Part 1: Personal and Professional Reflection before University
After completing my high school, my next level was to join the University of Phoenix to complete my undergraduate. I was not clear as to what specific course I wanted to do, but my intention was to pursue a course related to criminology. At the time my personal and professional life all were intertwined with my goal of pursuing further knowledge in the field of criminology. Personally, my family is heavily involved in the field. My father is high ranking detective at a local police station, while my mother is a criminal lawyer with the department of justice. As the first born in my family, I am obliged to follow in both my parents’ footsteps because of the amount of investment they have put on me in terms of funding my education and internships at their workstations. Furthermore, I cultivated an interest with time from the satisfaction of seeing dangerous criminals removed from the society.
My opinion on learning is that it has an important positive role in personal development. According to Field (2006), the importance of university education to a learner is: self-awareness, renewed self-identity, enhanced social abilities, shaping employability, enhancing self-knowledge, and developing strengths. Therefore, I felt energized and privileged to undertake a course which would enhance my knowledge in criminology, increase my chances of obtaining a job or furthering my career in the future, and improving my social skills. In addition, learning the course would provide me with self-awareness skills which are essential in making timely decisions that would help solve complex crimes. Other roles that I think learning would help in my personal development are managing emotions, developing an identity, and achieving autonomy.
Before joining the university my level of professional skills were undefined with some being above average and some below average. The four key categories of professional skills judged in criminology are: problem solving, collaboration, information retrieval and utilization, and oral and written communication skills (Von Haenisch, 2011). My written and oral skills were above average since I managed to score the highest grade in my English exams at my entry level exams. However, communication skills in criminology are different from that, which I had because of the legal terminologies which I had to learn to perfect my communication skills. My problem solving skills were average since I had never been tested in real working experience. Nonetheless, while in high school I was a class representative and so I had to solve problems that arose practically. My collaboration skills were above average where I had enrolled in various clubs and organization and worked as a team to come up with solutions. Sadly, my skill in information retrieval and utilization was below average. I use to always rely on talented team members who had that skill in solving problems that required the skill. Conversely, I believe that through learning I would be able to advance the skill to a higher level.
In joining the University of Phoenix, my career goals all hinged on having a successful career in law enforcement. The first goal is to increase my knowledge and resources on criminal law so that I might be able to apply them to my advantage. Second, I aim to be better financially in my career so that I can be motivated to pursue it and be satisfied in my job. Third, I aim to accumulate new experiences that would place me in a better position to solve similar problems in the future. Lastly, I aimed at achieving stability in my career through pursuing a field that I had a passion for.
Part 2: Evaluation of Growth Experienced at the University of Phoenix
My courses at the University of Phoenix have greatly contributed to my personal and professional skills. The course of criminology was very instrumental in understanding behavior of offenders and the reason of their decisions. The course has made me have self-awareness and understanding of present life circumstances. The self-awareness aspect is important in my career as a law enforcer as it helps me avoid emotions, hence think objectively. In addition, my social abilities have vastly improved as I interact with diverse people who think differently and provide complex angles to situations.
At the university, model case analyses and internships have improved my problem solving abilities. The cases and internships provide ample opportunities to think critically and creatively in solving similar problems that might occur in the future (Siegel, 2011). Information retrieval and utilization skills were also enhanced through studying of model cases. Investigative techniques and resource collection courses have also furthered my skills in information retrieval and utilization. Courses in criminal law were effective in furthering my knowledge on legal language hence advancing my communication skills. Classroom debates on made-up cases have also been helpful in bettering my oral communication skills. Team challenges and group works have also resulted in aiding my collaboration skills, which are aimed at achieving a wining mentality as a team (Siegel, 2011).
