Throughout the semester the FIQWS class has helped me a lot when it comes to adjusting to college work. Coming into my first semester in college I didn’t really know what to expect, I was terrified after all the videos I’ve watched said college work was completely different from what we got in high school. At first I never intended to even join the welcome program since it wouldn’t help me with putting the most credits toward my major, Civil Engineering. However, the fear of not getting accustomed to college and the $90 metrocord led me to entering it. I’ve never been a person to instantly socialise with people but the welcome program provided a safe space and felt natural as a high school class which made it easier to interact with people. This helped me a lot as too opening up and making new friends. Not only that but the FIQWS class from the program has also helped me get accustomed to college work as it slowly transition us from high school level work to college work when we worked on the 5 page research essay, it was difficult because ive never written that much but the teachers help me find new ways of looking for evidence such as finding articles on the topic in the ccny library website and other sites. 

Our first major assignment in the FIQWS class was the analysis essay; I chose to write mine on Neuroplasticity. Although it was one of the major assignments at that time I felt it wasn’t too difficult, having taken an AP English class in High School it felt like the same workload. However looking back on it now I would have liked to change my wording on this essay as I felt it wasn’t as professional as I wanted it to sound. Not only that but since taking the FIQWS class I’ve noticed my transition between my paragraphs has also improved. Following the assignment we had to do a presentation on it which was the hardest thing for me as I always get nervous when presenting. Overall I think I did alright for it being my first major assignment but I felt that my presentation was terrible.

After completing the analysis essay we quickly moved on to our next major assignment which was the personal essay. Although this seemed like an easier topic to write on, I found it harder to pick a point in my life where someone or something had a negative impact on my mental health. After a few days of thinking I decided to write about what I was currently going through which was recovery from an ACL reconstruction surgery. I felt this was the best topic for me because all that was happening was fresh in my mind which helped me convey my feelings through my writing a lot easier. While writing this essay I took many inspirations from my peers’ work. This helped me further improve the way I showed meaning and feelings in my writing. During the process of writing this essay I also improved the way I transitioned through my paragraphs to make my writing seem more fluid. 

For our last major assignment we have to write a five page reacher paper on a controversial psychology topic. I chose to research whether ADHD was underdiagnosed or overdiagnosed. This topic seems relevant to me as I grew up with a younger brother who has ADHD. Through this piece of writing I learned many things for example the criteria for being diagnosed was only meant to diagnose children. Not only that but I learned many things about my own writing and how I went about in my research. At the start I would only use Google, and while there were many good sites with quality information there weren’t as many experiment examples as I was hoping.Through this FIQWS class I learned many new ways to find quality information such as through the CCNY library website. My writing also improved while writing this essay as I learned how to produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence I found to support my conclusion. 

From improvement of interpretation to proper transition through paragraphs  I believe the FIQWS class I took this semester has helped me improve my skills as a writer a lot. Not only did this class teach me how to improve my writing but it also worked as a safe space to make friends as I was in class with the same people I had my other welcome program classes with, this helped me make friends a lot easier as I was around them more often. Overall I think I had an amazing experience with this course along with all my other welcome classes. Each professor always seemed to try their best to help us with any questions we had and they were very patient as we all were getting accustomed to the college workload.

In recent years ADHD diagnosis in children have increased in the US with about 1 million more children diagnosed in 2022 compared to 2016, but is this increase a reality or a change in awareness?. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a long term condition affecting millions around the world but most commonly diagnosed in children. For a long time ADHD has been viewed as a less severe disorder that is over diagnosed, using the rise of children being prescribed medication as evidence.  However others argue that ADHD is undiagnosed due to its low diagnosis rate in adults, women, and minority groups. This begs the question, is ADHD being overlabeled or is there still a lack of awareness? While both sides of the argument hold some truth, this essay argues ADHD is still underdiagnosed as many struggle without the proper diagnosis and treatment. This is because proper diagnosis is not only essential for treatment but also to protect people with ADHD from being overlooked. 

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) ADHD is classified as a nervous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development. To receive an ADHD diagnosis a person must meet a specific criteria which includes having six or more symptoms for at least six months across many settings like work, school, or at home. This changes when dealing with older patients as the amount of symptoms displayed decreases to five and the symptoms must have started before the age of 12. Current data provided by CHADD on children with ADHD in the United States, states “ An estimated 6.5 million children (10.5 percent) have a current ADHD diagnosis”. This only increases into adulthood with about 15.5 million adults diagnosed. However these percentages vary based on cultural beliefs and tools used.

