Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Gone curlin'

In my first post, I told you guys about a random experience I had last semester (working/walking in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade). This semester has just begun and I'm excited to say that I already have another to share with you guys! I let you know in a previous post that I am a Graduate (residential) Advisor in undergraduate housing on campus. Residential advisors in the college houses have fall and spring training before each semester begins. For a social/bonding activity during training this semester, we went CURLING! To my surprise, I had an aaamazing time and really enjoyed the rather simple (yet, difficult) sport. I encourage everyone to try this sport if you ever get the random chance!


SNOW. Yes, it snowed in Philly this past Saturday...and today it was almost 50 degrees. Bipolar much? I took some photos! Share them with you in the next post!

-L

Thursday, January 19, 2012

In 'n Out of the Classroom

In: Classes have officially begun! Last semester, I took courses that were required for all first years in my program. The fall schedule is set for the purpose of making sure each student is provided a solid counseling foundation. The courses emphasize counseling skills and theory and how to apply what you learn to your practicum experience (yes, experiential learning starts first semester :D). Another benefit of a set first semester curriculum is the opportunity to take courses together as a cohort. My (wonderful!) cohort has really bonded as a result. This semester, I had more autonomy in choosing my courses which I was quite excited about! In case you're curious, here's my first year schedule:

Fall Semester
Counseling Interventions
Counseling Practicum (Part 1) + Seminar
Ethics in Counseling
Assessment in Counseling

Spring Semester
Sociocultural Foundations in Counseling
Group Counseling
Adolescent Development
Counseling Practicum (Part 2) + Seminar

There are many more course options available to counseling students. Be sure to check out the Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) page on the Penn GSE website to see the full range of courses offered in our program!

Out: First year students in the CMHS program are required to do a counseling practicum at a school or mental health agency site in addition to coursework. It is an 8-hr/wk requirement for the year and, so far, I have found it to be a great learning and skill-building opportunity. I am currently doing my practicum at a high school in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia and have had the opportunity to run individual counseling sessions with students. Some of you may be concerned about the program requirement to start field work during the first semester of graduate studies. I remember being quite nervous about it myself. My first couple of sessions with students were pretty nerve-wrecking, but I quickly learned a significant amount from those experiences. I also knew that I wasn't in it alone. I am lucky to have a dedicated and caring supervisor at my site who constantly reminded me that she was there to support me whenever needed. The practical component has been the major contributor to my personal and professional growth in the program.

And before I forget, there will be an Applied Psychology and Human Development Division information session this Saturday! If you are interested in the following programs at GSE, you should definitely check it out!

-- Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development
-- Counseling and Mental Health Services
-- School and Mental Health Counseling 

Again, it is this Saturday, January 21st, from 10am-noon at the Terrace Room  in Claudia Cohen Hall (249 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104)! This will be a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you have! Faculty, current students, and program and admissions staff will be there to provide information about the various programs. If you haven't RSVPd, you can do so at http://bit.ly/y1ERGK.

Cohen Hall
 
-L

Friday, January 13, 2012

2011: Year of Transition

2012. It's a new year and it seems that I have much to look forward to. However, as I look towards the future, I can't help reflecting on 2011. I realized that I went through a lot of change last year. I came into the Counseling and Mental Health Services masters program in Penn GSE straight out of my undergraduate studies at UC Irvine. A Los Angeles County native, I moved from the west coast to the east coast. I went from being an undergraduate resident to a graduate [resident] advisor (GA) in on-campus housing. And more! The overall adjustment was challenging, however, in a positive way. I believe that my time here at Penn has led to much personal growth and improvement.

It is likely that I have fallen in love with this city. Philly, as a whole, is fascinating and has so much to offer! World renowned restaurants, beautiful historic buildings, and city-wide community events are just a few things you can experience.


There were so many things I did last fall in Philadelphia that I don't even know where to begin! Well, I'll start off with a fun and extremely random experience I had on Thanksgiving. I decided not to pay a large sum to fly back to LA for Thanksgiving break and stayed in Philly. A friend of mine notified me of a unique opportunity to work on the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. Desiring to be adventurous and spontaneous, I agreed to help out. Little did I know that I would be waking up at 2am to start my shift at 3am in Center City (downtown Philadelphia)! It was cold and the work was quite tiring BUT I had a wonderful time! I spent the first 6-ish hours I was there helping inflate huge helium balloons. When the parade started, my friend and I were actually able to walk the entire route with the volunteers and the balloons they were holding. The parade drew out a large Philly crowd and the energy was high the whole time! I guess I was able to cross out "being in a major parade" off my bucket list :).



Sooo...you may or may not have noticed that I'm a first time blogger and a new Graduate Assistant in GSE Admissions. Thanks for reading my first post! I'm sure this will be an eventful semester like the last so there will be plenty more to come :)...   
-L