Free Essay

Reflection Paper

In: Other Topics

Submitted By mhaelolove
Words 1578
Pages 7
Ever since graduating from high school the question that always came up to me was what do you want to major in once you start your college career. Unfortunately I never really had a solid answer for that question; I was always trying to figure out what I was interested in. My mentality was to take it day by day and see where life took me possibly figuring out what I want to study for the next four years of college. My first year of college was a great experience from me, I was able to live at school and take on the responsibility as an adult. At of all the class I took at St. Thomas Aquinas College I still had no idea in what I wanted to major in. It became a frustrating process because I had felt like I had wasted a year in not coming to a decision. I had a couple of ideas but when I looked at the big picture on what kind of jobs I can get with that specific major and the classes I had to take for the future, it never became promising so I let it go. I chose to stay undecided and take life as it came to me with getting discouraged. My main concern then was now to obtain a strong GPA. Even though I had no major I took core classes which every major required in order to start setting myself up. Setting a path for myself in order to be successful for the future was very important to me. Figuring out what I wanted to do came later, for now my goal was put myself in the best possibly situation so I can be prepared when I do choose a major. My first step was to take those core requirements because even though I was undecided I still had those cores that I needed to take no matter what I decided to do.
As my year came to an end I preferred to switch schools to maybe find the answers I been looking for. I did not want to pick any major that I wasn’t interested in and waste time and money. A lot of money was involved in taking classes so it only made it more clear to me to not waste any time choosing something I would never see myself doing. My strategy was to plan out my schedule from the classes I have already taken to the classes I was going pick next year into making my decision easier. After finishing up my first year at college I transferred to Seton Hall University where most of my family attended. The school was recommended by them and that it was my best interest to go here because it was a better school overall and it offered more programs. Listening to their advice and personally wanting to go there I transferred having two majors in my mind. The first one was psychology because I have always had in interest in psychology throughout my entire life. The second major that was interesting to me was criminal justice. Due to more job opportunities I kept psychology in my mind but I realized throughout the beginning of sophomore year that I saw myself more into psychology, so I listened to myself and chose to major in psychology. Finally it felt like all the pressure was gone in choosing a major and felt satisfied in what I chose. I actually felt like I made the right decision with no regret. I was interested in the duel degree program Seton Hall offered for Psychology and he classes I took my first year benefited that program because most of the classes were I already received credit for were required. I soon learned that Psychology was a broad major with many directions. There are many different types of Psychology you can study and only expends as you get deeper in your undergraduate career. It also depends on your degree you get because the higher your degree is the more opens doors for the working world.
As of right know I am taking introduction to psychology and orientation to psychology. Orientation to psychology is a class that is for psychology majors to help them get on the right track to success for psychology. The class prepares you to get to know the field better by taking you outside the classroom and getting to know other professors in the field. The psychology related activates that were required to complete for the class really made me learn more about my major because it obligated to put in the effort to get involved into activates that I have learned a lot from. The people I have met throughout my journey from this class really gave me useful advice on how to approach this major and what classes I should take to take in the future that will enhance my learning. Many professors that I have met gave me a better understanding of their experience and what they had to do to get to where they are now.
The activates I was involved in during my first year at Seton Hall were examples of what was required for this class that gave us an idea of what how it is like to major in psychology. Examples of what I experienced throughout this semester is, one meeting with a Seton Hall psychology faculty member. This activity really gave the students, including myself that one on one time with professors who are experts on what they do and are certified and specialize in a certain field of psychology. I was able to meet with Dr. Vigorito who explained to me what he does on a daily basis and what he specializes in in psychology which is testing rats with the HIV virus and the effects of the brain and behavior. I also attended a psychology related career event in which psychology related jobs topics were discussed. It was a interview workshop that explained on how to approach and act during an interview that will help you succeed in whatever type of job you are applying for. It was useful for me because I learned new ideas from people that were familiar in preparing for interviews. I had good intentions to grasp as much advice as I could in order to the best I possibly could when applying for a job in the future. I also had a chance to interview two people who are both skilled in psychology. I met with Dr. Nolan who has her PhD and is the head of the department for psychology. The other person was a graduate student who is going for her PhD at the moment but still underwent the undergraduate process in getting a bachelor degree, her name is Tracy Grogan. With Dr. Nolan we were able to talk about her success and what she did to get to where she is now. Apart from her achievements she was able to give me advice on what I should do to put myself in the best situation as possible in whatever I want to study for psychology. Tracy was more interesting to interact with because she has recently graduated and I could relate to her more because we were around the same age which made me feel more comfortable to ask questions. As Dr. Nolan she gave me few tips to increase my knowledge by giving me guidance on what I should for to make good decisions. Meeting with these two wonderful people defiantly kept me focused throughout my journey because now I had a plan on how I should approach my studies and what I should do better in learning more about my interests. Attending a psychology talk and going to a psychology club meeting was also useful because it gave a different aspect of learning by interacting with other students who you can relate to. One of the most fascinating events I attended to was volunteering as a research participant. At first I was hesitate to do so because I never did something like that before, but once trying it became an experience for me. Being a research participant really forced me to think creatively and test my memory. The questions that were asked made me really think deep because some asked for your opinion on certain topics. That to me was my favorite activity to undergo and it made me a better thinker which creates more common knowledge that is valuable to know.
Overall so far throughout this journey I learned a lot about myself. After completing all of these activities, I knew for sure I had an interest in psychology because I had a small taste in what the major offers and how it benefits its students. This class was necessary in helping me come to a final decision and I can say that it defiantly prepared me so far in staring. Every assignment and activity I went through I absorbed something from it, which gave me more confidence in continuing to explore more as time goes on. I am glad that I choose psychology as my major at Seton Hall University because this semester gave me a better understanding of what it consist of that I never knew before. As of now I feel like I have made the right choice in my decisions I am excited to see that the future holds for me.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Third Reflection Paper

...GE 2218 Third Reflection Paper “Write your own script for your play” this is the most impressing point I have learnt form Mr. Ki ‘ s success on his career, which is also the major principle for his career management. In this talk, Mr. Ki shed light on the meaning of success from different perspectives and dimensions. I can tell from his career that he is satisfied with what he did in the past and what he is doing now. There are two essential factors I can draw from his experience, reinvent your career and refine your life. For the points that he raised in this talk, I quite endorsed his unique perception on career that it is divided into three phases. “ Work for success”, “ work for significance” and “ work for legacy”. Apart from myself, I guess most of the people value ones’ success by wealth and positions. Mr. Ki , however, adds to that life structure, purpose, identity and significance. Exemplified by Mr. Ki ‘s career, he retreated from his respected working position just at the prime of his career simply because he wanted to do something meaningful, not only to his life but also to the whole society. So he transfers his prowess to help and engage in social enterprise project. Reinventing one’s career is equally important in a sense that it helps put your career into perspective, and achieve a balance of life, just like what Mr. Ki mentioned, the second career, the parallel career and the social career. Besides, always reflect on you experience as well as have a full...

Words: 398 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Reflection Paper

...FORMAT OF REFLECTION PAPER NAME: SUBJECT PROFESSOR: DATE: TITLE:   Summary: In two to three paragraphs, you are to summarize the material to             which you are reacting. Do not merely repeat the text. Should you feel the             need to selectively use quotations from the material, put them in quotes and             follow the end of the sentence with a parenthetical citation (e.g., Bishop 24).   Critique:   In two paragraphs or more, you are to critically analyze the material to which you are reacting. Note, critique does not mean simply saying  something negative about the text. Your analysis should address issues such as one or more of the following:                           * Does the writer present these ideas fairly or are they slanted?                                       How so?                                                          * What are the strengths of the content of this Literary work? Weaknesses?                                 * What could be added to this material to make it better or more                                     complete?   Meaning:  All papers will devote several paragraphs to this question:              This is a major part of your paper. Choose a major theme from the work and            show how the author develops the theme. Give specific examples (be sure            to cite them). Show how the theme is presented in various parts of the work.    Reaction:   In two or more paragraphs, give your...

