5.2 Reviewing Your Experience
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, internship, and 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 our experiences 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 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.
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 challenging? 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’s culture and policies? Do the services provided match what you originally expected? 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.
Assessing Your Experience
MIDTERM ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES
By reviewing our experience, we can see our progress and identify our ongoing challenges. Fill out this chart with your assessment of your internship so far. Note if skills or experiences specific to your agency are not listed. Use this chart to discuss your plans with your instructor and classmates.
| Skill or Experience | NONE | Not Enough | A Good Balance | Too Much | Excessive Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client Contact (or observation if appropriate) | |||||
| Independence | |||||
| Documentation | |||||
| Supervision | |||||
| Colleague Interaction | |||||
| Agency Processes | |||||
| Networking (with colleagues and professionals from other agencies) | |||||
| Collaboration with Other Agencies | |||||
| Other: | |||||
| Other: |
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 the specifics of what you want to accomplish as well as some suggestions for how to make that happen.
Reviewing Your Experience Licenses and Attributions
“Reviewing Your Experience” by Yvonne M. Smith LCSW is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
A credit class in which students apply theory to practice by using what you have learned in coursework in a real-world setting with a supervisor/mentor who is invested in your growth and development (often also referred to as fieldwork or practicum).
the shared beliefs, customs and rituals of a group of people
the written record of the interactions between the client and the agency, as well as work done by the agency for the client’s behalf. Documentation often exists as part of an agency’s official records, and may also be used for billing purposes.
the continuous development of a supportive system of sharing information and connections between individuals and groups that share common interests