According to “The Myth of ADHD Overdiagnosis” written by Margaret H. Sibley, a psychologist, said an increase of ADHD awareness has been misinterpreted for ADHD overdiagnosis, the article says “In 1991, the US government wrote a memo that said that students with ADHD could receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)”. This new law gave people with ADHD better opportunities to receive more support at school, leading to teachers having more of a reason to talk to parents about their children’s symptoms. The article “Adult ADHD: Overdiagnosed? Or finally getting the attention it deserves?” written by Stacy Weiner, supports this claim by providing the story of 62 year old Judy Sandler. Judy could never understand why she would forget simple tasks at the office, and it got worse when she tried to write a book and kept going off task, eventually she sought help and got diagnosed with ADHD. She isn’t the only one suffering due to unawareness as stated in the article “Sandler is one of a growing number of U.S. adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In 2023, the estimated prevalence of adult ADHD was tallied at 6% — or 15.5 million people. Previous estimates had set that number at around 4.5%”. This proves that the recent increase in diagnosis is not due to overdiagnosis but instead caused by an increase in awareness. However Awareness isn’t the only problem as stated by Qelbee “In order for people age 17 and older to be diagnosed with ADHD, 5 or more symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/ impulsivity must be present and negatively impacting directly on social and academic/occupational activities. Symptoms must have started before age 12”. This system is flawed as the DSM-5 was originally made to diagnose children not adults leading to many misdiagnoses. Although the adult version of the DSM-5 is adapted to diagnose adults better by reducing the symptoms appearing needed to be diagnosed, the way adults experience ADHD is different than children. 

Women are also suffering from underdiagnosis of ADHD. According to “Why ADHD Is Often Underdiagnosed In Women” written by Henry Ford Health Staff, the criteria for being diagnosed was based on boys’ symptoms. Dr. MacLean says “Unlike the stereotypical presentation of a boy who’s jumping up and down and getting in classmates’ faces, girls with ADHD may just seem energetic, talkative and social” “Overdiagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents A Systematic Scoping Review”, written by Luise Kazda, also agrees with women being underdiagnosed as 24 of the 104 included studies showed variation between sexes. They went on to say ”equally symptomatic girls were less likely to be diagnosed than boys in 2 studies. Eight studies showed decreasing ratios over time, which were indicative of a reservoir of diagnosable ADHD in girls”. This proves that by overlooking how ADHD is displayed in women, the diagnostic system has contributed to decades of underdiagnosis, showing that the real problem lies in awareness and criteria.

Many children part of minority groups such as Hispanics, Asians, and Blacks have also seen a less likeliness in being diagnosed with ADHD. This was proven by the National Institutes of Health in the article “Racial Disparities in Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a US National Birth Cohort”, Where out of a cohort study of 238,011 children only 11,401 of them (4.8%) were diagnosed with ADHD. Out of those children Aisian kids were the least likely to receive any form of treatment while white kids showed the highest percentage to receive some sort of treatment whether that was medication or therapy. This proves that Racial disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD are a fact. Jessica Nye, author of “ADHD Underdiagnosed and Undertreated in Minority Communities” supports this claim by saying “Previous research has indicated that cultural perceptions and reduced access to adequate medical care compound the underdiagnosis of ADHD in minority communities”. This shows that the difference in diagnosis percentage is mainly due to the lack of access in minority groups to health care. 

