Capstone Project : 2014

Monday, June 9, 2014

6/09/14

1. Write down two or three tasks that people in this occupation perform.
Two or three occupations people preform in psychology, are therapist, a consultant for the police, and possibly a criminal profiler depending on their degree.

2. Describe how you could learn to perform each task in a way that complements your learning style.
Some ways that I could learn the skills needed to perform in my job using my learning skill is to try my best to catalog important information and to connect it to events and places within my life so that every time I think back it helps me to remember these skills. It would also be very much in my benefit to participate in some hands on activities and to be bale to process the information at my own pace.

3. Write down two working conditions that are common for people in this occupation.
Two working conditions that are common for people in psychology are high job stress because of large case loads and such strict time schedules, and also long hours. It is stated that most psychologist work 40 hour weeks if not more.

4. Describe how you could adapt the working conditions you listed above so that they support your
learning style.

The best way that I feel I can adjust to my working conditions are to try to manage my time, and to take cases that I know I can become passionate with so that it is never a problem for me to get into my work and really figure out what the problem in. I mostly want to work in criminal psychology because it will allow me to catch killers and put people away so that the world will be that much safer for the next generation of children.

5. What do you think are some of the challenges associated with your learning style?

Some challenges associated with my learning style is that sometimes I find it difficult to truly understand something if I am not given the time to work out the problem and try to understand for myself. Most of the time if things are just explained to me and I can not work Hands on with the material the link that helps my brain to process all the new information does not click.

6. What do you think are some of the advantages of your learning style?

Some advantages to my learning style are that after I learn to do something I tend not to forget. As I continue the Hands On approach to my work and gain more and more knowledge on the subject it actually becomes much easier for me to do my job, in a timely fashion.

Career Cruising Two

1. What do people in this career do?

People in this career work directly with clients or patients. They treat people with emotional or mental disorders, people who have problems with their spouses or families, people who have psychological problems linked to illness or disease, and people who have trouble adapting to school, work, or life events.

2. What are the working conditions like for people in this career?

Psychologists often have high levels of job stress because of tight schedules and heavy workloads. Treating patients and clients can be extremely rewarding, but also emotionally draining. Clinical and counseling psychologists witness a lot of difficulty and pain, and sometimes have to deal with disturbing and violent behavior.

3. What salaries do people in this career earn?

Interns earn between $30,000 and 50,000 a year. Licensed psychologist earn between 50,000 and 100,000 a year. And the Director of a Social Service Agency would earn between $70,000 and $110,000 a year.

4. How do their job responsibilities change as they gain more experience and seniority?

As you gain more experience and seniority not only does the amount of money you make increase, but also the amount of responsibility one has increases. When you first start you do not do very much work with the people themselves, and if you do, it is always under the supervision of others. However, as time progresses you will be able to work one on one with clients to help them with their problems.

5. What is similar about the two careers?

Though nursing and psychology are the same in the aspect that both jobs involve helping people that are sick that is about all that the two have in common.

6. Which career do you think you would like more and why?

I would much rather pick psychology because though both jobs involve helping people I want to cure people's sick minds not their sick bodies. I want to help people mentally and then if needed they can seek help to heal them physically. Personally however, I feel one should first heal the mind then the body can follow.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

6/3/14

1. What kind of learner are you?
I am mostly a tactile learner. I learn best in hands on activities. However to some degree my second most effective way of learning is auditory, or by listening to others explain what needs to be done.

2. Are there parts of the profile that do not accurately describe the way that you learn and retain new
information? Which ones? I do not believe that there are any parts of the profile that do not describe me. I feel that from the questions the computer survey created a very accurate definition of how I learn and what are some of the best ways that I can learn.

3. Which suggested strategies do you already use? How successful do you think they are in helping you
learn and remember information?
Some strategies I already use are to Rewrite your notes or type them on the computer, to Think through a problem while doing something physical like exercise and to Take short breaks for physical activity when studying.

4. Which suggested strategies can you begin using now to help you learn and remember information?
Some things I can begin to use are to create graphs and diagrams to better catalog my thoughts and information.

5. You have a test in two weeks that is worth 30% of your final grade. What strategies could you use to
help you study for the exam?

