influence both student’s learning goal orientation and task value. The implications of these statistically significant relationships between the learning environment dimension and student motivation and self-regulation (Velayutham, 2012). Student’s feeling that they are belong in the class keeps them motivated to achieve their goals in life. Giving them continuous support and encouragement makes them inspired and be better every day. On the contrary, teacher’s discouragement could results to student’s anxieties and poor academic performance.

Lastly, fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom. Classroom rules are identified as an integral part of effective classroom management as they are relatively simple to implement and focus on preventing challenging behaviors before they occur. There are two characteristics of classroom rules that were most important to their overall effectiveness were that the classroom rules were taught and that they were tied to positive and/or negative consequences. The majority of the experimental studies described how classroom rules were taught to students either through recitation, classroom discussion, or through modelling of examples and nonexamples. In addition, both descriptive studies noted that one of the key differences between more effective and less effective classroom managers was that classroom rules were taught to students in clear and effective ways (Alter, P. & Haydon, T., 2017).

Many studies also revealed the effect of classroom learning environment to the academic performance of the students.

According to Ezike, B. (2018), he concluded in his study entitled “Classroom Environment and Academic Interest as Correlates of Achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry in Ibadan South West Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria” that classroom environment is a vital factor that can affect academic achievement of learners. It has the potential to dictate the level of interest, motivation and subsequent commitment in any activity. Students’ academic interest is also crucial since it was found to have positively affected achievement in Chemistry.

Furthermore, as stated by Malik, R. and Rizvi, A. (2018), they revealed that the subscales “Involvement”, “Personal Relevance”, and “Emphasis on Understanding” were major predictors contributing towards classroom learning environment and students’ academic achievement whereas subscales “Investigation” and “Autonomy” have negative effect on the students’ academic achievement.

Moreover, Falsario, H., Muyong, R. & Nuevaespana, J. (2014) found out in their study entitled “Classroom Climate and Academic Performance of Education Students” that classroom climate could not influence academic per performance of BEED students. Classroom climate might not be the only factor contributing to their academic performance. Positively, there might be other factors contributing to it like their personal persistence and determination to have academic success wherever they are or they can still attain academic success regardless of classroom climate. However, for the BSED students there was a moderately low positive correlation between their academic achievement and classroom climate. To a certain extent, classroom climate had contributed to their academic performance. Teacher factor, class activities and general classroom atmosphere can significantly motivate them to attain academic success.

Indeed, classroom learning environment plays a major role in shaping the quality of academic performance of the students and this includes Mathematics. Understanding Mathematics is one of the important knowledge that students should have to learn. It is an integral part of the K to 12 curriculum and considered a key subject to many fields in education. One of the subject in this field of learning is General Mathematics. This is a core subject of Grade 11 students and pre-requisite of Statistics and Probability. It is one of the important subject not only in the point of view of getting academic qualification at school or college, but also a subject that prepares the students for the future as well as irrespective of which work of life they choose to be part of. Despite of its importance, it is still one of those subjects that is poorly understood by the students.

Creating a safe, positive classroom environment is a key factor to effective student’s learning. Hence, this study aims to determine the effect of the classroom learning environment to the academic performance of the students of San Mariano National High School-Main, San Mariano National High School.

Conceptual Framework

In this study, the identified variables are the classroom learning environment that may have or may not have a relationship with the final grade of students in their General Mathematics subject.

Figure 1 shows that classroom learning environment as independent variables particularly on the following aspects: student’s interest and participation, teacher support and encouragement, fairness and clarity of the rules and tasks in the classroom, and classroom space and ventilation. The dependent variable is the final grade of the students in General Mathematics subject.

• a. Student’s Interest and Participation
• b. Teacher’s support and Encouragement
• c. Fairness and Clarity of Rules and Tasks in the Classroom
• d. Classroom Space and Ventilation

Research Paradigm

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the classroom learning environment and the academic performance of San Mariano National High School students in General Mathematics. Specifically, this will seek to answer the following:

1. What are the perceptions of the students in their classroom learning environment as regards to:
   1. students interest and participation;
   2. teachers support and encouragement;
   3. fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom; and
   4. classroom space and ventilation?
2. What is the academic performance of the students in General Mathematics?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the perceived classroom learning environment and the academic performance of the students?

Hypothesis

The following Null Hypothesis (Ho) will be tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance:

There is no significant relationship between the perceived classroom learning environment and the academic performance of the students.

Importance and Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the following individuals:

Administrators. This study may guide the Principal and School Heads to create programs or trainings for the teachers to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills in improving classroom learning environment. Also, to give priority for classroom renovations and improving its physical facilities such as providing electric ventilations.

Teachers. This study may serve as their basis of evaluating student’s level of interest and participation in the classroom by making necessary adjustments in their strategy. Likewise, this study will assist the teachers to organize their classrooms to create a better learning environment in order to yield more positive atmosphere.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is limited in determining the classroom learning environment of San Mariano National High School based on perceptions of the students who are enrolled during the first semester of school year 2019-2020. This is design to cover the following aspects of classroom learning environment such as student’s interest and participation, teachers support and encouragement, fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom and classroom space and ventilation. This will excludes the teacher’s rating score in their classroom observation.

