Reflection

This school year went by really quickly and despite all the rumors of junior year being the hardest, I think it went smoothly. I've improved as a student and gotten better with time management and responsibilities. I have also become a better writer due to AP Lang and have begun to better analyze things and think outside of the box. This year has given me time to think about future career options and what I'm interested and uninterested in. I feel well prepared for senior year and hope to do as well as I have done this year.

?

I can't believe it's already April, time has really flown by this year and I'm still unsure of which career I want to pursue. I'm constantly asked what I want to do after high school by relatives and nothing comes to my mind. There are so many career possibilities but I always find a drawback to them and don't think about them again. Also, with college tuition being so expensive and the acceptance rates decreasing, thinking of a career that will still have a good field in the future is difficult. I don't want to end up doing something that I don't love. Hopefully, by the end of senior year, I'll know exactly what I want to do and where I want to go.

Psych

I've always been curious as to how the human mind works; psychology has always fascinated me because of the interesting nature of the field. Psychologists need a master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree in psychology. Practicing psychologists also need a license or certification. I realize that psychologists face many challenges down the road. Psychologists do very diverse rather than repetitious work. Each case is different and requires different treatments. I also like the fact that psychologists can work in a wide variety of places such as hospitals, health clinics, mental health facilities or psychiatric institutions. The median earnings for psychologists in 2008 were $64,140. The lowest 10 percent earned under $37,900, while the highest 10 percent earned over $106,840. While the pay isn't that much, this career is very rewarding. It would be a great feeling to know that I could help people with mental illnesses and make a difference in someone's life. I'm also really looking forward to taking psych next year and learning more about this career.

Oncology?

As I was doing my career project on becoming an oncologist, I learned many new things about the medical field. Oncologists have a very difficult job, dealing with cancer patients is already tough as it is, but if some of them don't make it, delivering the bad news would be so heartbreaking and hard. They are also on call 24/7 and work long hours. The schooling is very long as well, it could take up to 10+ years for me to actually become an oncologist and start my practice. I think I can do this job, personality wise. I have been told I am compassionate and understanding and if someone needs help, I'm usually there and give them my undivided attention. Being an oncologist is not just knowing all the medical information, it's also about being there for people and understanding what is the patient's state of mind and their family's as well. Its a lot of hand holding and doing everything you can to save a life. The compensation for oncologists is a bonus, most make over $400,000 per year after experience and start off with usually about $200,000 their first year. Despite the pay, this career takes a lot of effort and time. I would have never thought about becoming an oncologist before this project but now it seems like something I might want to pursue in the future.

So You Think You Want to be a Lawyer?

Starting from an early age, I've always been interested in crime investigation shows. I've been watching television programs such as CSI, Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, Law & Order, and Numb3rs for as long as I can remember. Becoming a detective and working for the police would be a very tiring and stressful job, not to mention dangerous. However, it is a very rewarding job and you can help people get justice and put away criminals for good. It'd be a nice feeling knowing that I've helped make streets a bit safer for citizens.
Another job in this field I might want to pursue is becoming a lawyer. I want to help others, serve as a resource, and I enjoy politics and the relevance of law. I think that by having a law degree, I can make a difference in the society because the only way to change something is by law. Despite this, there are many drawbacks to this career choice. I want to go to a law school like Harvard but I doubt I'd get in because there are thousands of students who would be more qualified than me. Law school is very long and time consuming; it can take up to 8 years for me to get my degree. It is very expensive and I'd probably be in debt because of student loans. I am afraid that this job is not creative and very boring. I'm not sure whether I will end up doing this later on in life but I'm just trying to keep my options open.

America’s Next Top Writer?

Starting from a young age, I've always loved writing and have dreamt of becoming an author for young adults and maybe children. I used to go to the library and read at least 2 to 3 books a week. Some of my favorite authors who I have come to love are John Greene, Sarah Dessen, Jodi Picoult, Kate Brian, Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, and Rick Riordan. I love getting into a book so much that I can't put it down and the feeling you get when you read a good book and don't want it to end. I love the imagery, the diction, and imagining the plot in my mind. I want others to feel the same way when they read something of mine. I want readers to be able to relate to what I have written and know who I am. However, things have now changed along with my interests, but I still want to write (part time maybe?). I like how there's no right or wrong in writing and that I can express my feelings. Although some drawbacks to this career path are that I don't handle criticism well and I feel awkward having other people read my work because I write for myself, if that makes any sense. But I have come to realize that with any occupation I choose to pursue, I will have to overcome obstacles, so I will have to get over these factors eventually.

Time is Flying By.

Registering for Naviance and taking the personality and career quizzes really put things into perspective for me. Logging in to Naviance made me anxious and scared that I need to start getting serious about my future. I can't put it off for any longer. Time is flying by and I can't believe that I only have less than 2 years until I attend college. It's so weird to think how fast I'm growing up and I just want time to freeze for a while. I'm not extremely talented at any one particular subject. I want to do multiple things that I truly enjoy and still be able to support myself and my future family. A few subjects that I might be exploring are social services, occupations in media, and anything in the medical field. I enjoy helping others and it is something I want to do everyday for the rest of my life. One of the jobs that really stood out to me after I finished the career quiz is speech therapy, which is the treatment of speech defects and disorders, especially through use of exercises and audio-visual aids that develop new speech habits. It seems like something I might be interested in looking into and it also pays well which is a bonus.