I like to describe an Individualized Studies Major as an amazing DIY creation. By this, I mean that I had the opportunity to use my creativity and past educational experiences to form my own major in order to pursue a more niche direction that I want to go in. My major title is, “Child & Youth Studies: School, Family & Self.”
The three words following the colon are the three pillars that truly balance and make up the construction of my major. This ISM requires the synthesis of the specific disciplinary areas of psychology and sociology and the three social pillars I will be focusing on all coincide with these disciplines as all these pillars are affected by psychological and sociological phenomenons.
The purpose of this major and the use of these three pillars is to aid me in gaining more knowledge regarding children and their overall development and mental health. This ISM will give me the opportunity to learn more about fields that will greatly influence my future as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I want to help others, specifically youth (children and adolescents) who are experiencing stressors in their lives relative to school, family, and their own psyche.