I chose this image because I relate to the “Inside Out” character, Anger. I used to hate mingling with other people, let aside working with them on a project. However, I learned to understand people more and set aside our differences in order to produce a great project.
Upon reading my first journal for PSYC 395, I remembered that I wrote down three expectations for this course:
- Gain a lot of experience and knowledge, particularly research skills and writing
- Manage my time better
- Work better in groups
Although I did learn a few techniques on research and writing, I was overwhelmed with the amount of work to the point that I couldn’t study the material thoroughly. I did not realize that there would not be a lot of learning material for this course, it’s just a lot of homework integrating the 3 courses. I thought that the course would consist of modules that incorporate interesting lessons from Cross-Cultural and Adolescence, for example. We did have a few assignments that crossed-over some of the courses such as Journal 10 which talked about self-regulation of German and Cameroonian children. The assignment integrated Cross-Cultural and Adolescence concepts when they linked self-regulation on children and how it impacts adolescent development. Same goes with Journal 4 when I discussed the relationship between low-body confidence and health among South Korean adolescents.
I thought I would learn to manage my time better. However, with the amount of work for the 4 classes and also being employed, it seemed impossible. I can say that this could be one of the things that could be improved in this course. In my opinion, the amount of work should be lessened and scheduled well in a way that they don’t coincide. Assignments for modules should also be more interactive and interesting to make sure that students actually open the modules and understand the material fully.
However, I think that the relationship between me and my group mates got stronger. Aside from working together on the material and modules, we also talk about our personal lives. I think this kind of relationship improves a team’s ability to work together and produce quality work. I think that mutual respect and understanding is vital when working with groups and we achieved that.
I think that my strongest writing experience is with Cross-cultural psychology. I enjoyed the weekly blogs and I definitely got to share my opinions and experiences. On the other hand, the strongest aspect of PSYC 395 is the great preparation of future research. The faculty members were hands-on when it came to helping the students regarding the research and what they need to improve it.