The respondents of the study covers those students who had finished their General Mathematics subjects.

Definition of Terms

To gain a better understanding and appreciation of this research, the following terms are operationally defined.

Classroom – This refers to a learning space, a room in which both children and adults learn (Wikipedia).

Learning Environment – This refers to an educational approach, cultural context and physical setting in which teaching and learning occur (Wikipedia).

Academic Performance – This refers to the final grade of the students in their General Mathematics during school year 2019-2020.

General Mathematics – This refers to the subject of the Grade 11 students taken during the first semester of the school year 2019-2020.

As a passionate teacher about teaching languages and experiencing different cultures, I am excited to apply for participation as a teaching assistant in the FLTA program that is funded by a prestigious and world-wide organization like Fulbright.

I got my BA in American Culture and Literature at Ankara University and it allowed me to learn more about the history, culture and literature of the US with the help of specific lessons about prose, poetry and theatre. In addition to my courses related to my subject of study, I took classes in the fields of Cinema Studies, Turkish Cinema, Film Criticism and Cultural Studies. My senior thesis was on the American-Armenian author William Saroyan. With the title “Saroyan’s Anatolia”, I had the chance to focus on notions like “border”, “identity” and “nation” in Saroyan’s work which motivated me to learn about different cultures and countries along with my own country.

Studying certain ethnic groups brought me a wider perspective and I started to focus on their relationship with the Turkish culture and media. Subsequently, I changed my academic discipline to pursue my studies in an interdisciplinary discipline and I got my master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies at Middle East Technical University (METU). I gained a wider perspective on both my academic interests and other fields like sociology and political science. Also, through this multi-layered perspective, I began to analyze literary works in a more sophisticated way.

Following my graduation from both different fields, I felt the lack of a theoretical repertoire in the field of teaching. Then, I took “pedagogical formation” at Gazi University for a year and I gained an academic perspective in the art of teaching. Furthermore, I had the chance to access various methodologies, especially for teaching English. Moreover, I have always been fond of languages and I worked in different language courses during my master’s period which enabled me to get familiarized with different types of students. In addition, I studied some basic French and I am studying Spanish now and through my own experience in Spanish, I am aware of the challenging atmosphere of learning a new language.

I have considerable experience at various universities, which allowed me to improve my social skills like organizing my time, expressing myself and addressing different kinds of people in various age groups. I am eager to face new challenges and I can take the responsibility to accomplish tasks. In short, I am ready to learn and share my own experiences, I would be very grateful if you would give me a chance to contribute to this project.

Except for my academic interests, I’ve been dancing flamenco for about ten years now and I had some stage experience with professional musicians. I visited Spain, attended a worldwide flamenco festival and worked with the masters of flamenco. It enabled me to meet the other dancers from all around the world and I have understood how important it is to share your own experience internationally both in a professional and in a personal way. FLTA is also a great opportunity for a language teacher and a life-long learner. I strongly believe that it would create a dialogue between my colleagues and with international students. Without a doubt, I will gain more experience by teaching my mother tongue and improve my skills in English.

When I return to my country, I am planning to continue my teaching career as an instructor in universities and get a certificate for teaching English to foreign students and I will improve myself about teaching Turkish in a professional way.

Finally, as an enthusiastic teacher, I strongly believe that I can teach Turkish through a filter that is aware of the cultural and geographical aspects of the language and as an American literature and cultural studies graduate, I suppose that I will contribute to the program both academically and professionally

Question 1: Critical awareness of issues surrounding current research in HCI

My chosen paper

Garbett, A., Chatting, D., Wilkinson, G., Lee, C. and Kharrufa, A. (2018). CHI ’18 Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Paper No. 7. In: CHI ’18 Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Paper No. 7. ThinkActive: Designing for Pseudonymous Activity Tracking in the Classroom [online] Montreal QC, Canada: ACM, p.13. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3173581 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2018].

Research problem/question

The research was aimed at primary school children designed in helping to reflect upon “their own personal activity data in the classroom” CHI (2018 Paper p.1) [1]. ThinkActive is a system that fulfil the engaging of the children using pseudonymous avatars, which are used in promoting the reflection by using personal data, and displaying the data within the classroom incorporating an inside display for the participants to view their progress. ThinkActive was deployed over a six-week period using 30 primary school students which were “located within the top 1% of most deprived areas of the UK” CHI (2018 Paper p.7) [1]. ThinkActive exploits low-cost activity trackers and pseudonymous avatars which allow the students to reflect upon their events which will insure that they stay active. Researches reported on the “motivations, challenges, and opportunities for students, teachers, and third-party providers to engage in the collection and sharing of activity data with primary school children” CHI (2018 Paper p.1) [1]. The research was working in partnership with the “English Premier League Football club’s health and nutrition programme” CHI (2018 Paper p.1) [1]

What was already known about the topic?

Background information is used to expand upon key points by identifying and describing the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to existing literature. Background information was used within this research to determine the root of the problem being studied, appropriate context of the problem in relation to the theory, research and/or practice, its scope and the extent to which previous studies have successfully investigated the relevant problem which is currently being researched. Within this research the author discussed a research which was conducted to “identify the timing of changes in physical activity during childhood and adolescence.” This research helps the author to define when the participant physical activity begins to decline. In the conclusion of this research the author stated “Future policy and research efforts to promote physical activity should begin well before adolescence, and should include both boys and girls”. [2] The researches took this aspect into deliberation when conducting the research. Likewise, another research paper was emphasized regarding the QS (Quantified self) movement. “The QS movement has individual dispersed across the world— “Self-quantifiers” or “Quantified-selfer”—who are not only producing troves of data by virtue of simply doing about their daily business, but also they are now becoming conscious consumers of the data that they themselves are producing”. The research conducted used the participants data to monitor the activities of the children, which was then used for “the students, this would be a fun and healthy activity, with opportunities for competition and personal reflection, whilst developing their data literacy.” [CHI] Personal informatics helps people collect and reflect upon personal information to help them improve and grow by analysing the data captured. “Li et al [4] define personal informatics as systems that “help people collect personally relevant information for the purpose of self-reflection and gaining self-knowledge”. This research showed the important of collecting personal relevant information to self-reflect the participants activity tracking to allow them to gain self-knowledge of the process.

Does this research draw upon other disciplines as well as HCI?

Psychology was used within the research discipline to help participants collect personal data and reflect upon the results. Naturalistic observation helped participants be observed within their natural setting, information is obtained, and hypotheses and questions are formed for additional research. Likewise, participants view the data gathered and are able to gain self-knowledge. “Li et al [6] define personal informatics as systems that “help people collect personally relevant information for the purpose of self-reflection and gaining self-knowledge”. Sport sciences was a discipline within the research, it was used to engage participants within activities to make them more active. Technology was used to track the student’s activity and performance was monitored throughout the process. The participant was able to view their individual avatar anonymously and compete with their class mates. Studies show that there was a decline in physical activity in childhood and adolescence. “Four trajectories of change in total volume of physical activity were identified representing 100% of all participants: all trajectories declined from age 7 years.” [7] This research states that “efforts to promote physical activity” [7] is very important when children are growing up as it will improve their lifestyle for the future ensuring a healthier life.

“As HCI researchers our academic interest was in the design and deployment of these technologies within this complex interplay of stakeholders.” [CHI] The quote proposes the interest the researches had within the study. They have covered aspects of technology and deployed it to view the feedback of the human interaction of the interface design.

What is the original contribution of this paper?

Empirical contribution was researched to observe new knowledge through data gathering. “Initial understandings of participating in the practice of personal informatics primarily focuses on individuals in the process of engaging in data collection and reflection for positive behaviour change (or health monitoring) [5].”

“Wearable devices (Fitbit, Misfit Shine etc.) are frequently associated with an installed companion mobile application.”[CHI] Technology was used to gather data. Dataset collection helped determine the progress of the participant. The device was also an invention of a new system to determine the progress of the participants.

Question 2: Evaluate the outcome and consequences of the research

Explain why this research was done

The research was conducted to take a deeper inside aspect of social sense-making by reflecting on activities carried out through a range of aggregate personal data. The data was than visualised by the participants to monitor their progress. The research was carried out to engage participants in competing against each other for a healthier lifestyle “For the students, this would be a fun and healthy activity, with opportunities for competition and personal reflection, whilst developing their data literacy” [CHI]. It can be argued that many aspects were covered within this research such as sport science, psychology and HCI. Psychology was incorporated within the research to help participants collect personal data and reflect upon the results. Likewise, participants view the data gathered and are able to gain self-knowledge. Sport sciences was used as well within the research, to engage participants within activities to make them more active. Technology was used to track the student’s activity and performance was monitored throughout the process. The participant was able to view their individual avatar anonymously and compete with their class mates.

The research was mainly aimed to view the feedback of the deployed system and record the human interaction of the interface design. “As HCI researchers our academic interest was in the design and deployment of these technologies within this complex interplay of stakeholders.” [CHI] therefore main reason for carrying out this research was to see the way in which the participants were using the device to interact.

Who are the potential beneficiaries of this research?

• Funders
• Schools (Governing bodies)
• Future researchers
• Commercial companies
• Society (Mainly parents)
• Children’s

What are the potential benefits to the identified beneficiaries?

Beneficiaries Benefits

Children’s Children’s are the main beneficiaries from the study. The main aim for the study was to help the children reflect upon their personal activity within the classrooms. By doing so children’s will be more motivated, and increase their interest into carrying out physical exercise. The study helps them keep track of the activities which helps them reflect upon their progress. This also, helps them stay motivated and help increase the competition between the children into achieving a better score and a better lifestyle.

Schools (Governing bodies) Schools will also, benefit from the research as it will motivate the children to be more engaged within their physical activities. Using the device, it will create more challenges for the students and engage in a more active lifestyle. Governing bodies will be able to gather accurate results and data of physical education, and learn how to improve the health of its students. Additional funding can be provided for putting these techniques into practice.

