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Whether you are in a graduate program with clinical/practicum placements or an undergraduate preparing for an internship, there is a noticeable difference between being in the classroom and being in the field. With the excitement of finally being able to practice what you have learned in your classes, there can also be challenges that you may or may not have expected. Below you will find information to reinforce what you have learned from instructors and to offer support in case you find yourself having some unexpected reactions to your transition into the professional setting.
The Basic Stressors
The Basic Stressors
Though everyone's experience is unique, there are enough commonalities that can be discussed to help you prepare for this next phase of your education.
New Work Environment - Though you are going to be in a place that fits your learning experience and you have knowledge that will help you to work within that environment, it is now a work setting and not a classroom.
New Supervisors - You are used to working with the instructors in school. You have had some time to get to know them and how they work. Now you will be meeting and working with new people who may have a different style than you are used to.
New colleagues - Just as you will be working with new supervisors, you will also be working with new peers/colleagues. Again, you have learned how to work with your peers in a classroom setting and now you will have to learn how to work with new people in a work setting.
New town/city/state - You may be in a placement that is far away or just different from what you are used to. You will have to learn a new set of resources, figure out transportation, and build up your supports.
Limited Time Frame- Unlike your college career, where you have years to build up your level of comfort and confidence, in these outside experiences you have a limited amount of time to adjust and prove yourself.
Finances - Most placements do not offer pay to students so there is the stress of how you will manage food, gas, rent, etc.
All of the above are common aspects that you will experience in your placements. You may feel confident and like you will be able to handle anything that comes your way. Many students are certain that they will have an easy time with the transition from the classroom to the professional environment. Many students do and many do not. There is no way to predict that you won't experience difficulty in the transition. If you do experience some difficulties, use this section as a resource.
Some Possible Emotional Responses to Stressors
Some Possible Emotional Responses to Stressors
Excitement/Anxiety - You can feel energized and excited to get started on your new path. You may have a few butterflies but overall have a positive sense of what is to come. You can feel nervous, have a lack of confidence, be preoccupied with worry and have difficulty focusing or getting settled.
Optimistic/Discouraged- You can feel hopeful and see everything you experience in your placement as a time to learn something about yourself and your profession. You could also feel like nothing you do is right, that you're not cut out to do the work, confused because classes were so easy, or feel down because the adjustment was not as easy as you thought it would be.
Calm/Agitated- You may have a sense of being grounded. Feeling confident that you can access resources if you experience something that is new and that you are unsure about. You could also feel agitated, feel lonely and like no one listens or supports you. You may feel more on edge and like you have little patience.
Adventurous/Timid- A new place, new people, you may feel excited and ready. You could also feel overwhelmed, more shy than is typical, and not certain how to act.
Energized/Exhausted - You may feel upbeat and like you have more energy than you have had before. You may find that it is easier to get up in the morning because you're excited to see what the day brings. You could also feel exhausted, tired, have no energy. You could experience difficulty sleeping and feel like you don't want to wake up to go to work.
Skilled/Helpless - You may feel like you know more than you thought and have more confidence than when you arrived at your placement. You may also feel unskilled and helpless. Like you weren't prepared for what this process brings and that you feel stuck.
Connected/Lonely - You may feel connected to your new supervisor, colleagues and surroundings. You may feel like your connections in this new placement are even better than school. You could also feel lonely, homesick, sad and feel like you can't connect to anyone and this may throw you off.
Clarity/Confusion - You may feel like this new experience has brought much into perspective for you and that you have a better sense of what you want to do and how to do it. You may also feel confused and uncertain. You may question your career choices or the focus you have chosen for your career. You can feel confused in general because you are experiencing more challenges than you had expected.
The above are just some of the possible emotions that you may feel when out in the field. Depending on how big a change some
many stressors they encounter at the same time and what their physical, emotional and spiritual health is at the time they encounter these stressors, they may have anywhere from no problems to mild problems, to feeling completely out of sorts. one experiences, how
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