Words: 283 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

How to Write Reflection Paper

...How to Write Reflection Essay Posted by Splice, Essay Tips Chief Writer How to Write a Reflection Essay. Basically, writing a reflection essay is a good exercise to sharpen your critical thinking skills. You have to understand what it is that you have to reflect on before proceeding with the essay, otherwise you will only lose track of your ideas or, worse, you will not be able to write anything that will make sense. Keep in mind that a reflection essay is more like a journal where you jot down your thoughts or how you feel about a certain topic. Your topic may be a film, a book, an event, or just about anything. Before starting with your reflection essay, ask yourself a couple of questions, such as: how do I feel about this topic? How does it affect me, if it does at all? If it doesn't affect me, why? Notice that the questions are all personal. That is because a reflection essay asks you to express your insights. Knowing the answers to these personal questions can help you begin your reflection essay. Do not limit yourself to these three questions. Explore more that asks you to state your opinion. Leave out the facts first. Concentrate on your insights. After having the answers to the personal questions stated above, list your answers. Thereafter, summarize them into a single sentence. This will be your main controlling idea or central thesis which will guide you throughout the rest of your reflection essay. With your thesis statement, identify the arguments or ideas that will...

Words: 539 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Self Reflection Papers

...Being at Allegheny for this semester has taught me a lot about my writing habits. In almost all of my papers, I stray way off track just to make a point that needed one sentence of explanation. During the time I sent on my final portfolio, I really tried to focus on getting the point across in much shorter detail and making sure I am staying on topic. The thing that has helped me the most is the feedback I am receiving from you and my classmates. I decided to begin with my original research paper, which is my text of choice, and follow with my final draft of my research paper. My main reasoning behind that was to show how I interpreted the feedback from the in-class peer review. In my first draft, I only mentioned Willard Cutter in the first two paragraphs and the closer. During the research process, I had a very hard time finding information on Willard himself and not the Civil War in general, and that really shows in my paper. So during my revisions, I went back to special collections and incorporated information during those specific events and some of what Willard wrote to his family. With this, I made sure my paper has much more to do with Willard Cutter than just the main events of the Civil War, helping me stay more on topic...

Words: 478 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Intro to Communication Chapter 5 Reflection Paper

...CMST 192 2:00-3:15 pm - Dr. Fischer Chapter 5 Reflection Listening skills are a very important for each and every person to have. Without them, how is one able to understand another? We are all guilty of poor listening at some point, especially in this generation because of all the technology we have access to. Cell phones are one of the biggest distractions to listening that I have seen. A lot of times you will see students sitting on their phones during the middle of a lecture or even sitting on their phones at a dinner table rather than listening to what the people around them have to say. Other examples of reasons for poor listening are things like the effort a person is willing to put in, being overloaded with too much information at once, not knowing enough about the topic prior, just listening to respond and not actually taking what the person is saying into consideration or simply just not having respect for a person who may be speaking. There are many ways that a person can help themselves become a better listener such as reducing noise, putting in the effort to listen, stay focused on the conversation, try to have prior knowledge, avoid distractions and be respectful! I personally am someone who is very easily distracted by my phone during classes and that is something I am trying to work on because as soon as I put it away I will get so much more out of the classes I am taking. Noise doesn’t just have to be physical, it can be psychological which is what distracts...

Words: 387 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Dental Hygienist Reflection Paper

...I focused my senior project on a Dental Hygienist, someone works in a dental office and performs many tasks that a dental assistant cannot. I did my senior project on a Dental Hygienist because I plan on attending college and obtaining my Associate’s in Hygiene. Throughout the process of writing my senior project I was faced with some negative and positive outcomes which lead me to think of ways I could have done it better but overall I enjoyed the experience it brought me. While working on my project I constantly became stressed over how well my project actually was. I constantly had to remind myself that this project was essential on my path to graduation. After I finished my project the first time, I reviewed the essay and presentation twice....