Future researchers

Future studies can also be conducted due to the outcome of this research. It can help researches elaborate more on the research by conducting more research. This will help the research become more reliable and help determine new ways in which this aspect could be tested. Funds will be needed to conduct the studies for improving the wellbeing of children. Commercial companies can make financial income by selling parents the devices to allow them to track their children physical activity.

Primarily, the research can be very beneficial to the funders of the study. The data gathered can be used to generate a financial compelling of evidence and statistic for the funders. This will be generated by using the data gathered to determine new hypothesis of how to improve children’s engagement in activity. The research helps define the children’s participation to activity to encourage a more active approach to everyday actions by competing against each other.

Funders

To what extent do the authors demonstrate the potential significant / impact of this work?

The research based on the primary school children that have participated in the study have collected personal information within their classroom to obtain information, and hypotheses and questions are formed for additional research. The impact this has on the participants is, showing them the data which they have produced. This will make them more aware of their physical activities which they carry out within a day. The impact will also, be more visible as they will have the ability to improve and compete with other participants which will encourage them into a healthier lifestyle.

The author concludes the study within the social context delivered in the classroom, and did not deliver a full account of the problems that could possibly ascend which time may convey. Likewise, the design of the technology and deployment of the study was mainly focused on the HCI aspect of the research to see how the participants where interacting with the design of the technology. Allowing, the researches to get feedback on what to improve to improve the impact it has on the participants.

Question 3: Reflect on theory and practice in which new knowledge is established

Explain what research methods were used to obtain the findings in this paper

Applied research and field studies was used within the research to obtain the findings in the paper. applied research is research which seeks to solve practical problems. The problem within this study was engaging participants in physical activity to improve the problem which was addressed about obesity and depression. Applied research plays an important role in solving everyday problems which have an impact on life and health. The problem addressed was used to generate data and find new ways in which it could be improved. Furthermore, case studies were used to conduct background information which was used to determine what was already known about the topic this generated new ways in obtaining the finding of the research. The purpose is to understand and evaluate the problem to create better re-engineered solution.

What are the strengths and limitations of the research approach? Why were the methods suitable for the research?

Strengths Limitations

Semi-structured interviews allowed the researchers to gain an inside of the problem. They were able to track to what extent the participants were using the activity tracker, for carrying out physical activities to decrease obesity. The researchers were also able to find out how many students were actually wearing the activity tracker “You must have it on.’ […] some guys wanted to take it off, so we said, ‘Don’t ever take it off. It’s not going to do any harm.” [CHI] 80% of the participants wore the activity tracker for 32 days during the experiment. Reliability in the extent to which activities were recorded. The tracker activity can be argued that it is not reliable. The tracker cannot determine if the participant is actually carrying out a physical activity as they recognize any movement i.e. if the child was using a lot of hand gestures, rather than their body movement there will be no liability as the tracker will not be able to determine, and differentiate between the two meaning that the results could be slightly off.

Personal informatics helps people collect and reflect upon personal information to help them improve and grow by analysing the data captured. “Li et al [6] define personal informatics as systems that “help people collect personally relevant information for the purpose of self-reflection and gaining self-knowledge”. This research showed the important of collecting personal relevant information to self-reflect the participants activity tracking to allow them to gain self-knowledge of the process. Student engagement is another limitation as some lost their activity tracker. This can be argued to be a low amount of participant within the research as they needed a strong number to determine and gather results. “After just a day, one child lost their activity tracker. The teacher decided to make an example of them and their activity tracker was not replaced.” If all the students lost the activity tracker the experiment would have been a total loss, this would have limited the ability to gather data.

Participants allowed validity in the conclusion of the research. The use of participant made the research more reliable as the researchers were able to test what will happen and gather data which can be used to analyses the key aspect of the research.

The research was mainly aimed to view the feedback of the deployed system and record the human interaction of the interface design. “As HCI researchers our academic interest was in the design and deployment of these technologies within this complex interplay of stakeholders.” [CHI] therefore main reason for carrying out this research was to see the way in which the participants were using the device to interact. Likewise, another limitation can be that the participants are not interested and engaged within the research. This can sabotage the research as they may not be willing to commit and carry out any physical activities which will cause the results to be unreliable. Children’s cannot be monitored outside of school hours meaning that they can do whatever they like, they can refuse to wear the activity tracker which will also mean that the results will not be reliable as some students will commit and wear them outside of school hours. Changing the technology which is used can affect the user, whereby the way they use the device can affect the outcome of the research. The participant may not wear the device as instructed which will affect the results gathered. Longitudinal method is the research technique for the interaction model.

What assumptions underlie the use of the method(s)

Assumptions about an object under study can influence research in many ways. These preconceptions play a huge role in the research’s perspective, and can influence the research purpose. The qualitative research carried out at the beginning of the research created an idea within the researches mind, as the aspects from the background research helped determine aspects within the research, and impacted the way the research was conducted. Philosophical assumptions are “theoretical framework used by researchers to collect, analyze and interpret the data that is collected in a particular field of study.” [8]. It establishes the background which was used for coming to conclusion or a decision.

Does the paper demonstrate methodological rigour?

