This semester has been full of adjustments. Hard challenges like workloads and sleeping schedules have been very difficult to balance for me. I found myself having to create a calendar and specifically designate hours to get things done. Going into college, I had had the idea to major in speech and hearing science. However, during random selection of lectures for survey, my interest was also peaked in nursing and in different language majors. The things I learned during lecture didn’t necessarily change my mind in my decision to major in speech and hearing science, but my thoughts on also having a minor changed. At first I thought it would be too much of a workload, but now I am attempting to have a minor in Korean. I believe that my major and minor are very good for me because of my strengths in interacting with people, my work ethic, and my desire to help others. I also have a lot of interest in finally learning my family’s cultural language and being taught on the Korean culture. Lecture was beneficial in helping my narrow down my options for what I liked and disliked about the majors I was thinking about. However, the speakers were kind of boring and I was engaged in what they had to say very much. I would’ve liked to know more about the different kinds of job opportunities available with each major and the major attainment difficulty. For next semester, my goal is to learn more about speech and hearing science and the level of education necessary to be an audiologist, and I will also set a goal in deciding whether or not I want to double major with Korean or keep it as a minor. To accomplish these goals, I will talk with professors and current students in the major, as well as shadow an audiologist if I can. At the beginning of the semester, I wish I had known that I should have been talking more with advisors in my prospective major more since they know the ins and outs of the major and are a bigger resource than I thought they were. As of now, I will continue to pursue my major and use whatever resources available to me to accomplish my goals.
Informational Interview
Interviewee: Shana Johnson (Family and Child Development / Child Life Specialist)
Questions:
- Describe the process by which you arrived at your undergraduate major.
- “Well, I worked in the hospital system as I worked my way through college and I knew I wanted to work with children, so I tried to figure out what I had to do to stay in the hospital system to continue working with children and that ended up being Family and Child Development.”
- What was your favorite course in college and was it in your major?
- “Human Anatomy and yes I had to take it.”
- Why did you like it?
- “I just find the human body fascinating and I felt like I was already quite familiar with it since I worked in to hospital system already.”
- Do you feel you made the right choice of major(s)?
- “At the time of my life yes.”
- If you could go back and do it again, would you choose the same major? Why or why not?
- “Probably not because I would probably choose to take a few more sciences to do something closely related. But at the time I didn’t have the high school or college math or science to get another degree in other fields.”
- What was your first job after college, and how did it relate to your major?
- “My first job out of college was for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. I was a childlife specialist there and that’s what I went to school for.”
- What advice would you give somebody who wants to get into this career field?
- “Umm, to do an internship. Try to get into a very competitive internship program because you learn so much that will apply to how purposeful you are in your career as well as the interactions and acceptance of the physicians you work with later on in your career.”
Synthesis Questions:
- My interviewee (Shana Johnson) is a close family friend. I chose to interview her because she is very successful in her career and I have a very large interest in fields that work with children on a day to day basis.
- This interview helped to ease my anxiety about choosing the right major and encouraged me to keep looking for a career that would make me happy. She also influenced me to begin thinking about internship opportunities where I could work with children in a professional field. She stressed that it was important.
- I was surprised to learn that she was not quite happy with her choice of major and that she wished she had taken more science classes. This was relatable to me because at the moment, I would really like to not be taking any challenging math or science courses. However, now I am beginning to wonder whether or not I should challenge myself and go after a more rigorous career path. Should I try it and fail, at least I (hopefully) will not have any regrets about not applying myself enough.
- I would like to know how many job opportunities are still available now, in this decade, as compared to when she got her job. Seeing as the world and science has changed so much,
I would like to find out the market for jobs in this area and whether or not a degree in a field related to this would help me be successful. - Upperclassmen and professors have been my most helpful resource. I have come to learn what to expect from certain majors and how difficult/easy it is to acquire jobs after finishing with a degree in a variety of majors. I have learned from them how enjoyable different careers are and how fulfilling they are, as well as whether or not they believe graduating with a degree in their respective majors was a choice they are happy with.
1 Second Every Day
The first video is my 1 Second with music, and the other is the same video without music
Intro to Me
Year in Review
[ “Year in Review” is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student. You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]
G.O.A.L.S.
[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.
Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]
Career
[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career. Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]
As I begin my journey into college, I’m really not worried about anything. I have confidence in what I’m doing and I believe no matter what path I choose, things will go according to God’s plan. I am excited about the new adventures and relationships that this new step of life will bring. Hopefully I will be able to connect with other musicians and spiritual leaders that have the same passions as me. I’m excited to get involved with Cru and use my musical abilities on their worship team. I have heard from countless people and the panel that a person should try to discover what they love and pursue that. This has continuously encouraged me to keep pursuing a degree in Speech and Hearing Science and to work with kids.