Personal Milestones

Personal Milestones

A lot of things have happened in my personal life that could contribute to how I see the world today and that have taught me many life lessons and skills. Below are just three—a tiny snapshot of my life experiences—that I feel have taught me the most for my future as a professional.

1.)    Going to University

My first University experience was not here at the University of Calgary but actually was at the University of Saskatchewan from 2010-11. I originally planned on going into Dietetics and Nutrition before I ultimately changed my mind and went into the direction I am now. Even though it was just a year of my life it really taught me a lot, both personally and academically.

Obviously going to University impacted me on an academic level, but one specific example of what that year taught me was how to improve my writing skills. In high school, I could write an essay in no time, did not have to look it over and still get an A+. Unfortunately, this is not how it works in University. You have to put time in, make sure your grammar is on point, that your ideas connect and so on. So, needless to say, I was quite upset with my mark on my first ever University Essay. But what it taught me was that you have to put the effort in for what you want. I had applied High school work to my essay expecting a University level grade. They do not match in the slightest. Due to this occurrence, I learnt to work on my writing and even took courses in order to make sure my work is up to University level. Due to more experience and more effort put in, I am now able to get really good grades on my papers, but only because I worked on it, not because it has come "easy" to me. I decided to grow as a person and become a better writer, and not just staying stuck at the level I was in high school.

My first year of university also taught me independence and initiative. No longer did I have my mum around to clean up after me and make sure I had everything I needed. If the laundry needed to get done, if a paper was due or if I needed food, it was up to me to get or do those things and no one else. Because of having to learn this, I am able to take care of myself and make sure what needs to get done gets done. Not only in my personal life, but also in my professional life. Once I started working, I had to take it upon myself to get what tasks I needed to get done in a day, done. Otherwise, it could affect someone negatively and also could get me fired. I eventually got to the point where I did not need anyone to tell me what to do. If I knew something was done everyday, I got it done. If I noticed something needed to be completed, such as folding towels (at my Autumn House job), I would go ahead and do it. Basically, I did anything that was asked of me and most times, was not asked of me. I just took the initiative  and got it done.

Lastly my first year of University taught me about how big the world is and how many different people there are. To navigate this world and all these personalities, you need some good people skills. Growing up, I was always really shy and felt like the less I said, the better. However, in the real world, all this gets you is stepped on and ignored. So, I gradually began talking to more people, testing out different responses and pushing myself to me a bit more social. Though I am still quite shy and get nervous in social situations, I am much better than I was prior to going to University. Now, I can hold a conversation with another individual and discuss topics with them. If I have a question, I am not afraid to ask it and also,  I know how to articulate and form a proper question to ask. I can make friends much easier and even make professional connections with people from my past work and practicum experiences. I never thought I would do half the things I have done but I am very proud that I did not get in the way of myself in learning this important life skill that has helped me so much.

2.)    Attending the SLP Assistant program at Medicine Hat College

After my year of University, I attended the SLP Assistant Program at Medicine Hat College. Initially, I was afraid to go to a “college” because everyone I talked to said that is where “dumb” people go. But after going there, I can truly say that that is false. College and University both take skill, dedication, knowledge and heart to attend. The only difference is the teaching styles that each uses. College is mostly hands on training, whereas University leans more towards learning from textbooks. I think both have merit behind them and I have enjoyed learning at both types of institutions. I am also very glad that I did not listen to those people belittling college because it was one of the best experiences of my life and taught me a lot, aside from the actual course work I was doing.

            The main thing that I learned from my college experience was how to work in an effective and efficient collaborative manner. In my second year, we had a course that was actually called “Collaboration between Rehabilitation Paraprofessionals” in which the Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapist Assistants and SLP Assistants would work on a group project together. This taught me a lot of different skills. Firstly, organization skills were of huge importance. Since we all had different time tables, projects and personal lives, finding a time when all of us could meet was sometimes a challenge. But, with a little flexibility (which was another skill I gained from this experience) we were able to make it work.

Another skill that I learnt from this group project was communication skills. Firstly, when working on the actual project, I needed to be able to communicate my ideas and thoughts to the rest of the group in a clear and concise way. Additionally, if I was unable to make a meeting or what have you, I also needed to be able to communicate this to them with ample time and plan to reschedule at the earliest convenience. Lastly, when we had to present our project at the end of the year , I needed to have good oral communication skills to properly inform our audience of what we had been working so hard on all semester. This meant practicing what I wanted to say with my group and on my own time and making any corrections as needed.

Lastly, I would say that my college experience taught me how stand up for myself. As I stated earlier, I am quite a shy person and do not like to make a huge fuss over things. But while at College, one of my instructors gave me a very unfair grade with no explanation. Usually, I would just avoid situations like this all together, but this time I did the opposite.  I maturely discussed with my instructor the matter of my grade and explained why I felt the grade was unfair. In return, she discussed her reasoning behind the grade and took into account my explanation. My grade was raised to what I deserved for my work and I was so proud of myself for being more assertive about my education. This assertiveness has spilled over into my everyday life and now I stand up for myself, more than I did before going to college.

3.)    Moving to Calgary

Last September, I moved to Calgary for University. Though I had been away from Home for schooling before, I was much more nervous about this move than any of the others. Calgary is a big city and I had to learn how to navigate around it. I swore I would never drive in a big city, until one day, I did. And it went well. Eventually, I got used to driving around suburban Calgary and then moved onto driving in downtown Calgary. I once again swore that I would never be able to do that, but then I did and everything was okay. This experience once again taught me that I should never say that I will not or cannot do something just because I think I cannot do it. Are there many things that I have tried that did not work out? Yes, of course there have been many cases of this. But at least trying to do them is what is most important and sometimes you can surprise yourself.

Moving to Calgary has also allowed me to make connects with professionals. Because of my work experiences and practicum experiences ( including my current practicum) I have met and networked with so many professionals and companies. Now, if I need references for Grad School or for jobs or even if I am curious about a certain topic, I have a long list of people I can turn to for help. I thought I would never be able to hold my own or have respect of professionals, but now I felt hat I do have these things, because I pushed myself to achieve this "impossible" goal. This is something that never would have happened  had I stayed in my small town.

Lastly, moving to Calgary has given me the opportunity to meet people of all shapes, sizes, colors and abilities. My small town was full of Caucasian, able bodied people and there was very little diversity. But, coming to Calgary has shown me just how many different cultures and co-cultures there can be in the world. Due to this, my perspective of the world has changed because it has been broadened and enriched with all the different lives I have been able to come into contact with. I now have a better cultural competence, empathy and listening skills because getting to know these people and developing relationships with them required me to gain these skills and grow as a person.