The two general educational courses in criminology are sociology and qualitative research methods. In addition, the two core courses taken while studying criminology are criminal law and criminal psychology. For a successful career in professional law enforcement it is important that I understand the modern society and how people live in it. This is the reason why sociology was part of the general education courses. The other course—qualitative research methods—is important when gathering information and materials that are crucial in making conclusions of cases. The course is also important when making objective decisions pertaining to criminal law. Criminal law is a core course since there are many procedures and legislations that provide frameworks on which actions are perceived as criminal. Furthermore, the course provides guidelines of convicting offenders, identifying the innocent, and protecting victims (Siegel, 2011). The other core course is criminal psychology, which is important when understanding the reason why certain offenders commit crime. It is important when punishing, and catching offenders (Siegel, 2011).
The changes that I would recommend at the University of Phoenix, which would have enhanced my personal growth and of future students are: Using improved IT systems and software for effective and quick research methods, for instance, incorporating advanced software that would make research and data retrieval easier and quicker.
Introduction of frequent career talks from industry professional. Professionals in the criminology field would provide firsthand information on life as a law enforcer, and also advice on ways to become successful in the field.
Shifting learning from being exam oriented to become constructivist learning. Constructivist learning is where students are actively involved in the procedure of creating knowledge and its meaning rather than passively receiving information.
There should be introduction of development programs that are aimed at identifying students’ weaknesses and working around them. The programs should also be empowered to enhance talents of students. For example, if a student has skills in debating, a program to build self-confidence and teach on skills of arguing is suitable for the student.
Part 3: Effect of the program on current and future professional goals
After completing my Criminology program at the University of Phoenix, I believe that I am more motivated and focused in pursuing the career that I have learned throughout my lifetime. I believe LLL (Life Long Learning) is very important in creating professionals who are passionate and interesting in their careers. With globalization and the employment market becoming more competitive, there is an increased need of employees having advanced skills, which stand out. Therefore, there is no any other way than through LLL where family influences, media, school interactions, and religion have an effect on students’ career from the time they are children. Furthermore, in agreement with Field (2006), lifelong learning is important because: it aids in complete development of natural talents; opens the mind of students hence self-aware; identifies the meaning of student’s lives; attaining a self-fulfilling life; flexible in times of crises; creates a inquisitive and passionate individual; and makes students involved in societal development.
In the next five years there are personal, professional, and education goals that I intend to accomplish. The personal goals I am aiming for are: being a leader, inspiring, intelligent, courageous, and broad minded. In being a leader, I have a vision of creating a different unique path in my career as a criminologist which would make it easier and enjoyable to enforce laws. Again on the same breath, providing inspiration to my work mates and juniors would be important to achieve. Inspiration would provide focus and team work ethics which are crucial in enforcing law. However, the personal skills that I aim to continue to develop are in my information retrieval and utilization. This is because one cannot safely say that they are competent in the skills because it is a continuous learning process. Therefore, information retrieval and utilization will continuously be learned throughout my life.
My professional goals are all hinged on becoming a high ranking CIA agent. However, at first I intend to gather all the relevant experiences as a detective before I finally take the CIA exams. I intend to take the exams in five years where I would also have undergone all the necessary educational programs to make my qualification as a CIA agent easier.
Furthermore, I intend to advance my professional skills through joining a voluntary criminology organization. The organization would provide me with latest trends in the career and knowledge on professional development.
My main educational goal is to gather all the relevant knowledge in criminology, which would be important in my career in the future. The two ways that I have identified in advancing my educational goals are through workshops and seminars, and pursuing other additional degrees. The workshops and seminars that would be effective in my education are: research methods, data utilization and retrieval, working as a team in the workplace, leadership seminars, and management seminars. Consequently, I intend to pursue a master’s degree in forensic science. The area I would focus in the masters is in forensic psychology where it would help me determine the circumstances behind a criminal’s behavior using forensic methods.
References
Field, J. (2006). Life Long Learning and the New Educational Order. Vermont: Trenthambooks. Pp. 23+
Siegel, L.J. (2011). Criminology (11th ed). Ohio: Cengage Learning. Pp. 2-108
Von Haenisch, C. (2011). How did compulsory personal therapy during counselling training influence personal and professional development?. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 11(2), 148-155. doi:10.1080/14733145.2010.485693
