Blog 10

I know that when I began to look into attending college I was always interested in psychology. I was fortunate enough to be involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I wanted to focus on an education that would prepare me to work in a school. Throughout undergrad, I continued to volunteer for BBBS at an elementary school near campus. I really enjoyed my interaction with the students, staff, and faculty when I would be there for my weekly meetings.

            I worked hard during my undergrad years in the hopes of attending graduate school to focus on developmental psychology. Unfortunately, I chose a school where my advisor told me that I would be able to work in a developmental lab on campus only to find out that the "lab" was just an empty room in the psychology building. During my time there, I rarely took time for myself to enjoy leisurely activities. I realized that a value I hold very strongly, the ability to help others, was not being satisfied (Corey & Corey, 2010). Fast forward two years, and I am now pursuing an education that fulfills my aspirations. Even though I have already taken career development, I did the Holland code activity in the textbook (Corey & Corey, 2010). Once again I scored highest on the investigative, artistic, and social personality types. It's an amazing experience to finally find a graduate program that aligns so well with my personality.

            As for leisure and recreation, I am the type of person that tries to constantly be working on something so that I have no free time. I realized I was just propelling myself on a fast track to burnout so I decided to take the time to pursue a hobby or interest that would show me that life is much more than reading, writing, presentations, and analyzing data. I started a garden about a month ago, and it has truly become a passion of mine. The ability to grow my own produce and be a witness to growth of vegetables that I have chosen definitely gives me a time to reflect on the positive aspects of my life. Currently, I am in the process of growing green onions, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, hot peppers, cilantro, dill, basil, watermelon, cantaloupe, snow peas, and bok choy indoors using greenhouse planters. The backyard has also been prepared for the big indoor/outdoor garden transplant, and it has been the best activity to get me to stop and think about how happy I am now.

Corey, G. & Corey, M. S. (2010). Managing Stress. In Brooks/Cole (9th edition), I Never Knew I Had a Choice (132-169). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.