Adult Development Education is Vital for Great Decision Making

PSY202

Adult Development Education is Vital for Decision Making Before learning about adult development, I was unaware of how the events in my life have shaped me. Looking at them now, I would have made better decisions if I had the knowledge of adult development that I have learned in this class. As an immigrant, I know what an opportunity I was given when I came to the United States. The education I have been exposed to in the United States has increased my situational awareness and overall decision-making abilities. I was born in Santiago, Chile to a middle income hard working family. My parents were very young when I was born so they didn’t have any experience raising a child. They were also very poor. My father struggled through medical school. During the earlier years of his career, I remember how he would go from house to house taking people’s blood pressure for donations. This is how we would eat. Due to my father’s intelligence, the University of Chile hired him as a scientist. He became very successful which is why the National Institute of Health bought all of us tickets to the United States. This was a very major transition in my life. I was nine years old when I came to the United States. Because I was so young, I learned English very quickly. I was the oldest of three girls. During this time of my life, I gained a sense of industry more then a sense of inferiority (Witt & Mossler, 2010). I was able to become goal oriented to take care of my sisters while learning English. At the beginning, I had a hard time making friends because I did not know the language. Eventually, I made a lot of friends. Even though we were in the United States, my mother was very cautious and had strict rules. I was not allowed to do anything on my own. I could not go to the movies, go to my friend’s houses, or go to parties. I was very sheltered. My parents had very strong family values so I would never even dream to speak back to them or even sneak out of my house. I believe the fact that my parents sheltered me and did not allow me to discover whom I was on my own led to role confusion (Witt & Mossler, 2010). I looked for ways to rebel so I could find my identity that I so desperately needed. Looking back I wonder if they only reason I started dating was to get at least a sense of freedom. I started dating Blake at 16. We were together for a very long time. He proposed to me at 17. I saw that as one of the only ways I was going to be able to get away from my parent’s strict rules. We got married a few months after I graduated high school. I had no idea what it really meant to live on my own. During the first year, I took a few college courses. Then my husband and I decided to move to a little town in the middle of Texas. I was the only one that could find a job. I became a bank teller while he was at home. I worked very hard to support our family. I was very upset that he did not find a job for a very long time. We would constantly fight over money. I became very bitter that I did not have the money to go to school. Eventually, my bitterness, our fighting, and his laziness made me realize that I needed a big change. I left him and joined the Army. I was with married to him from 19 to 25. I never developed a sense of intimacy with him that made me more comfortable with isolation then making new relationships for a very long time (Witt & Mossler, 2010). After we separated, I remember him telling me that I would never make it in the Army. With his words in mind, I decided to become a helicopter mechanic. I made this decision based on the one job that no one would expect me to do. I didn’t think about my attributes or my personality traits. Had I known of Holland’s career satisfaction theory, I would have picked a job that more closely fit my personality (Witt & Mossler, 2010). I was a helicopter mechanic for four years. During this time, I deployed to Iraq as a section sergeant. During my deployment, I learned the importance of life after one of my pilots died in a helicopter crash. I hated my job at the time. Once, I came back I moved to another duty station. Here I was given the opportunity to become a Career Counselor in the Army. I love my new job. It fits my enterprising personality type perfectly. I enjoy working with others to advise them on their best career path. After being a Career Counselor for a long time, I have learned the importance of education, and goals. Using my human resources and banking experiences, I chose to finish my bachelors in accounting and real estate studies. After my Bachelors degree is complete, I plan on working towards my masters in business administration with a concentration in human resources. I plan on getting a job in finance or human resources. I know that these two types of jobs will bring me the most self-satisfaction. Had I know that importance of career satisfaction I would have decided to stay in school to find a job that would meet my personality type. I believe that my parents as well should have known the importance of allowing me to make mistakes and find my identity. My parents over protectiveness pushed me to make a big mistake and go against what normal kids of 19 would have done at that age (Miller, McCoy, Olson, & Wallace, 1986). I know now the importance of letting my children grow and make mistakes to find their identity while not wanting to run away from me. I plan on finishing my degree so I can get that job that will bring me career satisfaction while also teaching my children the importance of education and hard work. . I will be able to use my adult development education to help me make the best decisions for my own family.

References . Miller, B., McCoy, K., Olson, T., & Wallace, C (1986). Parental discipline and control attempts in relation to adolescent sexual attitudes and behavior, 48(3). Retrieved from JSTOR database.
Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R.A.(2010). Adult development and life assessments. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc