Personal Essay
Lost and enraged, my mind was spinned with confusion. How could someone who used to gain consistent scores over 1450 on their PSATs not be able to reach a score of over 1300 on the real SATs? This question became the center of attention during the beginning of my junior year of high school. Everyone I knew including my family, tutors and SAT teachers had high expectations for me with constant reminders of, “You’ll do great! You have nothing to worry about because you did so well at camp.” And I had let them down. Their endless support and hope gave me confidence that I would be able to achieve a score that was deemed “acceptable” in the eyes of all my mentors yet that was unachieved. Not only did I disappoint those around me but mostly importantly, I disappointed myself, it marked the day of my first official failure.
It can be confusing as to why and how not receiving a high score on a standardized test can count as a failure. The SATs were not created to determine whether a student passes or fails but rather the ability to think differently and implement strategies to discover the solution. There were no requirement as to how well a student should do and neither were there any scores that could be categorized as, “bad” or “good.” I knew I could take the test multiple times but I personally only wanted to go through it three times. Entering into junior year, I reserved my spot for the spring SAT and was determined to achieve the score that I wanted, a 1450 and higher.
But throughout this waiting period, words that were directed as encouragement rang in my ears as words of pity and these words began to intimidate me. “Just try your best and don’t make the same mistakes you made and you won’t have a problem.” “Make sure you’re well prepared and don’t stress out because your head will get clouded and you will do bad.” The simple phrases were heard as a threat to me because I was fully aware that the situation would become worse if my scores remained the same. All the opportunities that were offered to me would be taken away and limited all because of one, 4-digit number.
These were the thoughts I beared for the past four months as I prepared for the big exam day. Stressful, pressured and tired. But even with my daunting and negative thoughts, I discovered a new part of myself. I became aware of who I was and I began to build my character. The experience of not only taking the SATs taught me to be humble but the process of studying, reading passages and taking endless practice tests had taught me to thrive under pressure. My personality transformed a whole 180 degrees as I realized how my own opinions and thoughts had greater value than what others suggested. I became aware that the SAT was a measure of how hard students themselves were willing to work along with how much effort they were willing to put in. I implemented the strategies and tips that my teachers at camp taught me, but instead I focused on what I lacked and pushed myself to practice a little each day, no matter the workload at school. What I did differently was that I taught myself instead of being taught. Although my parents gave up their expectations for me, I accepted that studying was not to please the people around me but that it was finding satisfaction within myself. Instead of being bitter about the past and engulfing in regret, I have gained the confidence to let those mistakes be inspiring by having a better attitude and deeper passion to create long-term goals that will build my character instead of short-term goals that will only last temporarily.
Career Exploration Cover Letter
Jessica Kim
2403 Century Lane
Chadds Ford, PA
(610)-570-6077
March 15, 2018
Dear Ms. Stephan,
The 3 careers that I selected were Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant and a Pharmacist. I chose these three careers because they were jobs that involve working with medicine and systems of the body such as anatomy and physiology. I have always found an interest within the field of medicine as the cure to illnesses continues to grow and will continue in the future as more people are diagnosed and more solutions are needed. The results from the Career Interest Profiler and Myers Briggs allowed me to discover what I enjoy and to use that skill in a career that I would not only look forward to daily but be good at.
The first career that I researched was a Nurse Practitioner. I knew that I could not handle the amount of years it takes to become a doctor and I knew that I wanted to do something more than a nurse so I decided to have an open mind towards being a NP. My work style fits this career because I love interacting and talking with new people. Although I love to have consistency within my routine, facing a new challenge everyday will be fun and allow my work experience to be different since I would be meeting new patients. For the first 5 years of this career, I imagine it to be stressful yet exciting because I know that I will make many mistakes and be slow if I work at a hospital. But I hope that from those first few years, I will learn from the mistakes and become better at treating patients and have a better understanding of the hospital. Within the next 10 years, I hope that I will be an expert on what I do yet at the same time I hope that I can teach other nurses or other nurse practitioners how to improve and keep them from making the same mistakes that I may have made. My personality is very outgoing and loud so I hope that my positive attitude and mindset can be encouraging to the patients that are struggling with their illness. I hope to be more than just a nurse but also a friend.
The second career that I chose was a Physician Assistant. My work style would fit for this career as I enjoy collaborating and coming up with a solution with other people rather than independently. A physician assistant works close with physicians and other nurses but has more control over orders and what is allowed than nurse practitioners or others. For the first five years of this career, I envision myself as building communication skills along with learning how to make decisions under a pressure and little time. I hope to build new skills and knowledge as a PA but within the next 10 years of my career, I hope to see growth and development within cures and surgery procedures along with the use of certain medicines. My personality type is easy to work with others and easy to communicate which is key when it comes to working in a hospital with many patients that are ill and need help.