Although ADHD is underdiagnosed when including all people, the statement of ADHD being overdiagnosed is also semi accurate. This is because diagnosis in children and adolescents, especially boys, has seen many false diagnoses due to normal behaviors being misinterpreted as hyperactivity. According to “Overdiagnosis of 

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents A Systematic Scoping Review”, written by Luise Kazda, “Of the 12 included studies that focused on relative age, 11 studies showed that the youngest children in class were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest children”. This is due to normal behaviors being misunderstood as symptoms. Overdiagnosis has also been seen in the pharmaceutical industry in medication because it is more available, but just because it’s become more available doesn’t mean it’s not a problem because its a financial problem. In the same article Luise Kazda writes “Physical and psychosocial harms (and financial costs) may be experienced directly by the young patients and their family”. This shows that overdiagnosis can not only affect an individual but also their parents due to the cost of medication and therapy. Kenny Lin also agrees with this in the article “When an ADHD Diagnosis May Cause More Harm Than Good”, where he writes “Harms of an ADHD diagnosis include labeling, disempowerment, lowered school expectations, the opportunity costs of medical visits (e.g., missed work for parents), and medication adverse effects, including insomnia”. Kenny Lin doesn’t just highlight the financial problems but also the harm done to the individual like lowering their self esteem and leading others to expect less from them.

While the concerns of overdiagnosis display many important issues, the evidence on underdiagnosis is a more important problem. For years many adults live with ADHD symptoms without the proper diagnosis, women are also overlooked due to their symptoms being viewed as less severe and misinterpreted as normal behavior, and Minority groups suffer due to the lack of access to mental health care. This evidence means that many people are struggling in life whether that’s in school or at work all due to the lack of awareness and lack of improvement into the diagnosis criteria. So by fixing the diagnosis system and spreading awareness and making treatment more accessible, society as a whole can help ADHD be recognized and not overlooked.

Pop! It was a loud sound, then suddenly I was on the ground. At that moment, I knew I’d suffered an injury. But this wasn’t like the sprained ankle injuries I’ve had before. It didn’t immediately swell, just felt a weird feeling in the area, then I tried to get up, all of a sudden my knee wobbled uncontrollably. I was far from home around an hour and a half and was afraid to call the ambulance since it’s expensive so I limped my way to the train station and took it home. The next day, I went to a bone and joint center, where they took an X-ray of my leg and said it was just a sprain. I knew I wasn’t, it couldn’t be with how bad the pain was, after begging them to give me a brace or something they called another doctor who noticed something, there was way too much blood pooling around the knee. That’s when he ordered an MRI to be done. I didn’t find out I tore my ACL until two weeks later. During that time, my family thought I was being dramatic. My mom would say “Para de aserte el debil para no irte a la escuela”, meaning stop acting weak so you don’t have to go to school. My older brother was worse. He wouldn’t say anything but he would “accidentally” move my leg when I was lying down just to mess with me. All I could hope for at that time was it being nothing serious and that the doctors were right about it being a bad sprain.

When I finally got the MRI results the doctor had a smile on his face, he knew but was trying to lighten the mood, to me it felt like he was making a joke though. I was in denial until he pulled up the MRI pictures on his computer and showed me the tear. My ACL was split in half. At that moment, it felt like my life was over. Soccer wasn’t just a sport to me it was the way I relieved stress when I was having a bad day, it was also my daily routine to play soccer. Losing it felt like losing a big part of my life. I had to do pre-surgery physical therapy to build muscle strength in my quads and hamstrings in order to be strong enough for recovery after. But after I finished, my insurance was taken away. I spent months trying to get coverage back, going to different offices and many calls. I didn’t end up getting the surgery until May almost half a year after the injury. That delay crushed me mentally. Many times I experienced my knee trying to bend the other way even when walking slowly. This traumatized me and even now I’m scared to run again because of that fear that my leg is still not strong enough. 

The first four weeks after surgery were brutal. I couldn’t walk without crutches, and my leg was swollen, the whole area was burning and drenched in sweat, and my knee was locked in place with a brace. I never realised the simple things like going to the bathroom would be some of the most difficult things to do because there wasn’t enough leg room to maneuver. This left me to always be uncomfortable. Getting out of bed was a challenge too, the swelling had shut down my quad muscles, so I had to use my other leg to lift it up. After a week of mostly laying down and having my leg raised it got worse, laying down for so long was causing blood to flow upward and I started getting a really bad headache. The pain was crazy, and I still remember the pressure I felt behind my eyes whenever I tried looking to the side, it lasted for three whole days and I hated every second. The only thing that kept me going was my upcoming graduation. I didn’t want to walk across that stage in crutches, I was embarrassed to do that. That goal was what became my motivation to keep pushing. When my physical therapist told me to do 200 reps of ankle pumps a day to improve blood flow and reduce swelling, I did 600. Such a simple exercise looks so easy but when your leg is swollen that much it makes it hard to even control your foot. When my physical therapist said I wouldn’t be able to climb stairs for two to three months, I did it in one just in time for graduation. That moment seems so unimportant but the feeling of walking on the stage in front of everyone and showing them how strong I was, was amazing. It wasn’t only for others though, it was also about showing myself what I was capable of when I have a strong goal in mind, that I could fight through the pain and reach my real goal of returning to play soccer in the future.

