Becoming a Successful Capella Graduate Online Learner, Essay Example

After obtaining this degree, I expect I’ll go into practice, either on my own or with a university, etc. I really want to help patients with depression, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and other forms of mental illness. I believe that that is where a lot of the greatest need is, and I have a heart for helping people with these issues to learn how to overcome them. I’m a big believer in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy both: I think it’s essential to have a good balance between the right prescriptions and counseling, in order to help patients attain more level, balanced minds.

I think the greatest challenge for me in completing this program will be to try to push myself out of my comfort zone. I have a very specific learning style, as I have now been made aware, and it doesn’t lend itself to certain things very well. In particular, I need to be prepared to be less routine- and process-oriented, and better able to just meet people where they are, even though I really don’t like group work and sometimes have trouble being tactful, etc.

I look forward to working on all of these challenges and more besides, and I look forward to using the great resources found in iGuide to help me do so. I think the Critical Thinking center will be really useful for helping me to think through how I learn, how I interact with others, and how I can challenge and improve myself. I’m looking forward to the Writing Center, because I do love writing.

And I think the library will prove very useful! I’m already looking into books that I should read, in addition to my coursework, to help me grow myself as a learner and future psychologist. For me, the key to finding balance has always been to establish a routine and stick with it. If I can itemize everything I need to keep track of, everything I need to do, I should be able to prioritize things very well.