Hi there! ^_^

Last week, October 17th to 22nd, was OISE Open House Week. I thought it might be fun to provide my readers with a recap of what I did that week and to reflect on how far I’ve come since a few years ago.

I helped tear down the Open House events on Monday & Wednesday, which was fun. 😛 I even got to talk to a few prospective students while waiting to put things away. Tuesday was actually the Open House Day for my department, Applied Psychology & Human Development, but I actually had class that evening. Not that convenient for my work, but this shows how understanding OISE is towards teachers & other professionals who have to work during the day.

On Thursday, I helped with the set up & tear down of the Leadership, Higher, & Adult Education Open House. I even ran into someone I know from my undergraduate degree at York University during registration. The weather wasn’t the best, but it was still great to see so many prospective students come out to learn more about OISE.

(How things looked before prospective students came)

(Prospective students discussing specific graduate programs of interest in smaller groups)

(More discussion in smaller groups)

On Saturday, I was sent to the general University of Toronto Fall Campus Day for prospective undergraduate students at University College. OISE’s recruiter, Nicole Ryan, was giving a presentation about OISE’s teaching programs later in the day. OISE Registrar’s Office wanted someone else to be at the  OISE table while she was away, & to generally have two people there, so there I was! 😛

It was an interesting experience, because talking to high school students & their parents reminded me of how far I’ve come since Grade 12. I now have an undergraduate degree, and some idea of what I’d like to do for the rest of my life. It was surreal to talk to people who are so young & relatively inexperienced.

I found out through Facebook that October 22nd, 2014- two years ago- was the day that I went to OISE’s Open House to find out more about the Masters of Education in Developmental Psychology & Education. Now, in 2016, I was representing OISE as a graduate student! It’s unbelievable how things can change in just a few years……

If anybody reading this post is working on graduate school applications right now, don’t get discouraged! You’ll get through the process & be where you’re meant to be eventually. There were times where I despaired of even graduating with an undergraduate degree, but I did it! ^_^

Now I’m at OISE, and available to answer your questions! So don’t feel shy, and comment on my posts if you’re curious about anything in particular.

by Anna MEd student, Developmental Psychology and Education

I’ve been in many situations in my life where I haven’t felt entirely comfortable. It’s difficult for me to do certain things or to take risks. It may not seem that way to some people, but I’m not a naturally adventurous person.

I mentioned that I painted a ceramic piece during an outing with a friend of mine during my last blog post, so I’ll continue using that example here. When I went to The Clay Room with my friend Indie, I had never been in that particular area of Toronto before. I don’t have a very good sense of direction, so I had to turn on Location Services on my IPhone to get to the restaurant we agreed to meet at prior to painting pottery at The Clay Room. I found everything successfully, but this didn’t come naturally to me. The fact that I have a poor sense of direction & may sometimes feel anxious about this doesn’t mean that I should never go anywhere or leave my house.

Before I was hired as an OISE Student Ambassador, I became a Volunteer Blogger for an organization that promotes mental health awareness called Healthy Minds Canada. I had never blogged for anyone before, but knew that this was a skill I wanted to develop. This helped me get hired as an OISE Student Ambassador much more than my continuing to tutor fellow students would have.

It would have been easier for me to continue my education at York University, where I did my undergraduate degree. I know York very well, and am familiar with various people & support services offered there. I could have easily chosen to do a certificate in something like TESOL or Human Resources Management. There’s a Sheridan College campus near where I live that offers postgraduate certificates with a co-op placement that would have resulted in a definite possibility of my securing a job right after graduation.

I chose to go to OISE instead, because I am committing to broadening my horizons in the field of education. I didn’t want to take the easy way out. Many students at OISE and in general will say that you can’t learn if you’re never made to feel uncomfortable. I agree with this sentiment. It’s harder for me to go to a larger university as a graduate student, but I have access to more resources & career opportunities as a result.

In my Foundations of Human Development and Education course, students have to write online weekly discussion board postings on various topics of interest. Sounds easy, right? It would be, except for the fact that what’s written needs to be backed up by research & cited correctly. It’s more difficult than just sharing your opinion on a topic, but having these requirements makes for a more thoughtful & informed online discussion. In my Introduction to Special Education & Adaptive Instruction class, we frequently discuss how to effectively work with students who may have behavioral difficulties and/or learn differently. It’s challenging to think critically about how to deal with vulnerable people, but doing so makes everybody in that class a more effective practitioner/policy maker/educator.

Discussing difficult topics, thinking critically, and even doing research is hard. Thankfully, OISE provides a supportive & nurturing environment to help people grow intellectually. I know various international students at OISE, one of who I will be interviewing later on, who have opened my eyes about the difficulties of studying in a completely unfamiliar country. I may not be willing to completely relocate yet, but maybe I will soon. It is only in trying new things that one can truly broaden one’s horizons.

by Anna MEd student, Developmental Psychology and Education

Hi there! 🙂 My name is Anna & I’m very excited to get to know anybody & everybody who’s going to be reading my blog posts. I look forward to chronicling & sharing my journey at OISE.

Why OISE?

I chose OISE at the University of Toronto to do a graduate degree because I want to remain close to my support network of friends and family while taking advantage of the resources that a large university has to offer. Toronto is an amazing & vibrant city, so I figured it was in my best interest to stay in the area if I wanted to get a job here after completing a graduate degree.

Why Developmental Psychology and Education?

I chose to do an Master of Education in Developmental Psychology & Education because I’m interested in working in student services at the college or university level, helping students who may be encountering difficulty. This could range from students with disabilities, to international students, to English language learners, and/or even student parents! I chose to take a developmental approach because there isn’t much research or data on some marginalized populations as adults. There’s far more research on children, especially about language learning.

My Perspective/Philosophy

I look at this graduate degree as kind of like painting a ceramic piece. First, I don’t know much of anything or anybody. I’m something of a “blank slate”, much like this blank ceramic mug.

Eventually, I’ll gain experience and insight that will make me stand out among various other professionals. This will happen gradually, much like how I gradually put more & more colour on this once-blank mug.

At the end of my degree, I will have gained all sorts of insight & experience that will prepare me to go out & make my mark on the world! ^_^

I, like this once-plain ceramic mug, will be transformed.

The pictures of ceramics are courtesy of my trip to The Clay Room with my friend Indie, when we celebrated our getting new jobs.  I haven’t gotten the finished product back from The Clay Room yet, but I will definitely post a picture here when I do. I’m looking forward to seeing the end result, much like how I am looking forward to starting my career.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below & ask. 🙂 I’ll be providing more detail about my graduate degree as time goes on, and I’d like to hear about what prospective students might like to know.