Just a few months ago, Emma Dums, a junior psychology major and statistics minor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was doing homework, studying for tests, conducting research and participating in hands-on courses face to face. She never dreamed that, within a short period of time, her life would change dramatically due to the global pandemic COVID-19.
The effects of the pandemic have impacted Dums personally and academically.
“COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone to some extent,” she said. “For me personally, the rapid adjustments in daily life have brought about some struggles. In such uncertain times, as there seems to be new developments every day, it can be difficult to maintain feeling a sense of control in your life.”
She said it is especially difficult to think about the people in her life who are at greater risk, such as those who are working in healthcare, elderly and immunocompromised. “However, I am fortunate enough to have a great support system of friends and family, as well as professors, who are always willing to encourage me and help out however they can,” she said.
Dums expressed gratitude for her professors, who have designed new ways of delivering their courses, and provided additional support to ensure that she and her classmates continue to receive an outstanding education throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
“Many of my professors have really gone above and beyond to help out their students during this time,” she said. “They have innovated, in so many ways, to make sure we continue to get the most out of their courses, from holding virtual office hours for us to drop-in over video, to modifying daily assignments to work best for us, under the circumstances.”
She also appreciated how accommodating her professors have been.
“Many have reached out with encouraging messages and have been willing to work with students who are dealing with many different situations while working from home,” she said. “Many also have been either offering optional synchronous classes over video or taking the time to record lectures in advance, in order to ensure that students have the best possible understanding of the material, beyond just reading from a textbook.”
Dums said that, at first, she worried about staying motivated in an online setting as opposed to the usual in-person classes, but soon figured out what worked best for her to get the most out of the semester.
“Trying to stick to a routine has been especially helpful,” she said. “I believe I will be able to bounce back from the adjustment period and succeed this semester, while also keeping in mind that I shouldn’t be putting added pressure on myself to be perfect,” she said.
Dums said the biggest challenges of learning in the new environment have been trying to find a sense of “normal” and adapting to a different kind of social connection.
“Trying to feel normal during such an abnormal time is obviously difficult, but I have noticed that trying to stick to some kind of schedule has definitely helped me to keep things feeling slightly less overwhelming and different,” she said.
“It has also been challenging to deal with the new ways of interacting with peers, as it can be hard to connect when not everyone has reliable access to devices that allow for this,” she added. “However, the university has been great about providing as many resources as possible to help us succeed. From providing technical support to counseling services, the staff at UW-Platteville have been doing everything they can to keep us all on track.”
Dums said the most rewarding aspects of learning from home have been the flexibility it provides, as well as a new sense of connection to other students and professors.
“Being able to complete my work on my own schedule, to an extent, has been convenient, and it has allowed me to more easily balance my schoolwork with everything else going on in the world at this time,” she said. “I can take breaks to focus on things like self-care when I need to, and I get back to work when it’s best for me. Another reward has been seeing how such a stressful situation has brought everyone together. Students in my classes have really been encouraging, and everyone seems so willing to help each other out.”
While adjusting and adapting to life during this crisis has been difficult, it has also made Dums realize one thing: she is stronger and more resilient than she ever realized.
“This has been such a challenging situation, though I know I’m so fortunate to have access to resources and a support system that so many others don’t have right now,” she said. “I have started to realize that I can make it through a lot more than I would have expected, when it comes down to it.”
UW-Platteville stands out
Dums’ journey to UW-Platteville began five years ago, when she first began thinking about the type of career she wanted to pursue. There were two things she knew for sure: she wanted to choose a field in which she could use her math and science skills to help others, and she wanted to earn a degree from an institution that offered an outstanding education, smaller class sizes and one-to-one attention from course instructors.
After researching universities throughout the Midwest, the Marshfield, Wisconsin native found the perfect place to pursue her academic goals: UW-Platteville.
“The unique size of UW-Platteville is beneficial to learning and sets it apart from other institutions,” said Dums. “We have the advantages of a larger university, with a wide range of academic programs that give us plenty of options for career paths. However, we also have the advantage of smaller class sizes that make it easier to connect with professors who are more actively engaged in our learning.”
After completing 40 credits of general education courses across a wide variety of disciplines, Dums realized that she wanted to pursue a career in the field of psychology research.
“I want to have as much of a positive impact on the lives of others as I can, which I think draws many students to the field of psychology,” said Dums. “However, I also want to utilize my passion for math, science and problem solving as much as possible, so I think that working in psychology research will be a great fit for me.”
Connections, collaborative learning environment
Dums said she loves being a student at UW-Platteville because of the connections and collaborative learning environment it provides.
