Reflective Journal: Decision Making, University and Life Changes

This reflective journal details a student's experience and decision-making process after graduating high school and moving to Ontario, Canada, to pursue higher education. The student reflects on the challenges of adapting to a new culture and environment, and analyzes their decision using the administrative model of behavioral decision-making. The journal explores concepts like bounded rationality and satisficing, illustrating how the student's adventurous nature and desire for independence influenced their choice. The paper highlights the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone for self-growth and concludes with a re-evaluation of the decision, emphasizing its positive impact on the student's personal and professional development. The assignment also references several academic sources to support the analysis and reflection.

Running head: REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

1REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
The respective paper is a reflective article about a life-altering event that I witnessed in
my life after I graduated from high school. An individual must come out of his or her comfort
zone in order to face the realities and rationality of life. A human being grows into an individual
when he or she learns the art of living his or her life with perfection and sublimity. In my case,
before I graduated from my high school, I had boundaries, after I finished school I witnessed
new roads and paths. The respective paper is a reflection on the incidents that changed my life
completely and an analysis by the help of Behavioral decision making model about the decision
that I undertook for embracing and experiencing a new life.
A human being is best judged when he or she is taken out from his or her comfort zone
and kept into a situation which is alien or undesirable to them. In such situations, the true
adjustability and co-operative behavior of the human beings are reflected. A person who
challenges himself or herself develops the capability of performing exceptionally well in their
professional as well as personal life. Stepping out of the comfort zone has been universally
considered to be the first and a massive stepping stone for self-growth and self-actualization.
After I completed graduation from high school, I shifted to Ontario, Canada to learn
French major as my undergraduate subject from the University of Ontario. Canada has always
been my dream destination for academic pursuits and profession. The most interesting aspect of
Canada that intrigued me was the multiculturalism practiced in the country that made it exclusive
from other American countries. However, as I was from a small town in the United States of
America, I was completely unaware of the culture and customs of the metropolitan cities of the
multicultural Canada. However, despite of all the socio-cognitive barriers I faced in the new city,
I was successful enough to manage to enroll myself into the best university of Ontario and joined
the French classes immediately without any delay. However, the process of leaving my native

2REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
place and family and settling into another city which is completely alien to me was a challenge
for me. I have experienced negative as well as positive events in my life in Ontario. However,
the decision of selecting a new place for settling down for academic and professional purpose is,
I believe, one of the best decisions I have taken about my life till now. To analyze the decision I
have taken, I might utilize Behavioral decision making model. I have chosen the administrative
model of Behavioral decision making in the respective case.
According to the administrative model of Behavioral decision making model, there are several
stages of decision making that are provided hereafter.
1. Bounded rationality: Bounded rationality that states the decision maker’s incapability to
understand the greater reflexes as they are limited by their values and unconscious
reflexes, skills and habits. As I was adventurous throughout my life, I was keen to leave
my place more for reflexes of adventurous experiences rather than intellectual reflexes. In
the pursuit of unconventional and flamboyant lifestyle apart from over-excitement to
learn the language French, which is one of my favorite languages, I was over enthusiastic
to join the college as quickly as I could. Even though I knew that I might be facing
problems in places like etiquettes and linguistic barriers, and might even took time to
adjust with the situations, I adhered to my choice and took the responsibility to leave my
residence and settle in a metropolis.
2. Satisficing: the act of finding out alternatives until the factors that cater to the minimum
standards of sufficiency is met. As I had always been instrumental in case of selecting my
career, after searching plethora of options for language that can be learnt, I chose French
from Ontario University as I had a desire to perform well in my academics. Apart from
that,

3REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
In the administrative model of Behavioral decision making, the decision makers utilize
incomplete and imperfect information and might end up with situations that are generally
unfavorable. However, initially, the decision of taking the first step of independence, which was
switching the residence from a small village of the United States to a colossal metropolis of the
country of Canada, seemed to be unfavorable in the beginning as I faced certain unexpected
troubles with my new college and acquaintances. However, after passing of certain years, I
gradually got acquainted with the new atmosphere of Ontario and I finally comprehended that
coming to Ontario to pursue my higher studies was the best and life-altering decision that I have
taken and successfully implemented. Throughout the years of my academic life in Ontario, I
have learnt the art of patience perseverance, adjustability and co-operation for a harmonious co-
existence.
As I re-evaluate my decision now, I have understood that it was correct and righteous from
my part to take the respective decision of shifting to a completely new place for pursuing
graduation, higher studies and profession because I believe that it is the factor of keeping an
individual out of his or her comfort zone that shapes the respective individual’s identity and
personality. A human being is best judged when he or she is taken out from his or her comfort
zone and kept into a situation which is alien or undesirable to them. In such situations, the true
adjustability and co-operative behavior of the human beings are reflected. A person who
challenges himself or herself develops the capability of performing exceptionally well in their
professional as well as personal life. Stepping out of the comfort zone has been universally
considered to be the first and a massive stepping stone for self-growth and self-actualization.
Through the journey of getting out of comfort zone that I was well acquainted with, I have faced
several troubles and unnecessary problems such as linguistic barriers, cultural and socio-cultural

4REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
barriers. I have even been the prey of bullying in certain cases inside the university. However,
with courage, determination, self-respect, control and discipline, I was able to achieve what I
have desired. I was able to realize my potential and therefore, I became more confident than
before. With the help of outstanding capabilities of adjustment, co-operation and harmonious co-
existence, I was able to be successful in my endeavor. I passed my university exam successfully
and therefore, it has shaped me as a flexible individual.
The respective paper concludes to be a reflective article about a life-altering event that I
witnessed in my life after I graduated from high school. In my case, before I graduated from my
high school, I was confined to my area, after I finished school I witnessed new roads and paths.
The paper clearly and briefly discloses the challenges and troubles I faced in my academic life in
a completely new environment, how was the decision of arriving in a new place plausible for me
and at the end, a re-evaluation of my decision has been provided briefly and precisely. The
respective paper is a reflection on the incidents that changed my life completely and an analysis
by the help of Behavioral decision making model about the decision that I undertook for
embracing and experiencing a new life. The paper gives an insight of my decision of switching
my destination for academic and professional pursuit with the help of Administrational decision
making model taken from the Behavioral decision making model and concluded by analyzing
thereafter.

5REFLECTIVE: DECISION MAKING
Betsch, T., & Haberstroh, S. (Eds.). (2014). The routines of decision making. Psychology Press.
Byrnes, J. P. (2013). The nature and development of decision-making: A self-regulation model.
Psychology Press.
Kennedy, A., Asahina, K., Hoopfer, E., Inagaki, H., Jung, Y., Lee, H., ... & Anderson, D. J.
(2014, January). Internal states and behavioral decision-making: toward an integration of
emotion and cognition. In Cold Spring Harbor symposia on quantitative biology (Vol.
79, pp. 199-210). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Newell, B. R., & Shanks, D. R. (2014). Unconscious influences on decision making: A critical
review. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 37(1), 1-19.
Nivel, E., Thórisson, K. R., Steunebrink, B. R., Dindo, H., Pezzulo, G., Rodriguez, M., ... &
Helgason, H. P. (2013). Bounded recursive self-improvement. arXiv preprint
arXiv:1312.6764.
References:
Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A. G. (2013). The cooperative brain. The Neuroscientist, 19(3), 292-303.
Triandis, H. C. (2018). Individualism and collectivism. Routledge.
Watson, D. L., & Tharp, R. G. (2013). Self-directed behavior: Self-modification for personal
adjustment. Nelson Education.