I chose to study human development because I want to work with children, especially those who are at risk. Specifically, I want to do social work with children living in poverty or foster care. Human development is one of the fields that can lead to a job in that arena.
The bachelors degree program in human development typically takes 4 years to complete.
The program’s faculty is very knowledgeable. Often, professors go over their credentials on the first day of class. They describe what they have accomplished, where they have studied and books they have written. It is nice to have an understanding of their background, but the biggest indicator of their competence is simply being in their classes. When I listen to lectures and get useful answers to my questions, I feel confident in the knowledge of my professors.
The biggest strength of my program is the textbooks. The textbooks are updated and peer reviewed regularly. I feel that the information I get from my books is always new and fresh. But the main weakness of my program is that I have been required to take a few courses that I feel are not relevant to my education. For example, I had to take a class about earth science topics like geology and ecosystems, advanced math classes and microeconomics, which mostly involved business math. I felt that these classes were irrelevant to a degree in human development. Also, I was not prepared for the advanced math courses and struggled with the coursework.
Of all of the classes I have taken, the most valuable classes were my introductory class on human development and a class on parenting, both of which directly relate to my human development program and will contribute to my future career in social work. The introductory class on human development covered the human lifespan from infancy to adulthood and described the key development points at each stage of life. I learned about the milestones of every decade in life. It was a good foundation for the rest of the human development program. And the course on parenting, which was my favorite class, taught me about different temperaments in children and general parenting skills. I was able to explore topics such as discipline, and I learned why some traditional methods disciplinary methods, like spanking, can be harmful to children. The class was very practical for my career goals and applicable to my life.
The school has provided me with advisors to assist me in navigating the requirements of my program. They help me with issues like deciding which classes I need to take to graduate in a timely manner. I communicate with my advisors regularly through e-mail and they always give me prompt and detailed responses.
I have not completed an internship yet, but I will. Internships in my program typically last 3 to 6 months. I have already decided to do my internship at the Department of Social and Health Services. I know what to expect from the experience because some of my classmates have completed internships there. During their internships, my classmates were mainly responsible for coordinating supervised visits between parents and children in foster homes. They were also required to take notes during these supervised visits.
The best study tips I can offer students in a human development program is to encourage them to read their textbooks and never be afraid to ask questions. Students should remember that textbooks are not optional. During my first year, I assumed that my professors would cover all of the information in my textbooks, so I never read them. I learned the hard way that lectures are meant to supplement the text, and often do not cover the information comprehensively. Students should also stay engaged in the classroom by asking any questions they may have regarding the topics they are studying as the questions occur to them, rather than putting them off.
I plan to continue my education with a masters degree in human development. Then I would like to be a caseworker for the Department of Social and Health Services. I am choosing social work because I want to be involved in counseling at-risk youth and children in foster care.
Besides social work, a person with a bachelors degree in human development can work in a variety of social service jobs. There are also jobs available in child care or with organizations that deal with adult dependency problems and counseling.
Students who are considering pursuing a bachelors degree in human development should know that they will need to have an open mind and be accepting of new ways of thinking in order to succeed in this field. I think human development is a fairly liberal field, so there are a lot of issues involved that someone from a conservative background might have a hard time discussing or accepting. For example, I have examined the lives of children with gay and lesbian parents. To be successful in a human development program, a student must be open-minded to other people’s situations. Also, students need to be open to alternative ways of thinking. It sounds obvious but in a field like human development, students tend to apply what they have learned from their own upbringing to the children in other families. This can be harmful because there are many ways to think about family dynamics beyond what we have experienced in our own families. Students must be nonjudgmental and willing to apply these new ways of thinking to the field of human development, rather than relying solely on their own experiences.