Since the surgery I’ve regained most of my range of motion but going into hyperextension or fully extending too quickly still hurts. It hurts the most after sitting in class for a long time without stretching, it feels like my leg becomes stiff and doesn’t want to extend. That’s why I usually sit in the front of the class now or somewhere I can stretch more easily. A few weeks ago  I started jogging again even though it’s still slow and only short distances. My goal right now is that by mid December I’ll be able to run and start playing soccer again even if it’s not full games yet but at least passing the ball around like I used to. I’ve also been hitting the gym and doing home exercises to rebuild my leg strength back, I’ve even gotten back to leg pressing 4 plates. But the biggest challenge I face now is overcoming that fear of running and jumping and finding new hobbies to keep me entertained. Being on my phone and playing games got boring after it was all I could do for the first 2 months. Some of the new hobbies I’ve built during my recovery are learning guitar, going to the gym, and learning about watchmaking.

This injury didn’t just take me off the field, it also forced me to find new ways to cope with stress and find new hobbies. I’ve learned that recovery isn’t just a physical challenge, but it’s also a mental challenge. The recovery isn’t over yet. I’m only at the fifth month out of nine but I’ve discovered new parts of myself and learned to be more open minded and take this injury as a positive that taught me to never take the things you have/can do for granted.

Have you ever wondered why researchers study other mammals’ brains to learn more about our own? It doesn’t really make sense, does it? It all starts with neuroplasticity which is the brain’s ability to develop based on what we experience in life. Prior to learning this some people believed the way someone acted or their personality was passed down in genes, others believed the brain stopped developing after childhood, however this changed when Franz Gall proposed studying bumps in skulls to see if it could reveal a person’s personality. This was later proven wrong; however, all his work wasn’t in vain, he introduced the idea that different parts of the brain have different functions which made other people curious as to how our brain develops. 

After Franz Gall came an Italian anatomist by the name of Michele Malacarne. He conducted experiments on animals and found that trained animals had larger cerebellums than those untrained which suggested that the brains structure changes based on experience. This led to many more experiments being done which allowed William James, an American psychologist to write a book called “The principles of psychology”. This book took these ideas of brain development and built on them, theorizing new ideas which haven’t been tested but were later proven right. One of these ideas was habits being evidence of brain plasticity because repeated actions led to faster and more accurate responses. This book has now become what is known as the foundational concept for social neuroscience.

Neuroplasticity is important in psychology because understanding how it works allows psychologists to help others recover from difficult situations they may be experiencing, this is done via therapy. For example if someone had PTSD people believed there was nothing they could do to help them due to the belief that brains could no longer develop after childhood. However with the introduction of neuroplasticity it proved you could get rid of these problems by redirecting negative feelings into brain functional patterns. This works by restoring cognitive function which is how the brain makes new neural connections and organizes itself based on new memories and learning experiences.

In the modern day Psychologists/therapists take advantage of the knowledge provided by neuro plasticity to help people with less severe cases like anxiety and depression. They use cognitive training like talk therapy to shift a person’s beliefs which helps their patients overcome their current issues. Other forms of cognitive training include learning a new language, playing an instrument, or even taking a path home you’ve never taken before, these exercises challenge the brain and help it make new connections and further develop. Apart from mental training, physical training like aerobic exercises also help by stimulating the release of a substance known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which strengthens the connections between neurons. BDNF is also known to be stimulated by all drugs known to alleviate depression.

Neuroplasticity has changed the way we understand the brain; it’s not something fixed, but something that can grow and develop throughout our lives. Starting from ideas by Gall and Malacarne to now modern therapy techniques, every idea has built on the last. Today, psychologists use this knowledge to help people heal and learn through both mental and physical training. Whether it’s overcoming trauma or building new habits, the brain’s ability to rewire itself opens up new possibilities.