I would read up on notes that I took in the class, I would reread some key information in the text book, and also try to create a comparative graph to reflect my thoughts.

6. What suggestions could you make at the next student-teacher conference that would help you and your teacher develop a learning plan to suit your learning style?

I think it would be better if the teacher allowed more time for taking notes then for the lecture. Sometimes I tend to zone out while the teacher was talking and that could be a big problem for my grade average.

7. You have to write a 5-page essay, and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. What tips can help you
prepare to tackle the project and write the paper?
Writing out my ideas and giving myself time to think and reflect would be the easiest way for me to write the 5 page essay. I would also need to work out what Ideas are worth using and how I want to work everything together in the paper.

8. Think about how understanding your learning style relates to career possibilities. How can knowing
how you learn help you make important career decisions and succeed in the workforce?

This can help me better learn the things that I need to do my job. It will help me understand what is expected of me and will also help me evaluate what are the best ways to get what is expected of me done.

Monday, June 2, 2014

6/2/14

If you had to pick one of these careers based only on the working conditions described,
which would you choose and why?
I would choose a psychologist because I love to help people work through their problems.

Click on Earnings in each career profile. Answer the following questions:
How much do people in each career typically earn on a yearly basis? (If annual salary figures aren’t
available, how much do they earn per hour or per contract?)
A psychologist makes about 40K- 110K.
A Nurse makes 50K- 80K.

What other kinds of compensation or benefits can people in each career receive? (e.g. health and dental
benefits, contributions to retirement savings plans, performance bonuses, etc.)
A nurse receives health care, dental care and is sometimes able to apply for a retirement plan through their Union at the hospital.
A psychologist if they work at a firm owned by someone else, can have benefits such as health care and are eligible for performance bonuses and raises.

If you had to pick one of these careers based only on how much you could earn, which would you
choose and why?
If I had to choose a job based solely on the amount of money made in that career I would pick Psychology. It seems that they make more in the long run and they are eligible for greater job opportunities.

Click on Education in each career profile. Answer the following questions:
What are the education and training requirements for people in each career? (e.g. high school diploma,
associate or bachelor’s degree, apprenticeship, on-the-job training, additional licensing or certification,
etc.)
A psychologist needs a master's degree and a diploma from a 4 year college.
A Nurse needs either a 2 year degree from a college or technical school or a 4 year degree from a college or university.

Approximately how many years of training or education are required for people in each occupation?
Explained in the previous question ^.

If you had to pick one of these careers based only on the amount of education and training you need,
which would you choose and why?
If I had to pick my career based on education alone I might see it more appealing to be a nurse. A nurse does not have all the requirements in education that a psychologist has. Though I like school I may not want to spend 4 or more years within school to be able to get the job that I want.

Did you change your mind about the career you chose at the beginning of the activity as different types
of information became available to you? What new information caused you to change your mind and
why?
I did not change my mind about the career that I wish to pursue when I get older. The reason I want to be a psychologist has nothing to do with the hard work that I have to put in, the hours of education or how much money I will be paid. It has to solely do with my love of people and my ambition to help them.

Which of the criteria that you used to compare your career choices is most important to you and which
is the least important? Rank them in order from 1 (the most important) to 4 (the least important) and
explain why you have ranked them that way:
Criteria:

Work Tasks 1:
This is very important to me because I need to love what I do. Sometimes people have bad days but I do not want to come home every night hating my job. It will not make for happy Days.

Working Conditions 2:
Working conditions are important to me. It is not necessary for me to be in a high office over looking the city but the conditions do have to be safe and fair.

Earnings 4:
Though making money is important if I love my job I would gladly do it for less then if I was doing something that made me miserable and I was making Millions.

Education & Training 3:
How much time I need to spend in school and what I will be learning is very important to me. Though I like school I need to know what is expected of me to pursue my desired career.

What other factors may influence your career decision? (e.g. parents, favorite school subject, job
outlook, etc.) Do you consider any of them to be more important than the ones you ranked above?
Why?
Some other factors that would influence my career choice would be my parents and my family life. The people that I care about are very important to me and I would never want to do something that would have a negative impact on their lives. Other then that there is not much that would stop me from following the path that I wish to travel.