“Lincoln and Guba describe a series of techniques that can be used to conduct qualitative research that achieves the criteria they outline.” [9] The credibility within the research is established throughout the paper. They have conducted background qualitative research that achieves the criteria which the researchers are outlining. The qualitative research conducted involved utilizing different data sources within the same method to generate credibility and validity throughout the research. Transferability was also a technique used within the uses of conducting qualitative research. Showing that the findings have applicability within other contexts i.e. the study being used within a different context.

Credibility – confidence in the ‘truth’ of the findings [6] “Future policy and research efforts to promote physical activity should begin well before adolescence, and should include both boys and girls”. [2] The researches took this aspect into deliberation when conducting the research.

Transferability – showing that the findings have applicablity in other contexts [6]

Likewise, another research paper was emphasized regarding the QS (Quantified self) movement. “The QS movement has individual dispersed across the world— “Self-quantifiers” or “Quantified-selfer”—who are not only producing troves of data by virtue of simply doing about their daily business,

After watching lectures on the structure of bones, joints, and tissue made by cells, I became interested in the practice of manipulating the body to aid in the healing process. Through some research, I found a simple, non-invasive practice that physicians use that piqued my interest and made me want to master it – osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) or osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) is a treatment method offered by doctors, more commonly referred to as DOs, who have slightly different training and approaches than their counterpart MDs when caring for patients. They believe in the holistic approach to patient care which makes the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine so successful in their practice.

At first glance, you may think that osteopathic manipulative medicine is very similar to the practice used by chiropractors, however, osteopathic manipulative medicine takes a broader approach than muscle and joint adjustments because it encompasses the whole body and can aid in the treatment of a wide range of disorders. Its specialty is that it works by manipulating the body’s own bones and tissues to restore and help maintain optimal function through low-risk movements and techniques that could be used in place of surgery or prescription medication.

The techniques used are of particular interest; these range from simple adjustments such as cracking the patient’s back or neck to direct myofascial techniques such as killer fingers. The main categories of osteopathic manipulative medicine are cracking joints, muscle energy, strain counter strain, and myofascial release. Killer fingers is a technique that I particularly like. This technique applies pressure to the suboccipital muscles to relieve stress and tension in the head and neck. The release of tension helps maintain the necessary curvature in our necks, as well as relieve the terrible tension headaches that some experience when they are under a lot of stress.

Absolutely incredible and only fueled my interest were the cases where the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine treated conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to other conditions masquerading as serious heart disease such as congestive heart failure.

Of course, I realize that everyone’s body has its own unique makeup and that the application of osteopathic manipulative medicine depends on the individual, as not all techniques can assist in the body’s natural healing process, but to me, this type of treatment is limitless and extremely viable, which is why I chose to become a specialist in this field.

My childhood wasn’t necessarily the happiest of times. Growing up, my mother suffered a series of heart-related issues; it seemed as though she spent more time at the hospital than at home with her little girl. Being that I was a difficult child to put up with, especially as a single mother, and only made things worse because I refused to stay at home with a babysitter, I often accompanied my mom during her hospital visits. At the time, I didn’t understand what was going on or the severity of her sickness, but I knew that as long as we were at the hospital, the two of us were safe. It wasn’t just innocence or ignorance, but rather a deep trust in the doctors and their ability to help my mother. After countless hospital visits, I knew that I wanted to join this profession committed to helping others. Today, my mother is healthy and free of any serious heart complications, but I am just as motivated to make a profound impact on the lives of others the way the doctors did when I was a little girl.

Pursuing an education as a biological science major with a pre-medicine emphasis will provide me the foundation to successfully achieve my dream of becoming a medical professional. Many biology courses demand students to memorize insane amounts of information; oftentimes, you can find such students stressed in the library at 2 a.m. studying heaping piles of flashcards, preparing unbelievably detailed notes for anatomy, or simply crying over an organic chemistry textbook. If being a biology major was easy, I wouldn’t find it as rewarding as I do, nor would I even consider pursuing a degree in this field. If it didn’t challenge me, it wouldn’t change me as a person. Furthermore, while this may seem quite obvious if I wasn’t in love with biology, I wouldn’t force myself to study the sciences so intensely. My passion is learning about various realms of biology including genetics, anatomy, microbiology, and the list goes on. I take part in such classes with a smile on my face, as if this is my calling in life; I study biology simply for the joy of learning.

I have always had an insatiable desire for knowledge. I never seemed to understand how the majority of my peers did not find learning as fulfilling and encaptivating as I did; how could one not feel the overflowing joy of uncovering new realms of thinking? The mere idea that there is an endless bounty of information, an unfathomable number of subjects that one could never possibly uncover, brings me joy. There is always something new to discover, a new way to better myself, and what really makes learning one of the sweetest parts of life is that it is absolutely free, inexhaustible, and completely mine; no one can take away what I know.

While I undoubtedly love learning, there are some challenges that I face and most likely will continue to face as I progress through my academic career. Picture this, for example, it’s late at night and I am sitting at my desk feeling absolutely exhausted staring down at what seems to be a growing list of assignments and tasks that I must complete. I think to myself “Is this even worth it?”, “Why should I even try?”. No one likes to constantly sacrifice their sleep, time, and overall well-being to study for hours on end; at least, I don’t. Although learning may at times be overwhelming, I stop to wonder about where I will be in two, ten, or even twenty years from now. Whether it’s being at UIC doing what I love most or working alongside the greatest minds in the country on the next new innovative heart transplant procedure, I take that moment to stop and really think about what makes me excited to learn; I take that fuel from my daydreams and use it to ignite the flames of my love for learning. The payoff of learning will always trump any stress that I may experience. Not everyone has the privilege to learn, so even if there are times when I may find myself stressed and unmotivated, I will never take my education for granted.