“I love how being a student at UW-Platteville makes me feel connected to everyone on campus, both students and staff, and like I’m a part of something bigger than just myself or my department,” she said. “The opportunity for hands-on learning experiences both inside and outside of class creates an environment where I want to try things outside of my comfort zone and explore areas in which I never expected to have such a great interest. UW-Platteville encourages a collaborative environment of students and professors who are passionate about sharing their love of learning.”
Dums noted that outstanding psychology professors who care about her and other students have made a huge difference in her educational experience.
“I think that one of the greatest benefits of the psychology program at UW-Platteville is the professors, and how willing they are to help students in every possible way,” she said. “Having the opportunity to form close relationships with professors who truly want to see you succeed is so important.”
Hands-on learning opportunities
Throughout her academic career at UW-Platteville, Dums has had a variety of hands-on learning opportunities that helped prepare her for her future career and will make her more marketable to future employers.
One of those opportunities was conducting research on decision making with Dr. Kameko Halfmann, assistant professor of psychology at UW-Platteville, in the university’s Platteville Emotion and Decision-Making Lab.
“This was a great way to gain experience in research as an undergrad, which I think will benefit me greatly long term,” said Dums. “I’ve been able to explore my specific interest of data analytics in research more in depth, while learning about other aspects of research through working with other students in the lab as well.”
“Emma is such a fun student to work with because she actually gets excited when she hears words like data or statistics, which is really rare,” said Halfmann. “She is the type of student who can take what she's learning in her stats courses and apply that information to novel problems in psychology. This skill will help her be successful in whatever career she decides to pursue in the future.”
Dums believes classes that offer learning through experience, such as Behavioral Research and Techniques of Counseling, really set the program ahead of others.
“I know this kind of experience can be beneficial for those who want to continue their education in graduate school, as not everyone going into master’s or doctorate programs has had the opportunity to practice those skills, firsthand, as an undergraduate student,” she said.
In November 2019, Dums took advantage of another hands-on learning opportunity when she and four other students on the university’s Data Analytics Team had the chance to compete in the MinneMUDAC 2019 Student Data Science Challenge in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
The previous month, Dums and the other students were given a challenge question along with a dataset relating to the soybean market, and they had one month to work with the data and create a presentation to give to multiple sets of judges in the preliminary rounds at the event on Nov. 9. Dums and her teammates moved on to the finals, with a few other teams, and ended up receiving the Analytic Acumen Award in their division.
“We were extremely proud of how well we did, as this was our first time competing,” said Dums. “Personally, doing something like this was far outside of my comfort zone, and I appreciated how encouraging my professor and teammates were throughout the experience. The competition was a great opportunity to collaborate with students pursuing other majors, and I feel that our diverse academic backgrounds really helped us succeed.”
Challenges
Like most people, Dums has experienced some challenges in her life. She has always believed that when challenges present themselves, it is important to face them.
“The challenge that has impacted me the most is my struggle with anxiety and panic disorder,” she said. “This has taken a toll on my confidence throughout the years, and that can be a hard thing to rebuild. I had to take a break from college for a couple semesters to work on this, but I have come back with a new outlook and a greater appreciation for every opportunity that comes my way. I also think that the experience of a disorder like this has made me a more understanding person, and it has helped me approach others with more empathy.”
Dums credits her perseverance and determination with helping her overcome challenges and be successful in her education.
“Despite my challenges, I know what my goals are, and I am willing to do everything I can to get there,” she said. “I also think that always being curious and having a legitimate love of learning have helped me get where I am today.”
Looking ahead
Dums was recently accepted into the 2020 UW-Platteville Summer Undergraduate Scholars Program, which will provide her with an intensive, hands-on research experience that will give her a deeper understanding of her discipline.
“I am excited to dedicate my summer to developing my psychology research study with my mentor, Dr. Halfmann,” said Dums. “I am incredibly grateful that UW-Platteville has given us the opportunity to participate in the program remotely, as well as the option of postponing our research projects for coming semesters or next summer.”
As Dums thinks about what she has accomplished in her first three years of college and looks ahead to the future, she feels confident and hopeful.
“When psychology majors are asked why they chose their major, I think the most common response would be, ‘I want to help people,’” she said. “The question becomes more complicated when you have to figure out how you want to help people, and how you can have the greatest impact on as many lives as possible. Despite some difficulty in trying to figure out exactly what I want to achieve in a future career, the goal that has remained constant is to impact as many people as I can in a positive way.”
While Dums is not yet certain where she wants to work when she graduates from UW-Platteville in May 2021, she has interests in cognitive psychology and studying intertemporal choice and decision-making.
“As long as I end up in a position where I can use what I’ve learned through my education and from my experiences and challenges along the way to have a positive impact on the lives of others, I think I’ll be pretty happy,” she said.