Individual Essay: High School Experience and Developmental Theories

This essay delves into the author's personal experience of attending high school, framing it within the context of human development theories. The author utilizes Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory to dissect the various environmental systems that influenced their growth, including the microsystem (family, school), mesosystem (interactions between home and school), exosystem (external factors impacting the child), macrosystem (cultural influences), and chronosystem (the element of time and change). Additionally, the essay applies Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to analyze how the fulfillment of physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs played a role in their development and motivation. Through this theoretical lens, the author reflects on how high school shaped their career aspirations and overall personal growth, providing a comprehensive analysis of their formative experiences and the impact of different levels of needs and environments. The essay concludes by highlighting the significance of these life events and their contribution to the author's personal and professional journey, emphasizing the importance of understanding and leveraging such experiences for future success. The author also uses current scholarly journal articles to support the analysis and provide a well-rounded understanding of the concepts.

Individual Written
Essay

INTRODUCTION
Life events are described as discrete experiences which disrupt daily activities of
individual, cause substantial change along with readjustment (Alammar, 2019). There are
many life event experiences which are faced by individual in their life time in terms of
welcoming new sibling, visiting to new place, attending school and so on. All these
experiences are different from one another due to vary in nature. In this essay, I have shared
my own experience of attending high school. It was good experience to learn something new
to build and develop my own career success and growth. I have explained this with help of
different theory such as Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and
their impact on my life events.
MAIN BODY
Impact of chosen life event on your development by applying theory
The life event which is experienced as well as shared by me was attending high
school. This experience is faced by each and every people in their life time (Ben-Pazi, 2017).
Such experience is mixture of both happy and sad feeling because whenever I joined high
school then I had to adjust with school, friend, teacher and so on whereas after studying
several years when I have to left it I got emotional or sad feeling towards it. This is regarded
as best part of everyone’s life because it helps in providing basis understanding of existence
and people living in society. This was the best experience which has been incurred by me
while attending high school which helped me to build my career growth as well as success at
marketplace. It also assisted me in getting good jobs. Impact of respective life event on
development is explained with help of theories which are described here. The first theory is
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological which was developed by American Psychologist named
as Urie Bronfenbrenner in order to explain about qualities of children as well as environment
in which they interact to develop and grow (What is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems
Theory?, 2020). It mainly focus on significant of studying children in several environments
called ecological systems for better understanding of development. As per this theory,
children find themselves in different systems from home ecological to school including
culture as well as society. All of these interact with each other and influence live of people. It
is divided into five level of outside environment or influence that rises from intimate level to
broadest.

First level is Microsystem which is defined as smallest as well as immediate
environment where children live (Burridge, 2015). It includes daily activities of children such
as going to school, home, community environment, peer group and other. Interaction with
microsystem assists in developing personal relationship with classmate, caregivers and
classmate. In case of attending high school by me helped to develop relationship with their
friends, teachers and other so that I can grow and get success. Such helped me to build my
career and improved development. Such system is possible for all those siblings who focus
on finding themselves in similar category of ecology system in order to experience several
environments. As it is not possible for equal development of both due to different in traits,
biological factors, temperament and so on. Second level is Mesosystem which is defined as
interaction of various microsystems is found by children (Ruan, 2019). This includes
connection among school and home, between family and group and among society and
community. As per this theory, if parents of children are involved in doing friendship with
their child then this helps them to develop in positive manner. As per my own experience, my
parents are very friendly in nature that helped in each and every phase of my life so that I can
develop better career and achieve success and growth in an effective manner. It was my good
experience because there were many things which have been taught by my father to enhance
my skills and learning. On other hand, if children do not like their parents then it leads to
create negative development of their live. It is responsibility of parents to make their children
to understand things in positive manner.
Third level is Exosystem of development where there is linkage among two or more
setting where one of it does not contain to develop children but affecting them indirectly
(Crossley and et. al., 2015). Places as well as people where a child does not interact directly
have impact on lives. These include extended family members, parents’ workplaces and
neighbours. For example, when father of child is not promoted at workplace then he
misbehaves or mistreats them at house. In my case, I also faced same problem because my
parents was to promote to higher position but he did not so he mistreated me which impact on
my personal development. When he realised his mistake, he felt sorry for it so that I can
develop in positive manner along with develop career at initial phase of my life. Fourth level
is Macrosystem which is referred as most distant as well as largest gathering of places and
people to children who has influence on them (Noroozi, Biemans and Mulder, 2016). Such
level is composed of different cultural values, pattern of children in terms of their ideas,
beliefs, economic and political system. For instance, child who has seen wars in their areas

