By now, you are probably deep into both your academic experience as well as your field experience. It may seem like you don’t have a minute to spare between your schoolwork, your internship, and your other outside obligations, such as work, family, and friends. We often get so caught up in our day to day tasks that it feels like we barely have time to breathe!

However, reflection is a vital part of the learning process. Reflecting on our experiences can show us where we have made gains, and also help us identify areas that we may need to work on. Also, it helps us process the experiences we have had so far, which can prepare us for experiences yet to come.

In addition, reflecting gives us time to think about how we are coping with these new experiences. Working in human services means that we are routinely exposed to some of the most painful aspects of the human experience. We also get to experience some of the triumphs as well, but we will not be able to appreciate the highs if we don’t learn how to process the lows. Taking periodic breaks to reflect will be critical to our long-term success in the field.

5.2.1 What Have You Learned So Far?

Think back to your first day at your internship. What were you feeling and thinking? Fast forward to now: What is different about how you feel and think? Reflect on the following questions. You can include your reflections in your journal if you like:

• Make a list of the different tasks or skills that you have learned at your internship site. Which were easier, and which were more difficult? Which ones seem the most important to you at this point in your internship?
• Refer to your learning objectives. Which ones have you completed? Which ones are you still working on ? Are there objectives that you have not had the opportunity to begin? What have been the barriers to those objectives?
• What else have you noticed about your agency? How have you interacted with your colleagues? What has your relationship with your supervisor been like? What do you observe about the agency culture and policies? Do the services provided match what you expected originally? Why or why not?
• What are your observations about the population the agency serves? Have your previous beliefs about your clients been challenged? Is the work what you expected?

By reviewing our experience, we can see our progress, and identify our ongoing challenges.

5.2.3 What Do You Still Want To Experience?

After reflecting on the questions in the previous section, what is still missing from your internship experience? What are you hoping to accomplish before your internship ends? These questions and exercises will help you formulate a plan to get the experience you need. You may have to advocate for yourself with your supervisor. A good approach includes both the specifics of what you want to accomplish as well as some suggestions for how to make that happen.