2:00 p.m., tests were run to check for any brain activity. My favorite subject was Biology, but sadly I didn’t know enough about how the brain and nervous system worked to understand what was happening. 2:20 p.m., tests were repeated. 2.40 p.m., my father was officially diagnosed with brain stem death. The cause of death, a new word in my vocabulary, ‘encephalitis’. Through this trauma I was hooked, I wanted to understand, I wanted to know more, I wanted to study the brain, and became interested in the field of neuroscience.

I learned that my father had died due to his nervous system’s response to a virus. Through the Encephalitis Society, I became aware of the surreal ability of the brain and nervous system to rehabilitate from the cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral effects of the condition.

Consequently, I took Biology and Psychology at an A level with Geography added in to satisfy my environmentalist and conservationist ideals. This allowed me to thrive in a research-focused environment with an emphasis on practical learning.

I have always been interested in how the mind works, and I remember wondering if serial killers had the predisposition to kill whilst reading ‘Inside the Mind of Serial Killers: Why They Kill’. I found the answer was a mix of genetics and psychological factors. Several criminals have reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex which regulates emotional control and possible psychological trauma in early childhood. To further my interest, I shadowed a criminal barrister from Doughty Chambers and sat in on the defense of a sexual offense case. This was eye-opening and I went from watching documentaries on criminals to witnessing a live criminal trial and observing the response of the defendant.

I also observed behavior during my work experience at Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal in the Eating Disorder Unit and gained a better understanding of the psychological and genetic factors precipitating this illness. I observed psychologists and psychiatrists and interacted with patients observing their daily routines. This included CBT, DBT, and a variety of different medications to tackle both behavioral and genetic aspects of eating disorders.

Following my clinical experience, I explored other genetic illnesses, specifically neurodegenerative diseases. I discovered that the National Center for Biotechnology has predicted that these diseases will become a prevalent cause of death in the next 20 years, hence the urgent need for new drug treatments. This is of particular interest to me as my favorite topic in Biology is immunology and I am keen to understand how both the nervous and immune systems work. It is no coincidence that the majority of sufferers of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s have an already compromised immune response and I can’t fathom that after decades of research and millions of pounds, there is no cure.

I would relish the opportunity to study neuroscience, research, and decipher this complex organ. I hope to improve people’s quality of life and develop new cures in this field.

A couple of years ago, I was in a marketing major, but I was not really interested in it. One of the requirements to graduate was to take a financial accounting class. While I was taking this class, I realized something, that what I want to do for the rest of my life is to work as an accountant.

Accounting is to analyze and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain records of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization.

Accounting is one of the most important aspects of running a business. In accounting, you can find some features, also called business transactions, that are essential for a company to run. Some of them are accounts receivable and payable, financial close, time and expense capture, fund accounting, project accounting, and revenue recognition and management.

Accounting has two major subfields – audit and tax. One is auditing accounting, which is the verification and unbiased examination and evaluation of the financial statement of an organization. Another is tax accounting, which concentrates on the preparation, analysis, and presentation of tax payments and tax returns.

The nature of accounting is based on what type of company it is. Everything depends on the point you are looking at accounting, these could be as a science or art, as an information system, a language, a social force, a profession, and/or a service activity. Looking at the nature of accounting as art refers to the way of performing something. Accounting is the art of classifying, recording, summarizing, and finalizing financial data.

Accountants have a list of duties and responsibilities when they are doing their job. Some of them are: examining bank statements and reconciling them with general ledger entries; examining expenses submitted by employees; keeping an eye on inflow from accounts receivable and outflow from account payables; creating company financial reports, analyzing data to understand where the company is generating or losing revenues and state the company’s financial health; or generating financial reports that display the company’s profit, equity, and cash flow.

This career does not require a minimum qualification to work in the industry, but most accountants go to college and get their bachelor’s degree. For those who want to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), the minimum education requirement is a bachelor’s degree.

Accountants face challenges while they are pursuing this career. One of their major challenges is to keep focus under pressure and be detail-oriented. A simple error can make your work all wrong. Because of this, it is necessary to focus, even though sometimes it is hard. There are moments when you are working under pressure, and you have been working for long hours because the deadline is tight. In situations like this, you need to keep focus on your job as much as you can. Another challenge is to have clear that in this career learning and study is never over. During all the years you work as an accountant, you need to keep preparing and training yourself. There is always something new related to rules and laws.

On average an accountant works 45 hours a week. During peak seasons, this is around 50 to 60 hours a week. The busy season for audits is from January to March, for taxes from August to October.

The salary of an accountant varies depending on the company and the level of experience. An accountant with work experience from 0 to 2 years can make around 38,000. On the other hand, one with more experience is around 63,000. If an accountant has a CPA license, they can get to make around 119,000.

