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Hengjia Guo '25 - PAC Captain

Major: Psychology

About me: I am from China. I love to read books and watch movies and listen to music. I'm good at writing (and I love it!), I've written some poems and short stories (in Chinese). I'm also a huge cat lover!

Why PAC: I joined PAC because I wanted to help others learn more easily. Peer help is really important and supportive to me, and I'm sure it's the same with some people too. And I'm excited to meet more new people!

Favorite class and why: My favorite class is Social Psychology. This course explains some social behaviors of people, how to persuade others, and how people behave in intimate relationships. I found it very interesting because it’s highly relevant to our daily lives.

Academic advice: Ask questions if you feel confused. Try to find the aspects of the course that you are interested in, so you can be more motivated to study.

Jorge Cardoso 

Danielle Coughlin '26

Major: Neuroscience      

About me: I enjoy all types of things both inside and outside. I love to read, complete work in coffee shops with my friends, and arts and crafts. I also love going to concerts and listening to music. School-wise, I love learning how behavior is associated with the brain.

Why PAC? PAC is a wonderful way to learn material differently and collaboratively. It can be beneficial for a range of things involving content questions or just provide a space to do work. I joined PAC because I enjoy being a part of and aiding in this academic environment. I love both neuroscience and psychology and would love to support others in finding their love for the subjects. 

Favorite class and why? My favorite class so far has been Clinical Psychopharmacology. The class was very insightful on how different clinical drugs affect the brain and behavior of those with psychological disorders. I enjoyed going to every class!

Academic advice: Studying with friends and in groups has helped me the most. In groups, you guys can talk out ideas, teach one another, and write things down on whiteboards in study rooms which can be beneficial. I also think that going to office hours can help show initiative and it can be a lot easier to ask questions in a smaller setting than in a classroom. Remember that you have many resources available to help! 

 Jonah Levy '26

Major: Psychology      

About me: I love Playing Frisbee, Rock climbing, and hiking. I just started learning how to play the bass guitar and I enjoy playing new board games with my friends.  

Why PAC: I joined PAC because I find that helping others is deeply rewarding. Learning about ourselves and how our mind works in psychology is helpful when thinking about being a student and building new habits. I enjoy thinking about how using psychology in our lives can greatly improve them. I’m also always looking to learn new things about psychology, and conversations with peers are a great way to discover new interests.  

Favorite class and why: My favorite class was the Colloquium in Psychological Science. The psychology program at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is very much oriented towards research, so having the opportunity to hear about each professor’s interests and what work their lab was doing was amazing. The wide variety of topics that were discussed throughout the course made each lecture unique. 

Academic advice: Not every study strategy you hear about is going to work for you, so trying different strategies is important. If you find yourself struggling, being forgiving to yourself is an important part of the process. When you eventually find what works best for you, stick to it. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is one of the best tools to have as a student.

Emily Kayser '26

Major: Neuroscience, Psychology 

About me: I am originally from New Hampshire but moved several times during high school to pursue ballet training. I also took four years off to continue dancing after high school before coming to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. I love spending time outdoors, in coffee shops with friends, and watercoloring.  

Why PAC? I wanted to be a part of PAC because I love connecting with other students and helping people find more efficient and effective ways to study based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoy helping students find ways to make their coursework more accessible for their style of learning and believe that peer help can be a less intimidating outlet to ask questions and get support.   

Favorite class and why? My favorite class was Clinical Psychopharmacology with Hassan Lopez. I loved learning about the neurobiological pathways implicated in psychopathology and connecting the neurobiology of mental illnesses to the mechanism of action of common drug treatments for those disorders.  

Academic advice: Connecting with peers can be incredibly helpful for studying and for providing exposure to different learning strategies, but it is equally as important to remember that what makes someone else a successful student may not work for you. The way others study should be a resource rather than a source of comparison. Ask questions, engage with your professors and classmates, and trust yourself! 

Olivia Ouyang '25

Major: Psychology    

About me: I am from Guangzhou, China. I love traveling, meeting local people, learning about their life lifestyles, culture, and history as well as the amazing natural beauty along the journey.

Why PAC?: Peer students from different regions, and cultural backgrounds gather together for similar interests with a shared language. I enjoyed talking to our peers to know their ideas, learning about their concerns and difficulties, which I might also have experienced before, and helping them eventually.

Favorite class and why?: This is the hardest question I’ve ever had. Almost all the psychology classes I took were really awesome! However, if I have to choose, I highly recommend Professor Rebecca’s PS303. From her lesson, I knew that statistics was not only helpful for academic reasons but also a strong and new perspective that helped you review the difficulties you encountered in your own life. 

Academic advice: Do not push all the work before the exam. Break them done, learn, and review step by step. Trying to illustrate what you learn to your friends (or find PAC, we’d love to be with you!) is a really good way to consolidate your memory.

Sofia Sheintop '26

Major: Neuroscience 

About me: Hi, I’m Sofia! I love to collage, paint, read, and bake in my free time. This past summer, I studied pharmacology at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. I traveled all over Spain and Portugal while studying neuroscience, which was such an amazing experience. Most importantly, I love going to coffee shops with friends to study, specifically Uncommon Grounds!

Why PAC? I joined PAC to share my own studying tips and tricks that helped me through past Neuroscience/Psychology classes I’ve taken, as well as meet new people. PAC is a great, low-pressure space for students to address their questions and concerns about topics. This environment helped me greatly during my first years at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, and I hope to continue creating this environment for my peers.

Favorite class and why? My favorite class I’ve taken so far at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø was Physiological Psychology with Prof. Hassan Lopez. In this class, I was able to test pharmacological hypotheses in real life experiments using rodent models to do so. I learned so much about drug action at the synaptic level, as well as their effect on the rest of the brain and body. 

Academic advice: My advice would be to do active recall as much as you can! Whether it is through writing on the whiteboard from memory or explaining a concept to your friends, this practice is extremely beneficial. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your professors or PAC for help, that is what we are here for!