Introduction

Hello, my name is Christine Lee Boyle (ECU Student Id: 2033868) and this is my portfolio.

I have completed a Bachelor of Business degree, majoring in Accounting and International Business and a Bachelor of Arts Psycholgy degree at Edith Cowan University. I am currently completing Honours Psychology also at ECU to meet the Australian Psychological Society requirements so that I can onde day register as a Psychologist if I choose to. I have been studying at university since 2003, whilst also participating in various work opportunities based around my mode of study. My employment history includes various industries such as retail, hospitality, travel and administration, as I chose to undertake new opportunities if they became available to me, to assist me in identifying areas of employment I am competent at and enjoy.

I also participate in volunteer programs from time to time if I feel I am in a position to help others or to further my self-development. Previously, I have undertaken academic workshops to assist me in my studies and elective training for work to gain skills and qualifications that have allowed me to perform additional tasks in my employment, such as a RSA and LLC certificate that made it possible for me to provide alcohol to guests after hours while working in a hotel. I am currently a Peer Mentor in ECU's Resistance and Persistence Transition Support Program (RaPTS) and help first year psychology students with their transition into university.

I am interested in pursueing a career in psychology as I find it intriguing that there remains so much in this field that is unconfirmed about how and why individuals act the way they do. Also, I have observed many members of my family, including my mum and dad in how they have been affected by the negative and harmful relationships they had with their parents. This encouraged me to study psychology so that I can one day help other families and protect children from abuse. It is also a career I believe I will find enjoyable and rewarding each day.

The aim of this portfolio is to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competencies I have developed over the nine years I studied at ECU and in my work experience. I expect it will convey who I am as a person, what I hope to gain from my studies and self-development and my goals for the future to develop the necessary skills and qualifications to pursue a career in psychology and child welfare. I believe these are important to improve my employability on both a personal and professional level.

Coursework

In my career, I initially wanted to become an Accountant with internationally recognised qualifications. I began my studies in this area during high school, as at this time I was unsure which career path I wanted to pursue, so I was placed into accounting classes due to my demonstrated potential in mathematics. It was during the second year of my business studies at university when I began to recognise that I was good at accounting but did not enjoy it. Subsequently, I undertook work experience in an accounts role at Globetrotter Corporate Travel to gain insight into what life is like working in an office job. This role confirmed my initial feelings that I didn't enjoy working in a job that involved processing the same information every day. I also found that I missed the face-to-face interaction with customers and clients that my previous work opportunities at The Richardson Hotel and Coles Supermarket allowed. Similarly, Globetrotter sensed my unhapppiness in the role and referred me to a life coach, who assisted me in identifying which careers are better suited to my personality traits. Psychology was one of the possibilities that matched my kind, caring, yet strong and independent persona. I immediately responded to this career type as my mother had completed a psychology degree and worked in the social work sector, so I knew from reading her university assignments and listening to her talk about her job each day, that this area fascinated me. I therefore continued to complete my Bachelor of Business degree as I was already near completion, while I also began studying the Bachelor of Arts Psychology course. Once my business degree was completed I used my studies in this area to apply for advanced standing in my psychology studies, so that I could be fast tracked and complete my psychology qualifications sooner.


This is my mum and I at my graduation ceremony for my Bachelor of Business studies. This was one of the proudest moments of my life. I recall being very nervous and excited about the day. This experience was also very meaningful for me as it portrays the moment I officially succeeded in completing my business studies, so that I could attain a professional career that would make my mother proud.

Reflection of Business studies
Overall, I enjoyed the diverse opportunities this course gave me. I met many students that came to study from all over the world and I developed knowledge and skills in a variety of areas that allow me to be an all rounded employee in the workforce. I studied areas such as accounting, law, tax, economics, marketing, human resource management and computer systems. In each unit I was required to understand the classwork content but also strategies that could be applied in each context in the real world, which I believe has provided me with practical skills that can be used in various career options. I also developed the knowledge to understand differing business, society and cultural contexts in several countries such as Japan, South Korea, UK, Iran and Bahrain, which provides me an advantage should I choose to work overseas in the future.

Reflection of Psychology studies
The psychology course gave me the knowledge to understand human's mental processes and how thoughts and body functions influence our behaviours. More specifically, the highlight of my studies has been in the Social Determinants of Behaviour unit that taught me to recognise how individuals interact as social beings and our use of schema maps. Also, the research methods units that developed my research skills have encouraged me to be more critical of the credibility of others findings and their assumptions made. Overall, I believe my studies in psychology have encouraged me to be a better person and a helper with fellow students, staff and within my family. Also, it has assisted me to be more sensitive of how I communicate with others, as I am now acutely aware of my choice of words, tone of voice and body gestures as well as others towards me.

Reflection of course progress
I am very proud of myself for completing the Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Arts Psychology degrees. However, this has not been an easy achievement for me as my university academic results will demonstrate. There have been times in my studies when I have attained a poor grade for a unit, the reasons for this are linked to my health and financial stability which I prioritised at times over my studies. For example, recently I was enrolled in both the PSY2202 and PSY3343 units; however I was also working night shift during this time. I quickly became burnt out and very sick. I attempted to balance my work and studies by cutting down my hours of work, yet my health continued to deteriorate. I was diagnosed as having the Epstein-Barr virus and chronic fatigue which will affect my performance at work, in my studies and in my personal life for the remainder of my life, unless I strictly maintain an appropriate lifestyle. As a result, I resigned from my employment so as to focus on completing my studies as quickly as possible. However, as it was too late in the semester to catch up in these units and I needed to remain enrolled on a full-time status to avoid losing my financial support from Centrelink which I needed to survive after leaving my job, I attained a zero grade in these units. Although, this result affected my course average, I have since worked harder to restore my course average above 70% to be eligible to undertake 4th year Honours.

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