Grow in the accounting sector is not hard, nor easy. It all depends on the dedication and love you put into your work. Also, the effort and hours spent to achieve your goal. In this career, as in any other, only you create your limits and barriers. The doors will always be open for an entrepreneur.

A certain amount of skills is needed for this profession. The most important thing that you need to know is how to deal with customers and satisfy them. I have been working as a Customer Service Staff for quite a long time, and for me, it is essential to see how customers feel satisfied with my work, and more important when they return in search of my service. Another necessary skill is knowing how to organize and prioritize your work. It is necessary to be very organized in this profession because your work has a lot of important information and documents. Also, know what you should do first, in case someone else depends on it to complete her/his task. Knowing how to multitask is very important too, you can find situations where you will need to be doing several things at once, and it is extremely necessary that the work is done well. Last but not least, be a team player. In the accounting field, you will find a lot of teamwork. It’s important to know how to work as a team, how to help and receive help from others, and how to cope with a stressful environment and change it into a harmonious one.

In conclusion, accounting looks more appealing to me than any other profession because in this career I will be doing two things that I love. This profession gives me the opportunity to help clients, work, and play with numbers. It helps me develop my skills as a professional. I know there will be good and bad days, and situations where I will have to overcome obstacles and grow as a person. As an accountant, I will have to continue studying to be able to keep up and provide my best service. In the future, I would like to not wake up with regret in the morning because I have to go to work. I feel that this profession is ideal for me because it is something that I am studying with love and something that would not regret doing for the rest of my life.

Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (you may enter up to 650 words)

Growing up in Wisconsin, visiting Madison, cheering for the Badgers, and attending multiple football games, I knew that the University of Wisconsin-Madison was the perfect school for me. But, school spirit is not the only reason as to why I am applying to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, although it is a significant aspect of applying. The indefinite number of student organizations and opportunities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides is astonishing, ranging from a Badger Cheese Club to a Latin Dance Club, I know that I will find my fit. Additionally, I am interested in Madison’s multiple opportunities for community service and internships in many different career fields. Specifically, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital and multiple innovative research opportunities with professors would allow me to experience and explore different career paths, allowing me to narrow down my career interests and inspiring my interest in the medical field.

My experiences in high school inspired my passion in the medical field and helped me to form a medical club at my high school. My junior year of high school, I decided to take anatomy and physiology, a class which I took to explore my options into different fields. Before taking the class, I had no interest in the medical field or the sciences whatsoever. However, through the influence of an intensely passionate anatomy teacher, I began to research a potential career in medicine, influencing my career interest today. Throughout different units in anatomy class, I had the opportunity to learn about different body systems, different careers, and the life of doctors in hospitals. Later in the year, my interest in the medical field exponentially grew as our anatomy class visited the cadaver lab at Marquette University. At this point, I

Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (you may enter up to 650 words)

Growing up in Wisconsin, visiting Madison, cheering for the Badgers, and attending multiple football games, I knew that the University of Wisconsin-Madison was the perfect school for me. But, school spirit is not the only reason as to why I am applying to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, although it is a significant aspect of applying. The indefinite number of student organizations and opportunities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides is astonishing, ranging from a Badger Cheese Club to a Latin Dance Club, I know that I will find my fit. Additionally, I am interested in Madison’s multiple opportunities for community service and internships in many different career fields. Specifically, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital and multiple innovative research opportunities with professors would allow me to experience and explore different career paths, allowing me to narrow down my career interests and inspiring my interest in the medical field.

My experiences in high school inspired my passion in the medical field and helped me to form a medical club at my high school. My junior year of high school, I decided to take anatomy and physiology, a class which I took to explore my options into different fields. Before taking the class, I had no interest in the medical field or the sciences whatsoever. However, through the influence of an intensely passionate anatomy teacher, I began to research a potential career in medicine, influencing my career interest today. Throughout different units in anatomy class, I had the opportunity to learn about different body systems, different careers, and the life of doctors in hospitals. Later in the year, my interest in the medical field exponentially grew as our anatomy class visited the cadaver lab at Marquette University. At this point, I realized that there was no other career I could be interested in after holding human organs, examining bones, and talking to pre-medical students. Then, my passion for the medical field grew, eventually leading me to take college level science classes and to help form and lead a club senior year called Students Exploring Medicine. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I could develop my interest in the medical field by major in biology or other life sciences, joining innovative research, joining medical-based clubs, and doing community service work in hospitals and clinics to further explore different careers in medicine and serve my potential future community.

Additionally at Madison, I can bring my leadership, passion, and community service through student organizations and volunteering while advancing my medical career. Throughout all four years of high school, I was involved in student council where I was involved in community service, and I even got the opportunity to lead some events, inspiring my passion for the world of work revolving around community service and saving lives. From doing small tasks freshman year to leading full sub-committees senior year, I learned valuable lessons about leadership skills that I can bring to Madison through student organizations and community service. Additionally, I attended outreach youth mission trips where I had the chance to communicate and interact with multiple different groups of people, hearing about their stories, and making an impact of their lives. These trips made me realize why I want to go into the field of medicine – the sense of satisfaction and the impact you have on people’s lives when you make a profound impact on their lives. For example, I traveled to West Virginia on a outreach youth mission trip and my group visited an elderly lady in poverty who did not have enough money to sustain herself and her eight dogs. So, on the last day, my group and I bought her dog food and wrote her a letter after completing construction on her deck. Her emotion and her gratitude towards us was never-ending and is one of the reasons today that I have decided to enter the field of medicine – creating an impact on someone’s lives that is unforgettable combined with great leadership.