will experience other kind of development than cheerful or peaceful environments. My
parents always focused on development of my career by bringing me up in positive and
peaceful environment so that I can develop and enhance myself. It is responsibility of parents
in making their children successful by providing them with all facilities, surrounding, friends
and schools. Last level is Chronosystem which adds useful dimension of time in order to
demonstrate influence of constancy as well as change in environment of children (Hajeid,
2018). This includes change in address, employment of parents, family structure, status,
immense societal changes like wars as well as economic cycles. When I was attending high
school, I faced problems in change of address as my family firstly lived in UK and then
shifted to Europe. This leads me to learn new and different things of education system of both
places that raises me to adopt any types of environment in effective manner.
Therefore, through studying different ecological systems, interrelationship influences
development of children in future perspectives. It is very important for me to develop and
learn new things at high school so that I can develop and build bright future. This theory
guides me and shows proper direction to me towards my career goal and objectives.
The other theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which was developed by
Abraham Maslow in his book named as Motivation and Personality that helps in motivating
people. It is defined as one of best theories of motivation and development of individuals.
This is pyramid in shape that starts from lowest need and reach to highest level of needs (The
5 Levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, 2020). According to this theory, people are
motivated for fulfilment of basic needs. Maslow is interested to learn about what makes
group happy and things they want to achieve. This theory is divided into five level or
hierarchy of needs which are described here.
The first level is Physiological Needs which is defined as those needs which are basic
requirements of people to survive or sustain at society (Jenkins, 2016). This includes food,
breathing, shelter, clothing, air, nutrition and so on. When I was attending high school, so my
basic or physiological needs includes, pen, pencil, books, copy, bags, school and many more
in order to develop my career success and growth. It is my family responsibility to fulfil my
basic needs for development of career. Second level is Security and Safety Needs which is
referred as those requirements which are become little bit complex. In this level, needs for
both safety as well as security become primary. As people prefer to control as well as order in
lives so they need for security and safety contribution at their behaviours. This need includes

health & wellness, financial security, safety against injury. It includes finding job, obtaining
health insurance, money to saving account are best example of such needs. For example,
when I was in high school, my security and safety needs were getting good education, safety
at school, getting good score and other. These were safety and security needs at school time
and keeps on changes when there is change in time and situation.
Third level is Social Needs which is defined as Maslow’s hierarchy that includes love,
belonging and acceptance (Kuhn and Moore, 2015). Here, need for emotional relationships
helps in driving behaviour of human. This includes friendships, family, community groups,
romantic attachments, social groups, churches, religious organisations. For avoiding
problems of loneliness, anxiety and depression, it is essential for people to feel accepted as
well as loved by person. Creation of personal relationship with family, lovers and friends
plays effective role as it involves other groups which includes sport teams, book club,
religious groups and other activities. In my case, at time of attending high school, I focused
on creating groups with my friends so that we can learn together, clear our doubts and
perform in better manner. This is also the needs of school going students to have best groups,
relation with them as they have to go school on regular basis where they required some
people to interact with them. Fourth level is Esteem Needs which is defined need for respect
as well as appreciation. When all above needs are fulfilled or satisfied then there is rise in
next level of needs (Levrai and Bolster, 2019). It is very important to gain both appreciation
and respect of others. This includes feelings of accomplishment & prestige, esteem needs
such as personal worth, self esteem and others. Each and every people have their own need to
live happy life. In case of high school students, it includes academic accomplishments, team
participation and development of personal hobbies. I also want to develop myself which is
possible through such needs so that I get recognised and appreciated at my school. Individual
with high level of self esteem develop confident whereas those who lack lead to develop
inferiority feeling. Last is Self-Actualisation Needs which is defined as last level of hierarchy
of needs. In this individual realise what they want to be or need which people want to achieve
through full potential as human beings (Nagy, 2017). This is the way of describing full
exploitation as well as use of talents, potentialities, capabilities. Individual develop full
stature of which they are capable of doing. Here, individual focus on personal growth less
concerned with other opinions, fulfilment of potential. According to my personal experience,
this need should be achieved by all students as they want to utilise their full capacity and

potentiality so that they can attain their desired goal and objectives. This helped me in
developing my career in order to reach high peak.
Therefore, this theory helps in developing individual in sequence format so that they
can achieve their set goal and objectives in an effective and efficient manner. It is important
for individual to analyse their each and every needs so that they can attain it in appropriate
manner. It has five levels of needs which start from basic and reach to highest or maximum in
most diligent manner. The fulfilment of one need leads to raise other so that they can
improve. In case of students, their need starts with pen, pencils and ends with getting good
jobs at marketplace.
CONCLUSION
From the report it has concluded that life events are very important which are
experienced by each and every people living at society. All types of events are memorable
and provide good learning, experience to individual. This depends upon person to person
whether they want to waste those events or enjoy and learn something new from it. The
report is based on life experience of individual who has attended high school which requires
proper interaction with family, friends, teacher, guiding them properly for better results. It is
also important to understand need and demand of students and accordingly it should be
fulfilled. Firstly basic need should be fulfilled and then move towards other types of need so
that better outcomes are achieved.

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Online
The 5 Levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 2020. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4136760>.
What is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory?. 2020. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/bronfenbrenner-ecological-theory/>.