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I have abided by HFC's Academic Integrity Policy. Everything written is my own work, and paraphrased in my own words. I am very proud of my work and did not use any form of AI source to develop my responses.

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-11 19:42:02 UTC

"The Ticking of The Social Clock"

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-11 20:17:30 UTC

I've read many interesting topics in Chapter 10, but the one that appealed to me most was the aspect of the "Social Clock". Pages 284-285 discuss the emotional challenges people emerging adulthood face due to their age and culture's "unspoken" time clock. This "time clock" puts pressure on emerging adults in a number of things, such as finding love or finishing school by a set time and age. I am almost 22. At this age, others in my culture are worried about finding their significant other, when my main priority is school. Why should I worry about something like that at this age? I believe I should focus on myself and my schooling since I am so young. On the other hand, a friend of mine is 30 and terrified she won't find anyone because she is at the age where people are expected to have already found love, a stable job, and are now settling with their family. She believes her culture's social clock is running out, but she also understands it is out of her control. She cannot just choose a stranger and call him the love of her life because her culture's social clock is "running out". As said in the textbook, this is why people face "distress" at this time in their lives. This information is the best to me because I haven't looked at these situations as a result to the culture's time clock, but it makes so much sense now!

Career and Personality

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-11 20:48:47 UTC

I found interest in Chapter 11's section on exploring career happiness, more specifically, strategy 1 on page 330, where it is emphasized to match your career with your personality. For example, if you enjoy working with kids and being social, a job like teaching a middle school is something you might enjoy, whereas if you dislike any form of human interaction, perhaps a computer job would bring more satisfaction to you as your career choice. I love socializing and human interaction, and always knew I'd want to go into the medical field to help people in need. I explored different jobs in the medical field and fell in love with respiratory therapy. I can proudly say that I love my job and the people I am surrounded by. Yes, there are challenges that come with being a respiratory therapist, but being quick to think on the spot is something that helps many situations I encounter almost every day. I have compassion and sympathy, but I do make sure I am viewing situations from a logical standpoint. My job requires patience, something I've mastered as I entered adulthood. My personality fits my career choice, which is why I am happy with my job. This information is best to me because it helps me realize why I love what I do. I hope everyone gets the chance to match their personalities with their career choice and do what they love!

The Big Five

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-11 22:16:57 UTC

The emotional aspect of development in Chapter 12 was my favorite section from the chapter. Page 347 discusses the "Big Five", which is a way psychologists get a glimpse of someone's personality based off 5 certain qualities. According to the text, one of these qualities involve how people act after a setback. Some bounce back with motivation to do better, while others indulge in negative feelings and thoughts, and act out of impulse. I used to respond negatively with setbacks. I would tell myself "I can't do it". As I got older, I learned setbacks are a part of life. How we bounce back from the setback is what matters. I am now more driven and motivated when I experience a setback, which is much more helpful in the long run. Another quality in the textbook compares people who are sociable, friendly, and who always want to go out with friends/family to people who would rather stay alone. Aside from work and school, I love going out with friends, even though it can be challenging finding certain days or times when we are all free. Once I'm off work/school, I wouldn't want to stay home alone. Taking a break and enjoying my time off is well needed for me so I definitely try taking advantage of it. Some other qualities discussed describe being responsible and reliable vs unreliable and untrustworthy, being opened to new things and exploration vs being satisfied with what you already know and having no interest in growth, and your willingness to compromise. Looking back at the big five, I am noticing that I've grown to be more willing to compromise, reliable, trustworthy, and sociable. This is the best information to me because it allows us to reflect on our personalities and how it has evolved. I wonder if my current qualities will remain the same or change as I enter midlife.

Calculated Life Expectancy

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-11 22:46:49 UTC

As I was taking the quiz, I began to feel a little anxious. The first set of questions were asking about my stress levels and I immediately thought, "This won't be good"! I continued the quiz and my life expectancy read 87 years. Although this quiz implies I have a high life expectancy, I learned a lot from it. The quiz made me realize that because I am managing school while working night shifts, I don't have much time to sleep which brings more stress into my life. Do I prioritize work over school, school over work, work over sleep? Work and school are two important things in my life, and managing my time better will reduce my stress levels. I think a big reason why I received a highly estimated life expectancy is because I haven't consumed any alcohol or drugs, and my family medical history is clean. Although I am very healthy, I did have asthma since a very young age because of where I live. This is a heavily industrialized area. Everywhere we look there is a factory which gives off a lot of pollution. The elementary and middle school I went to were neighbors to Ford factory, which is why most kids in that school also have asthma. I currently do not exercise, but once I manage my time more, I plan on doing so. I will work towards improving my health despite having a calculated life expectancy of 87 years, because there is always room for improvement.

Constructive Feedback

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-11 23:04:28 UTC

This class was one of my favorites for many reasons. I really appreciated the power points and videos you've provided for us during the lectures. You emphasize that you don't condemn plagiarism and make sure we are aware that we don't have to try to exceed our classmates with the way we word our assignments. You tell us to be ourselves, and not give "robot" answers while completing the assignment correctly. I really enjoyed our oral exam, and wished we did more of those. The oral exam was less stressful and allowed me to elaborate more on my answers to show my understanding and get my point across. Overall, I felt creative freedom in this class which made me enjoy doing the assignments!

The Ideal Life Stage

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-12 01:47:25 UTC

It took me quite some time to figure out which life stage I believe is the most "ideal", and I've come to realize that I don't like that term. When i think of the term "ideal", I think "perfect", and no life stage is perfect. There are drawbacks and obstacles in each life stage. There is fundamental growth and changes in emotional, physical, and psychological aspects during all of these stages. Although each stage is important, I feel that the early adulthood stage is the most "ideal". Early adults tend to be more active, and this is a time when they explore new things and learn about what they like/want to do in life. Early adulthood is also the time when people start their careers, and when people experience big change, as said in page 330. Early adulthood is a sign of growth and maturity, as I view it as closing a chapter of your life, and starting a new one! I am currently in the emerging adulthood stage of life, and this stage is one that requires a lot of time management to prevent added stresses. When I was in the early adulthood stage, life seemed simpler and I've discovered new things about me. It has brought me to the career I love and the friends I've met.

Retirement

melgahmi1 — 2023-12-12 02:16:37 UTC

The most important thing I learned from chapters 13 and 14 on how to "live life to the fullest" during the later stage of life is on pages 383-384. These pages cover expectations when it comes to retirement, and ways you can ensure a fun and successful retirement. The textbook discusses how society views retirement as a short period of one's life between not working and death. I learned that people retire during different years of their lives and can choose how to live their lives once retired. This section discusses qualities that would most likely increase happiness during retirement, while referring back to the qualities discussed in adulthood. This implies if a person is sociable, willing to explore and try new things, willing to compromise, and is responsible, they are more likely to "live life to the fullest". Having strong relationships and making sure you are financially stable will increase your chances to becoming free spirited and happy in the later stages of life. I hope to carry my good qualities as an adult into my later stage of life so I don't view my retirement as a "short rest of my life". I want to grow older and still have room for adventure and new friendships, which would also make me emotionally and physically healthier!