The thing I love most about psychology is how much of an impact it has on our daily lives. This love truly came to fruition during my undergraduate course at Sunderland University. Learning the various ways psychological research can be applied to improve our lives was fascinating and graduating with first-class honours remains one of the proudest moments of my life.

I chose to apply to Sunderland University due to my previous experience here as part of my undergraduate course. The lecturers were helpful and friendly, and the facilities – like the soundproof research cubicles – to be incredibly useful for research. The psychological research methods course shares many similarities with the previous course, while also introducing interesting new activities, such as grant applications and research placements with a staff member. Studying at Sunderland allows me to delve deeper into a subject I love while also preparing me for the future, providing a broad range of potential career paths, such as a research role or to become a chartered psychologist.

I believe my undergraduate degree has prepared me greatly for this course. I took part in a variety of research, including my own that helped my to develop an understanding of data collection and analysis using various methodologies. I believe that my dissertation in particular helped me to develop creative problem-solving skills and apply everything I had learned over three years of study.

In the time since I graduated, I have stayed a member of the British Psychological Society, keeping up-to-date with current trends in psychology via their monthly journal. I have also done voluntary work with Washington Mind, where I took part in a group teaching photography skills to vulnerable adults in the local area. I believe this experience has lent me broader understanding of the work that is done to improve mental health and how it may be improved. I have also taken part in a multitude of different training courses through my volunteering. These include suicide prevention training, dementia care and various health-related programmes. I have been recognised as a Health Champion by the organisation, Live Life Well. This training really helped me to deepen my knowledge of psychology, particularly in regards to the impact physical health can have on our cognitive functioning, such as with vascular dementia.

My main aspirations for my future is to have a positive impact on peoples’ lives. I think that the best way of doing so is through research and the communication of it to those who can benefit from the findings. This is necessary to improve mental health, not just to individuals, but to society as a whole. It is for that reason that I would like to complete further study and make a meaningful contribution to the field of psychology.

Mathematics can be extremely complex at times, yet I love the satisfaction of ending the problem with the correct answer. The joy of completing a particularly hard question, or the sudden realisation of a particular topic making perfect sense, makes the challenge and the hard work worth all the frustration and dedication put into it. Studying maths at A-level has been the most enjoyable and fulfilling part of my sixth form years, and the logic and reasoning required for the subject keeps me interested. In maths lessons when I was younger I used to look at difficult algebra and think how could anyone work that out, but now I complete more advanced questions with ease due to the commitment of learning how to do so. By studying mathematics to degree standard, I hope to find more problems that I have to learn the workings of, in order to be able to finally say I can answer that. In particular, I am looking forward to exploring more in the field of pure maths. Pure maths has always been my favourite, as it provides a sturdy foundation to all other math that follows. My success and fascination in mathematics has given me the motivation to continue with my studies in mathematics. I hope to expand upon the mathematical knowledge I have already learnt, by further developing the skills and even applying them to harder and more challenging questions. Besides the possible reward of a degree in such a gratifying subject, I will gain greater understanding for maths and bettering my application and techniques will be a great opportunity. Due to these extra skills, my future would be more diverse; from having the opportunity to be a Maths Teacher to being a financial manager or an assurance assistant.

Alongside Maths, I also study Accounting and Business at A Level which proves helpful as they are inter-connected and have allowed me to develop many transferable skills. The maths involved with accounting and business is more on the financial side which includes workings for depreciation and calculating profitability ratios. My maths skills, which I have learnt from my A Level studies, is apparent in both of my other subjects which proves how important mathematics is for different businesses, financial advisors, and in accountancy.

As a part time job alongside college, I work in a cafe in my city centre. Part of my work role involves contact with members of the public and this has helped me enhance both my communication and problem-solving skills. Also, working with pricing and money, I have been able to develop my finance and money management abilities. I consider myself a determined and studious individual with well-developed analytical, language and numerical skills. In addition, by dealing with a busy schedule of studying, work, and a social life, I have acquired time management skills that will prove vital to me during my degree. Being punctual has always been an important quality of mine and I believe being time conscious is an imperative quality in day to day life as well as in the transition to university life. Moreover, my job has helped me to demonstrate my mathematic capability when working on the till or working out suitable percentage depreciations if needed.

Hopefully, a degree in mathematics will be a fantastic experience, and I eagerly look forward to the fresh challenges it will bring, as well as the wide range of career options it will bring such as being able to work in the lines of finance, banking or even as a quantitative analyst -the opportunities are vast. I believe maths to be the best of subjects and the one most beneficial to daily life. I keenly await the transition to university, and I am excited about studying mathematics at a higher level.