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Personality Plan for Success

When I decided to join college, one of my main inspirations was the fact that I wanted to help other people. I wanted to make a difference in the life of a stranger, make them feel loved and cared for. I came up with a list of majors I could enroll in to be able to do this. A doctor helps people in need, an economist solves problems, a teacher educates others, and the list is endless. All careers are very important and have a unique role to play in the world today. Financial considerations are also important but should not be the key reason for pursuing a career. With the right motivation, passion and attitude we can all work together to make the world a better place.

It is with these considerations in mind that I decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. I feel like it really appealed to my passion for helping others and it would equip me with the right skills I needed to be able to do this. I would be able to work with different people who needed help in dealing with their different problems in life and in finding solutions to those problems. I also felt that this major was a good match with my personality and learning types well as my long term goals. I therefore had great hopes when I joined college that I would be able to fulfill my goals and I feel I am well on the way to achieving this.

In order to be able to pursue any career, I need to be able to make good grades in college. I have therefore put in place three study strategies that I will employ this semester to ensure that I get the highest grades possible. The first strategy I will use is to link my classroom work to real life situations. I have found this to be a very reliable strategy since it brings meaning to what I am learning in class. If what is learnt in class can be applied to a real life situation, then classroom learning is made so much worthwhile. The learning process does not simply seem abstract.

The second study strategy I will use is found out how best I learn. Some of these ways include positive visualization, proactive thinking, a team atmosphere, and taking frequent breaks. A team atmosphere is a very important part of learning. I will find out from my peers what study methods work best for them so that I can decide which to adopt as well. I will ask for their help in the form of having a student teacher. Finally, I will focus on exploration and how to solve problems. Challenging activities such as web quests, using creative stationery to boost memory and using flashcards will go a long way in improving my retention capacity for what I have learnt in class. These study strategies are not only useful for a social work major but for all students in general.

The major I have chosen also fits well with my learning type. Knowing one’s learning style is important. It determines our internal representation of information, the way we recall information stored in the brain and even the words we choose to express ourselves. There are several learning styles including visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social and social learning types. I would say that my learning type is definitely a combination of visual and social. Since I was a child, I enjoyed the visual type of learning which is common to most children is suppose. But to this day I find that I can better recall and relate with things I can see and visual as opposed to merely reading from a book and memorizing.

My Social Work major meshes very well with my outgoing personality. I love meeting new people and learning more about them. The fact that I like to help others in need also make me sympathetic and empathetic. I anticipate to be working with people who have various challenges such as addiction, illness, and family problems among many others. These are delicate matters that many people find very difficult to open up about. I therefore have to be compassionate and to gain their trust in order to get them to trust me so that I can find the best way to help them. Working with young people has also been a particular joy to me. They are less jaded and can be more easily persuaded to open up about their problems. Dealing with issues earlier on in life also makes it easier for those who are suffering as they can lay up long term strategies to manage them.

My long term goal is to get into a field of work where I can help as many people as possible. Taking this major will certainly help me to achieve that. Social workers play many dynamic roles in the society today at the individual, family and community level. I hope to become one of these influential people that help the society to become a better place to live I for all of us.