Final Reflection

Valerie Nagle

Final Reflection Paper

12/09/2011

When I signed up for this class I thought I knew which direction I was headed in. I was planning on being a full time student and working towards a bachelor’s degree, I just did not know which degree I wanted to work towards. Then I became pregnant and my plans changed a little. I did not want my baby to grow up without me and spend a lot of time in daycare.

This experience has been very interesting as I have thought about trying to find a balance between raising my child and finishing my education. At first I thought I would try to pursue both at the same time, but the more I have studied different degrees the more I want to complete my dance degree. I will not be able to do so until my husband gets out of school. My plan is to put my education on a temporary hold until I can return to UVU. I would still like to take some first aid, child psychology and discipline, and other classes that will help me to be a better mother. However, I have currently decided not to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree until I can return to UVU and obtain my dance degree.

I will be giving birth to a baby boy in the beginning of April and I plan to make him the center of my life. I am going to take care of him and teach him how to read. I have also been learning how to crochet and I have been considering selling crafts online: bows, hats, etc.

Although there were a lot of steps that needed to be completed before hand, the assignment that really helped me the most was the decision making model. Decisions have always been hard for me and I get scared when I look towards the future and try to plan, but when I read about different decision making styles and acknowledged my style I felt a bit easier moving forward. When I saw my options visually in chart form it made it easy to see which decision was the best for me. I plan to use this method in the future to avoid panicing about a serious decision. Another activity that really helped me was the star stories and mock interview preparation. These helped me to really acknowledge my accomplishments and have the confidence to move forward. It also helped me to solidify good interview techniques and gave me confidence to move forward in my work and academic goal making.

This class was not what I originally expected, but I have discovered so much about myself and the importance of goals. I really think I better understand which path is best for me. Although I am still in the exploration phase of my career this class has really helped me to better understand myself, my abilities, and my goals. Thank You.