Words: 377 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

English 111 Reflection Paper

...Since I never been interested in reading I never really engaged with what I read about. It was not until last semester in my English 111 class that I started enjoying what I read by actually evaluating the text in further detail. Active reading means reading something in further detail by evaluating and analyzing the text in different ways then just re-reading the text. By doing this you establish more support in your assessment. This hands-on-way to read, by highlighting or writing in the margins, is a way to enhance the reader ability to expand their assessment of the text. Active reading also consists of reading, asking questions, and examining the text. This is different from any other reading technics I have used in the past. Active reading...

Words: 300 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Stuff

...Handbook for complete details regarding Christian Service. Any questions about your service should be directed to the teacher listed above for your grade level. Please look for a monthly progress report on Edline which will show your hours approved. You must maintain a copy of all forms turned in for your records. Part I: Where did you perform this service? Name, Address, Phone Number of agency: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Names of other FGRHS students who also served with you ____________________________________________ REFLECTION: On the back of this paper write a paragraph about what you did, another paragraph about how Christ was reflected in your work and a third paragraph about how Christ was reflected in those you served. Approval of hours is contingent upon a well written reflection. Part II: To be completed by adult supervisor (not a parent): What assigned tasks did the student complete? MERCY o Served meal to homeless o...

Words: 437 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Gen 201

...------------------------------------------------- University of Phoenix Material Academic Success Answer each question below in at least 75 words per question, reflecting on your current abilities, and identify resources to strengthen your skills. Refer to the videos, readings, and other weekly assignments to help you compose your answers. Question | Your reflection | How would you define academic readiness? | I would define academic readiness as your own understanding of your study. Also what your own goals are and what your plans are to obtain them. As well as what your self discipline is | What concerns, if any, do you have with academic writing and reading? | My concerns mostly is the writing part of it all. I love to read, I just have a hard time putting things on paper. But. I know I will learn through all these exercise | What two university resources will you use to strengthen your writing and reading skills (refer to your Student Resources Worksheet)? | I believe the two resources that will best benefit me will be writepoint and guides. | What is your personal learning style (refer to the Ch. 1 Aplia homework)? | My personal learning style is like more hands on mode3. | What are two obstacles you might need to overcome (refer to your Life Factors and personality assessments)? | One of my biggest obstacle is time management. Plus another would be financial. | What strategies can you use to overcome these obstacles and be successful? | One strategy would...

Words: 413 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Remembering The Early Years Of Parenting

...Reflection has been proven to be an excellent teacher, especially after making an emotional based decision associated with parenting. Now that I have children in the third grade, reflecting on lofty expectations followed by a short temper after my hopes were dashed says a lot about leading by example. When reviewing various writings about parenting, pairing them with reflection on past behavior, it becomes very clear many lessons can be learned. Having patience, setting realistic goals and reacting to success or failure appropriately are all great marks to be judged by. While realizing no one is perfect, understanding the difficulties and struggles parents face with their children, as discussed by experts, having an owners manual for my children could come in very handy! Because parenting in general can by difficult, many studies have found the transition from infancy to adolescence even more difficult for fathers. Because the mother has time to bond with the child, specifically through labor and breastfeeding, fathers struggle to find a place and may not have appropriate time to bond. Some studies suggest playful interactions with their children as they grow can not only help a father bond with children but also help the father find and learn his role in parenting. (Machin, A. J. (2015). Remembering the early years of parenting, more...

Words: 1316 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Nursing Reflective Report

...This paper will explore the importance of personal reflection in nursing practice and how it is a fundamental skill in the field. It also looks into how personal reflection moulds a nurse though reflection on experience and development in the preforming of tasks and skills that provide the best possible patient care. The next section analyses and explains the skill of taking a blood glucose level reading; known as a BGL that was preformed during an intensive workshop. It further looks into a personal reflection of how I felt I preformed the skill. The following paragraph identifies how I know that I preformed the skill well during the intensive workshop with rationales to support my performance. The paper then goes to conclude how I know that...

