Naomi Nicola is a student from IUP Batch 2021. While her friends filled up their fifth semester by going through exchange programs and summer courses, Naomi took a different road in filling up her fifth semester with an internship program at RSA UGM as a child psychologist assistant.
Being a child psychologist has always been Naomi’s passion and future goal, so when she came across Career Center’s internship offer, she immediately applied and submitted all the required documents until she reached the interview phase, which she successfully passed. During her internship, Naomi had a lot of experience and direct exposure to the hands-on practice of child psychology that she did not get to learn inside the classroom, specifically on handling various IQ administration tests (such as Weschler’s Intelligence Scale for Children, WPPSI, Snijder Oomen Non-verbal Testing).
Naomi also reflects that she got to learn a lot about discovering new modes of communication with children during each session, and how to use the right tools that are appropriate for each child’s condition. In addition to that, she realized that being an intern really helped her observe and understand the subtle dynamics offered in an actual hospital, which includes how psychologists and fellow health practitioners work together in diagnosing a child’s condition and finding the right strategies to tackle the problem. For Naomi, however, one of the biggest lessons she learned from her internship program is how to be much more patient, especially when it comes to dealing with children as clients.
When asked about what she would say to her juniors and future IUP psychology students, Naomi mentioned, “There are lots of alternatives when it comes to your education plan. Just remember to stay true to your goals rather than surrender to the fear of missing out, because that’s what I felt when everyone went for an exchange program while I did not. You do you, guys!”.
Author: Nabila