Note: This assignment asks you to pull on your personal experiences – past and present – as a way of applying your psychology education. You are not required to share anything you are not comfortable with. We want these papers to be personally resonant, but you should not feel pressured. Remember that University of Maryland instructors are required to report ongoing or past child abuse and neglect even when the former victim is now an adult and even when the former alleged abuser is deceased. If you disclose past or ongoing abuse/neglect your instructor is required by law to report it.
Pie of Life Assignment
The Pie of Life chart is a tool psychologists use to help their clients conceptualize where they are investing their physical and mental energy. It aids in self-reflection and goal setting, prompting one to mindfully consider where they are allocating their time, energy, and resources. The “slices” of this pie represent important life domains including our close relationships, spirituality, mental health, physical health, self-development, hobbies, career, and finances.
One of the main objectives of this course is to provide you with space and time for self-reflection – to intentionally consider how your experience as a psychology major has impacted your life. The Pie of Life chart provides us with a great scaffolding for just this sort of exercise. We can use it to think about how fundamental psychological principles, concepts, teachings, and findings have influenced you in meaningful ways.
For example, how has your experience as a psychology major influenced your friendships? Maybe after taking your Theories of Personality course, you had an epiphany about a difficult relationship in your past, giving you a new lens through which to view that dynamic. Maybe that roommate wasn’t a jerk after all – maybe they were just stuck in a maladaptive pattern of behavior that was, unfortunately, positively reinforced throughout their childhood?
Another example: How might your career goals have shifted over the course of your journey? Maybe a discussion forum conversation you had with a peer in your Intro to Clinical Psychology course about childhood mental health diagnoses really piqued your interest and you started to shift your career interest toward child and adolescent work as a result.
These are just two examples – the possibilities here are endless!
Assignment Instructions:
Write an 1,800 – 2,000-word reflective journal entry (going over some is fine!). You have the creative freedom to choose the format that best suits your reflection. It can be written as a traditional essay, or you can write less formally/more conversationally in the style of a diary or journal entry, whichever you are more comfortable with. References are not required unless you use them. If you do, then they must be cited in the text and referenced at the end of your work in APA format. What you will be referencing, for the most part, are your
takeaways from your previous courses (psychology or other subjects!) – this may involve specific outside resources, but it may not. That will be up to you to discern.
Below you will see a proposed outline for this reflection, which will help you structure your thinking. The focus should be on your personal experiences as a student, insights and clarity you’ve gained along the way, and specific takeaways from any courses you have taken throughout your undergraduate program.
Introduction (150+ words):
For this assignment, reflecting on all eight domains in the Pie of Life chart is not required. Instead, focus on the five (5) that resonate most with your experience. Begin with a brief introduction to smoothly segue your reader into your piece. Reference the 5 Pie of Life domains that you have selected for reflection.
Body (1500+ words total):
Choose FIVE (5) of the Pie of Life domains below. So, the body of your work will be at least 5 paragraphs or sections long. Aim for 300+ words per domain (going over 300 words some is fine!). In each paragraph/section refer to something specific you learned from one of your undergraduate courses (remember, it doesn’t
have to be a psychology course!) and how it applies directly to your life.
Subject headings will help your reader visually, so consider using them!
The bullet points are meant to guide your thinking and aren’t necessarily prescriptive of what you “must” talk about.
· Relationships (Family/Friends):
· Reflect on how your understanding of psychological concepts has impacted your relationships with family, friends, romantic partners, or peers.
· Share personal experiences, challenges, and growth in this area you’ve experienced throughout your academic journey.
· Consider any specific courses or theories that influenced your interactions with others.
· Spirituality
· Discuss how any course takeaways have given rise to shifts in your spiritual perspective.
· Reflect on any changes or discoveries related to your spirituality, beliefs, or self-awareness.
· Share any spiritual insights resulting from class discussion activities.
· Self-Development
· Discuss how your psychology education has contributed to your personal growth and development.
· Reflect on any shifts in your ability to be self-aware and mindful of your own tendencies, strengths, or habits.
· Explain any connection between psychological theories you’ve learned about and your journey toward self-discovery.
· Leisure/Hobbies
· Analyze how your understanding of human behavior has influenced your leisure activities and hobbies.
· Describe any psychological theories or concepts that have shaped your leisure choices and preferences.
· Share how psychology has enhanced your enjoyment of leisure time.
· Physical Health
· Explore the ways in which psychology has influenced your approach to your physical health.
· Discuss any healthy lifestyle or attitude changes you’ve adopted because of your psychology education.
· Mention specific courses or theories that have been particularly impactful in this area.
· Mental Health
· Discuss how your experience in your psychology courses or as a psychology major have shifted your views on what mental health is.
· Explore how learning about resilience, optimism, or positive psychology has altered how you approach challenges and adversity in your life.
· Share how insights from your courses have led you to become more understanding of mental health challenges both in yourself and others.
· Career
· Reflect on how psychology has guided your career aspirations, decisions, or strategies.
· Share any instances where psychological knowledge has been instrumental in your professional development.
· Consider how your undergraduate education has shaped your work-related attitudes and goals.
· Finances:
· Discuss the influence of psychology on your financial decisions, budgeting, and money management.
· Reflect on any courses or theories that have provided insights into financial behavior and decision-making.
· Share any improvements or changes in your financial habits resulting from your studies.
Conclusion (150+ words):
To end your journal, draw conclusions regarding the personal impact of your psychology education. What excites you as you look forward? What new challenges are you prepared to take on?
Evaluation Criteria:
Since this exercise is intended to be a self-reflective exercise for you, there are obviously no right or wrong answers here. It is a challenging task for an instructor to evaluate the work of a student who is given creative freedom to think deeply about how their journey has influenced their life. Your journal will be evaluated based on the depth of reflection, incorporation of specific experiences you have had in your UMGC or other college courses (if you have transferred), personal insights you have achieved as a psychology major, and overall genuine investment in this activity. See attached rubric for more specific guidance on evaluation. You can also access an
Example Paper to help you get started.
Appropriate Use of Generative AI/ChatGPT-Like Programs:
Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) programs like ChatGPT can create a journal entry along the lines of what this assignment asks you to do. Because this assignment is intended as a
personal reflection based on your
individual experience of learning as a student of psychology at UMGC and/or the other colleges you attended, AI databanks do not have the insights necessary to provide the level of specificity needed to do well on this assignment. It will offer vague connections and overgeneralized commentary, but not the level of experience-based, contextual examples we are looking for here. So, in this instance, over-reliance on AI generative tools will not satisfy this assignment.
You can use ChatGPT and other generative AI software to refresh your memory of what you may have learned in specific psychology courses if you would like (this is
not a requirement but does constitute an acceptable use of this technology), but this must be heavily supplemented by anecdotes from your personal learning and life experience. And the written, submitted text must be exclusively your own.
If you need help starting this assignment or have questions, please contact your instructor in the Ask the Professor thread in class. This can provide you (and other students reading it!) the clarity you need to get around any obstacles you might encounter! The provision of the
Example Paper is also intended to help you get some sea legs. Remember, your performance on this assignment is not contingent on how perfectly you write (notice grammar/mechanics are not in the rubric), but rather on the depth of your exploration.