Words: 1302 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Social Issues

...Political Science 1101 American Government Fall 2014 Dr. Joshua Kennedy Reflection Papers Each student is required to select ONE (1) of the course’s three main sections (Political Fundamentals, Political Institutions, and Political Linkages) on which to write a reflection paper. This paper will count for 75 of the total 350 points in your final course grade. It should be between 3 and 4 double-spaced pages (1 inch margins, Times New Roman, 11 or 12 point font). The purpose of the paper is to encourage you to think about what the section’s material conveys about American government and politics and what questions it raises for you. The most important skill to demonstrate in these papers is the ability to think critically. It is obviously good to know the material you have read and studied, but you should not simply be parroting back what is written in the textbook. Your paper ought to consider why these topics are grouped together in this manner, what gaps in knowledge remain, and your personal reflections on these questions. There are numerous ways to approach the assignment. To give you some idea of how you are going to be evaluated, a paper focusing on the first section of the course (Political Fundamentals) might focus on how theories and structures in the Constitution are more or less relevant to politics today. For example, your textbook implies that the Senate as an institution might be outdated – such a subject could make for interesting discussion based on your understanding...

Words: 424 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Abseenteism

...Using Student Self-Reflections to Improve Student Study Habits in the Mathematics Classroom A Capstone Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Teaching: Mathematics Nancy Daly Department of Mathematics and Computer Science College of Arts and Sciences Graduate School Minot State University Minot, North Dakota Summer 2011 ii This capstone project was submitted by Nancy Daly Graduate Committee: Dr. Laurie Geller, Chairperson Dr. Cheryl Nilsen Dr. Rebecca Anhorn Dean of Graduate School Dr. Linda Cresap Date of defense: Month day, year iii Abstract Type the abstract here. Do not indent. It should be one block paragraph. The abstract is a summary of your paper. iv Acknowledgements Type your acknowledgements here. Indent each paragraph 0.5 inch. You can thank whomever you choose. v Table of Contents Page Abstract .................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ iv List of Tables ....................................................................................................... viii List of Figures ........................................................................................................ ix Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................

Words: 7903 - Pages: 32

Free Essay

Cm107 Reflection

...Unit 9 Reflection Christy Gatlin CM107 Unit 9 Reflections For this assignment I have been instructed to reflect back to the unit two assignment and unit three journal entry. In the unit two assignment we were asked to discuss our goals for college composition 1. Looking back at the goals I set for myself I do believe that I have achieved my goals. My goals were to learn how to correctly write an introductory paragraph and a conclusion paragraph. This course has helped me reach those goals. Strategies I used to achieve those goals was doing research, using the reading material given to us through the Kaplan Library and studying. Without the reading material and the professor being so helpful I don’t think I could have achieved the goals I had set for myself. I am most proud of myself for learning how to write a thesis statement and why it is important. I never really knew how to start a paper correctly. Having an effective thesis in your introductory paragraph is very important. It can make your break paper. The thesis is a statement that tells what your paper is about and why. The project I just completed has taught me a lot. It has taught me to be more comfortable with my own writing skills. It has also taught me that I still need to work on citation and giving proper credit where it is due. I understand why we do citations but I just still need to work on it. I will have to use this in other classes for papers. I think now is a time to set another goal for myself...

Words: 332 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Reflection in Management

...Critically discuss the importance of reflection in the practice of management Student ID:20583416 Course: The reflective manager (MD4046) Lecturer: Dr. Elias Hadjielias Fall 2012 Assignment no. 1 Table of Contents Introduction Page 1.1 General Introduction to Reflection 3 1.2 Objectives and Purpose of the essay 3 Main Body 1.3-1.6 Review of Literature 3-4 1.7 Personal opinion of the writer 4 1.8 A practical example of Reflection in a certain case 4 1.9 Recommendations from the writer 5 Conclusion 2.0 Summary pg.3 5 2.1 References ...

Words: 1730 - Pages: 7