Week 12: Reflection

I really enjoyed Larry's book on the history of psychology at Beloit, as well as the discussion he held in class on Thursday. I think that as students of the department we are really lucky to have something like this and that this will become more meaningful when we're older and are reflecting back on our time at Beloit. Not only have we witnessed the move of the department from South College/random buildings on campus, we're also psychology students during the time of publication of Professor Tawney's Chronoscope. I think both of these events are really important for the presence of psychology as a discipline and major here at Beloit. I agree with earlier posts and with Larry's question of whether we feel more connected to our department after having read this book. Is there any other department on campus whose first professor was a student of the nakesame of their field? One of my favorite parts of the book was Larry's disucssion of being a professor at a small, liberal arts college versus a large, research-1 institution. This seems especially important for me as I am considering being a professor in the long run, and would want to teach at a school like Beloit. It seems that studying psychology here is such a different experience than at a state university. Having professors whose focus is on teaching your class and hearing your ideas is strikingly opposite from those who are focused on their personal research. I definitely don't think I'd feel as confident about my impending graduation if I'd gone to a large university - especially with respect to the current economy. Being student-centered is one of my favorite things about Beloit, and one of my favorite things about being part of a department in which every professor knows my name. How do you guys feel? What are you planning to do with your psychology major when you graduate?