My Summer: Leila K, Year 12

During my summer I attended a programme called NSLC (National Student Leadership Conference) for psychology and neuroscience at American University in Washington DC. NSLC offered many courses to show teenagers what studying at university would be like and gave advice on which schools to apply to, and how to apply, for various different fields. They offered courses such as nursing, politics, computer studies, film and many others.

My course was nine days long and included many different activities and things to do. It started with leadership exercises directed by a leadership coach. This helped us become more confident throughout our stay and become more comfortable with each other. We did workshops for the different fields of psychology, lectures on neuroscience basics and even got do to some diagnostic simulations where we interacted with patients who were roleplayed by the counsellors to teach us how to talk with patients. 

We learned about challenges in medical research ethics and the diversity of professional settings in which these understandings can apply. We visited clinicians from Walter Reid National Medical Center and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where we were able to ask them about their work in depth. We also had a chance to hear from doctors and the director of the pre-medical programme Department of Health Studies at American University.

Not only was my time in American University very educational, it was a great way to meet students with similar interests from all over the world. They gave us many opportunities to enjoy our time in Washington DC by taking us to Georgetown, the National Mall, and various Smithsonian museums.

In conclusion, I believe everyone can benefit from participating in these programmes because they help you gain a deeper understanding of what studying that subject in university would be like. 

– By Leila K, Year 12