Blog #10

            During my first year as an undergrad at Millersville, I noticed the diversity in my classroom and well as the general composition of my newly acquired peers. Compared to my high school (a relatively homogeneous group of white, stuck-up rich kids) this was a brand new experience. It would appear that the individuals that entered this postsecondary classroom were nontraditional students (Brown, 2012). I can remember individuals who had to go pick up their children and still make dinner after class was over, and all I had to do was walk across campus to my dorm. I was also sitting in a room with individuals who differed from me in race, class, sexual orientation, and other demographics.

            Along with each individual came the conundrum of future career plans or vocational aspirations. With the exception of some of the older, nontraditional students, most individuals did not know what they wanted to do with a bachelor’s degree. Some wanted to continue into graduate school, and others simply “hadn’t thought about it yet.” I was an individual that hadn’t thought about it until his junior year. The majority of the blame fell on me because I did not care at the time and some fell on my advisor (who simply did not advise and I ceased going to her for advisement). When looking at Table 13.3 on page 300 of our text, the consultation section seems to be what our advisors are for, but the entire table proves useful to individuals who are undecided about their future in any subject. I would have liked to have some entry assessment to “focus on career decision making” (Brown, 2012). Also, “ongoing assessment offered to students in counseling/career planning and placement center” would have also been advantageous to the select group of individuals without a bearing in their vocational wilderness (Brown, 2012).

            Again, the hope is that the student actually takes advantage of the services on their respective campuses. I am sure that Millersville had/has some terrific information centers/helping centers for students that I (a) wasn’t aware of, (b) didn’t know where to find it, or (c) wasn’t interested in that at the time. I think that if there were more signs, campaigning, or announcements relative to this subject area, I would have attended. I can remember a seminar held in Byerly that dealt with what to do with your degree in psychology and that was an event I attended. I am ashamed to say that the only reason I attended was to earn extra-credit for a Dr. Hill class at the time. However, that experience made me apply to graduate school here at Millersville and made me realize what I wanted to do. So, it doesn’t matter how people come to your program, just make sure you have them walk away with more than they came.

Reference

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson.