Today
marks the last month of my time participating in Chicago Semester. Man has the
time flown by! It seems like just yesterday I was stepping out of the car and
breathing in the cold winter air of Chicago. If I have learned anything from my
22 years on this planet it is to hold on to every moment you have and to try and
enjoy your days one day at a time. It’s so easy to get caught up in looking
ahead to certain things, but when we do that, we forget to appreciate the
moments that are right in front of us. Speaking of which, today was 73 degrees!
I have found it easier to appreciate the city when it’s warm outside and I can
spend time exploring and not worrying about getting frostbite!
Since it
is the last month of the semester that means it is crunch time. Everything is
in full swing and assignments that are due the last week of the semester are
starting to pile up! It can be a little overwhelming when looking at everything
due all at once. That’s why it’s important to make a to-do list and break
things up so they don’t become so overwhelming. I am currently working on my
research assignment for my social work seminar class. I decided to do my
assignment on the perspectives of PCM, which is Professional Crisis Management.
This is an intervention technique used primarily with students with
developmental disabilities. I decided to conduct an interview and randomly
select 6 staff members from my internship site (Esperanza Community Services)
to gain their perspectives on what they think about PCM to help guide my
research. It’s been very interesting to hear how perspectives can differ
between staff members from different grade levels and different years of
experience.
Speaking
of my internship, it’s been going very well! It has been one heck of a
semester. I have learned so many things I never thought possible being in an
intern position. I tend to be a person who likes to insert myself fully into
what I do. Some would call me an overachiever... but I like to look at it as I
am just a really hard worker. I have heard numerous comments from some of the
staff that I work with more closely that I have been one of the most hands-on
interns they have ever had. I personally take that as a compliment! I feel that
the only way to truly learn anything is to not be afraid to insert yourself and
ask to help out. Ask for tasks to do, ask how you can be a part of a certain
situation. I would not have had the same experience if I wasn’t assertive and
passionate about gaining experience for future jobs, etc.
If I
could give one piece of advice to a future Chicago Semester student I would
say, do as much as you can! Don’t be afraid to put off an assignment for a few
hours to go explore. Take in as much as you can because this is one of those
experiences you don’t want to sell yourself short on because you were too
stressed out to take a moment and appreciate the city that you are in, even if
it means crashing on your friend’s floor for a night. Chicago is one of the
best cities in the world in my opinion, and this has been one heck of an
experience that I would not change for anything. I have learned so much, I have
become so confident in my navigation skills, and I have learned how to truly
appreciate each moment that I have been blessed with this semester!
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