The third career I chose was a Pharmacist. Although this job has the least amount of human interaction in comparison to an NP or PA, it still helps patients and the improvements in a patient’s health can be evident. My work style would fit with this as I enjoy working with others and I enjoy being on top of things. My organizational skills and efficiency fits with working with medicine and drugs since pharmacists need to organize patient’s prescriptions and make sure that the patients have the right amount of dosage. I envision myself in the next 5 years as having a good understanding of medicine and knowing which medicine to give or prescribe when someone is feeling ill or having certain symptoms. In the next 10 years, I hope that new drugs can be created and hopefully be trialed by patients who need them. My personality would allow me to be successful in this career as I am well-rounded and able to open-minded which is important when considering what a patient needs and what a patient wants.
Sincerely,
Jessica Kim
Budget Reflection
Career: Physician Assistant
April 2018
Net Salary
How did you choose your career?
I chose my career because I wanted to go into the medical field but I did not want to study for as long as a physician so I chose a physician assistant.
Now that you’ve seen your preliminary budget, reflect on your career choice and the lifestyle you may be able to live as a result. What might be the benefits or challenges?
The benefits of a physician assistant is that they make enough money to have money left over from spending on their needs and wants which allows for me to live a lifestyle that is financially stable. However, the challenges that come with this is spending too much on unnecessary things just because I have left-over money. I would need to learn how to save or put it in stocks with the extra money I have.
Savings Strategy
How much did you decide to save (in savings and in retirement), and why did you make these choices?
I decided to save 15% for each since it would benefit my future in the long-run.
After seeing how your final budget turned out, do you think you should be saving more or less than you originally chose?
I think I should be saving less than I originally chose as I had more than $1,000 left over after budgeting. I would not want to have too much extra money left over but enough so that I can use it if an emergency occurs.
Spending Habits
When you look at your overall spending, which category are you spending the least on? Does this surprise you?
I’m spending the least on transportation as I chose to take public transportation instead of a car. This surprises me as I always wanted to drive my own car when I was younger but I am choosing to take public transportation instead. I decided to take public transportation after realizing all the responsibilities of owning and paying for a car myself would cost.
Which category are you spending the most on? Does this surprise you?
My total cost of living is the most I am spending on. This does not surprise me since there are many utilities and responsibilities that come with living on your own or with a roommate.
What is one area where you know you could spend less? How would you change your budget?
I could spend less on my tota cost of food by going out less and instead making meals at home. Although I would be lazy to do this at times, I think it would be one of the easier ways to save money.
What is one area where you wish you could spend more on? What would need to happen for that to be possible?
I would want to spend more on my wants which does not require me to change my budget. As much as I would love to spend more on my wants, I would purposely restrict myself so that the money isn’t used on unnecessary things.
Surplus or Deficit
In the end, does your budget end with a surplus or a deficit?
My budget ends with a surplus of $769.
What decisions did you make about your budget led to that final outcome?
I decided to take public transportation instead of owning a car and I decided to roommate with another person so that I would not have to pay rent as much since I would be living in a costly city.
NOTE: If your budget ended with a deficit (you were spending more than you were taking home each month), this is not sustainable. You would need to redo your budget until your net income covers all of your monthly expenses.
Summary
Name two lessons you learned by completing this salary-based budget.
I learned that there are many responsibilities to living on your own as you have to consider the little things that cost more than you think.
I also learned that making a greater amount of money makes it easier for you to live a lifestyle that you want since you are financially stable and there is more room for change.
"Do What You Are"
Activity Reflection
My personality type is ESFJ which stands for Extravert, Sensor, Feeler and Judger. Some of my strengths include:
Warm, friendly and good at making people feel comfortable
Organized and prepared; practical and efficient
Driven to closure, which can expedite the process
My blind spots include:
May be unable or unwilling to explore possibilities that I see as impractical or unrealistic
May be in so much of a hurry to conclude negotiations that I miss important information
May be unduly influenced by how I personally feel about my opponent or by other related, but minor issues
2) The results that came out allowed me to realize that I work better with people and that the environment I’m in has a great impact on how I am able to carry out certain tasks and duties. I don’t find the results surprising as I enjoy working with other people and I find it important for the environment around me to be comfortable and friendly.
3) My preferred learning style further reinforced how a I focus better with a predictable structure, clear expectation along with explicit instructions. As I learn new information or facts, I need adequate time to practice and master new skills along with rewards for organized skill and ability to meet deadlines. Knowing that I take multiple AP classes this year, I’ve learned to manage my time and I’ve learned how to start my work ahead of time to prevent myself from procrastinating. As these classes are fast-paced with boat-loads of homework and studying, I try to not stress myself out by starting work too early or too late but by patient in spreading out the work. I believe these habits will allow me to make better decisions as I can be responsible and learn how to be independent by setting goals and rewards for myself.
4) Medical and Health Services Managers:
Medical/ clinical assistant
Public health, general
Computer Programmers:
Computer programming, specific applications
Artificial intelligence
Software Developers, System Software:
Computer science
Drafting and design technology/technician, general
Epidemiologists:
Cell/cellular biology and histology
Epidemiology
Natural Sciences Managers:
Anatomy
Pathology/ experimental pathology
Pharmacology
Career Interest Profiler
Activity Reflection
In your opinion, what are the biggest differences between career, job, and school? For you, what overlapping skills do you think you have probably already mastered (lucky you!) and how did you master them? Also, none of us is perfect, so what overlapping skills do you need to work on a little?
