KittenParade
Nov 30, 2009
Undergraduate / My friend became involved wiht local drug trafficking;TRANSFER - UC, psychology major [4]
What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field ï such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities ï and what you have gained from your involvement.
My interest in the field of psychology began in my sophomore year of high school. I had always been the brand of kid that would listen to the problems of my peers and give them advice, leaving out as much bias as humanly possible. I had become aware that a dear friend of mine had become involved local drug trafficking. With this knowledge, I confronted said friend in order to persuade him to swerve off the road he had chosen. Due to our friendship spanning eight years at this point, I expected him to listen unconditionally to what I had to say. Being a naïve sixteen year old, I had no idea what I was immersing myself into and soon after found myself receiving confrontational letters by way of the internet. My parents caught wind of the situation and I was swiftly taken out of my public high school and placed on independent study for the few remaining months of my sophomore year.
During this time, I began a reading regimen to keep myself busy until the next school year. Some of these books included Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and Albert Camus' "The Plague". The one book that left the largest impact was Carl Rogers', "On Becoming a Person". The basic theme I gathered from this book was that the inherent subjectivity of man allows for the pursuing of ideas that most appeal to the individual. This book shed light upon the very fabric of my being. I began utilizing this ideal to discover patterns within my actions in order to truly find myself. I felt as though my eyes were open to a new world of understanding. Most importantly, I realized that my need for order within my group of friends inevitably left me out of the loop and placed me in the situation I was in. Ironically, it was this very situation that opened the doors to my critical thinking.
This new outlook on life proved to be a great asset when I attended a small Christian school my junior year of high school. I was able to open up to new experiences and come to understand a broad range of personalities with a better sense of who I was. It was during my senior year of high school that I found myself set on psychology as my field of study. To quench my thirst for the subject, I began making appointments with a local licensed therapist. Aside from speaking about my daily life and discussing ways to improve upon it, she would also perform role reversal from time to time. We swapped chairs, and I would ask her questions while sifting through her answers for patterns. I felt very comfortable talking to her and, in fact, she stated that I was easy to share things with. These appointments came in handy the summer before I started community college. During this time, I close friend and coworker of mine passed away in a car accident. As a result, my grades took a hit and I only took two classes that semester. It was only through my outlet in therapy that I picked myself, and my grades back up the following semester. The field of psychology is where I have found my potential to help people, just as I was aided. I have a great deal to learn and cannot wait to do so.
Any advice is welcome!
What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field ï such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities ï and what you have gained from your involvement.
My interest in the field of psychology began in my sophomore year of high school. I had always been the brand of kid that would listen to the problems of my peers and give them advice, leaving out as much bias as humanly possible. I had become aware that a dear friend of mine had become involved local drug trafficking. With this knowledge, I confronted said friend in order to persuade him to swerve off the road he had chosen. Due to our friendship spanning eight years at this point, I expected him to listen unconditionally to what I had to say. Being a naïve sixteen year old, I had no idea what I was immersing myself into and soon after found myself receiving confrontational letters by way of the internet. My parents caught wind of the situation and I was swiftly taken out of my public high school and placed on independent study for the few remaining months of my sophomore year.
During this time, I began a reading regimen to keep myself busy until the next school year. Some of these books included Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and Albert Camus' "The Plague". The one book that left the largest impact was Carl Rogers', "On Becoming a Person". The basic theme I gathered from this book was that the inherent subjectivity of man allows for the pursuing of ideas that most appeal to the individual. This book shed light upon the very fabric of my being. I began utilizing this ideal to discover patterns within my actions in order to truly find myself. I felt as though my eyes were open to a new world of understanding. Most importantly, I realized that my need for order within my group of friends inevitably left me out of the loop and placed me in the situation I was in. Ironically, it was this very situation that opened the doors to my critical thinking.
This new outlook on life proved to be a great asset when I attended a small Christian school my junior year of high school. I was able to open up to new experiences and come to understand a broad range of personalities with a better sense of who I was. It was during my senior year of high school that I found myself set on psychology as my field of study. To quench my thirst for the subject, I began making appointments with a local licensed therapist. Aside from speaking about my daily life and discussing ways to improve upon it, she would also perform role reversal from time to time. We swapped chairs, and I would ask her questions while sifting through her answers for patterns. I felt very comfortable talking to her and, in fact, she stated that I was easy to share things with. These appointments came in handy the summer before I started community college. During this time, I close friend and coworker of mine passed away in a car accident. As a result, my grades took a hit and I only took two classes that semester. It was only through my outlet in therapy that I picked myself, and my grades back up the following semester. The field of psychology is where I have found my potential to help people, just as I was aided. I have a great deal to learn and cannot wait to do so.
Any advice is welcome!