College Knowledge

The Brain
The brain is an incredible organ, it controls movement and thought. The brain
is split into four different lobes: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital
lobe, and the temporal lobe. It also has many smaller components in charge of
many different tasks.
The frontal lobe controls our decision making, behaviors, higher thought, and
some of our emotions. This is very large in humans, since we are excellent at
planning for the future. The frontal lobe is important in complex thought,
mathematical computation, deferring gratification, teaching us patience, and
learning from our mistakes.
The parietal lobe is in charge of our interpretation of the world. It allows us to
feel, touch, and understand language. This is important to human development
as we learn how to read and write.

The Brain Cont.

The occipital lobe controls sight and color. This is important because without
vision, it is hard to learn shapes and colors, or learn letters and numbers.
The temporal lobe is in charge of memory and hearing, as well as organization.
The lobe is a huge benefit to learning as it allows us to understand lectures and
remember different pieces of knowledge for tests.
The smaller components of the brain all play a large in learning, such as the
hippocampus, the brain stem, cerebellum and the thalamus.
The hippocampus works with converting short term memories into long term
memories. This helps with education allowing students to recall and connect
different subject matters.

The Brain Cont.

The brainstem and the thalamus work together to send information up and
down the body. The thalamus is the relay station, it reads the electrical signals
and sends them to the appropriate area of the brain. The brainstem then sends
commands down your spine to the different muscles, telling them to move. The
brainstem also controls instinctive things such as breathing and heart rate. The
brainstem and the thalamus are both important for learning since they allow
your body to write and do complicated tasks.
The cerebellum controls movement, posture, and motor learning. It is the
reason why people dont forget how to write, which is great for teaching more
complex things that require dexterity, since they will be retained.

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Dream Job
Career path: Musician
Skills: Musical proficiency, communication, and small
business management
Reasoning: For a musician, musical expertise achieved
through talent and practice is a must. Communication is
necessary because my career requires me to work with
different types of people. Business sense is a great skill set,
because as a musician, I can market and manage my band.

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Neuroscience and Skills

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Musical Talent: Playing an instrument is like giving your brain a full body
workout. It lights up so many different areas of your brain that it can
actually make you smarter. Specifically your occipital, parietal, and
temporal lobes all light up at the same time when you play an instrument.
Communication: The center for communication is in the parietal lobe,
which deals with language and understanding. However emotions are a
vital aspect of communication - they are created by the limbic system.
Business sense: Business sense deals mainly with the frontal lobe of the
brain, the part that deals with decision making. As a businessman, I would
have to make tough calls and make decisions based on what my company
will do.

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Music and the Brain

Music is very mysterious when neuroscience is on the
table. It activates many parts of our brain, including those
that deal with memory, motor skills, and visual imagery.
Even little babies get in on the act, with children as young
as five months capable of interpreting happy songs, and by
nine months they are interpreting sad songs.

College
Chapman University
Average GPA: 3.74 GPA
Average SAT: 1882
Freshman Enrolled: 1,359

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Reasoning Behind Chapman

The reasons that I picked Chapman for this project was because its decently
close to home, so I can still see my family, while being far enough so they dont
bug me constantly. It has a very nice surrounding downtown, with great things
to do and excellent food. It also has a fantastic music program, and even though
that is not what I am majoring in, it will be fun to take some of those classes and
see where they go.
Chapman has relatively small classes, most of them are less than 25 students.
Many of the classes are Socratic seminars. I believe I learn new topics best when
I feel comfortable asking questions and I am able to discuss the topic with my
classmates. I also have access to music practice rooms and student music clubs.
I think Chapman fits well with my learning style and my career goals.

Business Major
I chose to major in business. If my career as a musician doesnt go exactly how I
would like it to, I can open up a business to generate the money I need to pay
for my hobby. If I get an injury and can no longer perform or record, I have
something to fall back on. This way I am not completely broke if I lose my voice.
Even if my career as a musician does take off, I can use my success to promote
my company to make even more money.
Studying business will engage my frontal lobe as I learn how to conceptualize,
manage, and finance a small business. The skills will serve me well in many
aspects of my life including managing my personal business, and planning my
future.

Business Major
A sample 4-year plan for a Business major
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Suggested 4year Plan
freshman year
MATH 104 and MGSC 208 or MATH 110
freshman or sophomore year
ECON 200, ECON 201, MGSC 207, BUS 215, BUS 216, COM 219 (or BUS 217 and BUS 218)
sophomore year
MGSC 209, ACTG 210, ACTG 211
junior year
MGSC 300, MKTG 304, MGMT 316
junior or senior year
FIN 317, MGSC 346, 15 credits of upperdivision electives
senior year
BUS 475

Music Minor
I intend to minor in music. This will allow me obtain professional training in
music. I will also meet and work with other serious musicians who have similar
goals as I do. I will also seek out interesting clubs on campus such as the Jazz
Club, to cultivate my musical abilities.
Studying music will work out my entire brain - especially my frontal lobe,
occipital lobe, temporal lobe, and cerebellum. I will need to engage my frontal
lobe to understand different rhythms, my occipital lobe to read music, my
temporal lobe to hear melodies, and my cerebellum to play instruments.
Practicing and learning music will actually make it easier for me to learn
everything else I want to study.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, I love music and it will always be a part of my life; my dream is to
pursue a career in this field. I also want to obtain the knowledge and skills I
need to successfully develop and run my own business, whether that means I
am managing my band or some other company. I have learned that music is
incredibly beneficial to the brain, and if you can play it, its even better. Ive
learned what classes I need to take to become a businessman. I need to learn
more about becoming a successful musician and how to market my music to a
wide audience. My current game plan for becoming a standout college applicant
is twofold: to continue to work hard and focus on pulling good grades in all my
classes, and to continue with my extracurricular activities of music, scouting,
and outrigger canoe paddling. My life plan includes integrating my college
education and experience into a successful satisfying career.