I think the biggest differences between career, job and school is how you portray yourself in each one of them. At school you are taught to be social and hard-working while at a job, you are taught to be professional and responsible. A career stands apart from all of them because having a career doesn’t always require a job or being successful but can be living a life that is satisfying or enjoying to you. I think the overlapping skills would be learning how to write formal letters along with how to be responsible with your own work. Throughout the 3 years of high school that I’ve experienced, each year I’ve learned something new such as learning to social freshmen year, learning not to procrastinate sophomore year and learning how to study and do my work junior year. I was able to master these skills by failing first and by learning from that experience. Some of the overlapping skills that I need to work on is staying motivated and using my time wisely.
In what two areas did you score the highest? Explain some of the traits that are associated with these areas. In what two areas did you score the lowest? Explain some of the traits that are associated with these areas.
I scored the highest in the Investigative and Social aspects of the Career Interest Profiler. Investigative jobs involve working with ideas and require an extensive amount of searching for facts along with figuring out problems mentally. An occupation that is social involves working with, communicating with and teaching people as a way to provide service for others. The areas that I scored the least included being Realistic and Artistic. In the category of Realistic, occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
Did your scores surprise you in any way? If they did, explain why. If they were unsurprising, explain in a short anecdote from your life how this trait has already made itself clear.
I’m surprised that I didn’t get a score for being Conventional since I want to go into the field of medicine which requires obeying orders from physicians and doctors that have a greater authority than you do. There is a clear line of authority in which to follow and I thought I would have gotten a greater score for it since I’ve also been following the rules and routines of school for a majority of my life.
List at least five professions were recommended to you. Are these jobs that you yourself have considered pursuing? Did any of the recommendations come as a surprise to you?
- Dermatologist
- Physicians Assistant
- Nurse Anesthetists
- Veterinarian
- Family and General Practitioners
All of these jobs I have thought about and considered as they all interest me in a way that I want to learn and become knowledgeable about. None of the recommendations came as a surprise to me since I’ve always had interest within the medical field so I had done prior research for it.
Has this quiz altered your opinion of potential future goals and aspirations? Do you think you might investigate something that you didn’t know about before? Are you surprised at the schooling required for any career or the wages associated with a career suggested?
This quiz has allowed me to become more motivated and passionate about my future goals and aspirations as they require years of studying and experience within a hospital or patient setting. Instead of being surprised by the schooling and wages required for the careers that I strive towards, I was reminded to always be hard-working and to not slack off as there is a long journey ahead for me if I wish to reach my goals.
College Search Cover Letter
Jessica Kim
2403 Century Lane
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
(610)-570-6077
17 May 2018
Ms. Stephan
Garnet Valley Career Development Teacher
552 Smithbridge Road
Glen Mills, PA 19342
Dear Ms. Stephan,
The two schools that I researched were Boston College and Northeastern University. I chose to research these schools due to their location and academic requirements. I believe that the academic offerings, location and social experience will correlate with what I am looking for in a school as both of the universities offer excellent nursing programs along with a variety of clubs and activities. Northeastern and Boston College are both located near a city or in a city in Massachusetts. If I am able to meet their academic requirements and apply to the school, I would apply for a nursing or biology major. Due to the high tuition for both schools, I would need scholarships and financial aid since I would not be able to afford the whole cost of attending either school. Keeping this in mind, Boston College and Northeastern are reach schools for me as they require a high GPA along with above-average standardized test scores. Boston College requires a common application along with supplemental forms, an essay or personal statement, two letters of recommendation along with an SAT or ACT average score of a 1440 or 32. Northeastern University has about the same requirements except that they look more favorably upon higher standardized test scores.
Between now and application time, I need to take my last standardized tests and begin writing my college applications early. I need to maintain my GPA and continue to take challenging classes and hopefully bring up my overall academic profile. The connection that I find between these schools and my goals is that I know personally that these schools will challenge me academically and mentally. I will need to learn how to balance maintaining my grades along with being social with my peers and making connections throughout campus/outside of campus to help me better my chances of being successful in the future. My goals include being a Physician Assistant yet at the same time being a social person outside of the hospital which I hope to learn how to do at one of these universities. Knowing that Boston College and Northeastern University are far from home, I will learn to become more independent and responsible which will allow me to grow and develop as a person and young adult. When I took the personality, values and Myers-Brigg tests, I found that I enjoy surrounding myself around people as I value relationships and being interactive with my peers. The environment and my surroundings impact my attitude and my ability to put out my best self which helps play a role in my decision-making process as I prioritize the people and places that I am in. These play a role in my decision-making process in wanting to attend Boston College and Northeastern University since I know that I will learn to discover my talents and weaknesses. The schools will have high expectations that will encourage me to really think and process the choices that I make.
Sincerely,
Jessica Kim
