UMUC EDCP Assignment 4 - 1416 Words

A Vision for the Communities: Becoming an Urban Planner University of Maryland, University College EDCP 100 October 13, 2013 As children we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I remember giving the rather un-realistic answer of superstar at the time. I struggled with finding a path that suited me for awhile; however now that I am older and have a better understanding of the world, I have the answer to what I want to be, and that is an urban planner. According to the American Planning Association (American Planning Association, 2013), Planning, also called urban planning or city and regional planning, is a dynamic profession that works to improve the welfare of people and their†¦show more content†¦I will have the time throughout my undergraduate career to cultivate this skill, so that I too will be a successful planner. I have also learned the components of setting a goal, which is that it has to be attainable and has to have measurable actions. I have decided to volunteer or have an internship every summer until I graduate. This is something reasonable since there are many opportuni ties in my community to volunteer, and measurable because I will be able to add the experience to my resume after each experience. Finally, I have set a foundation for time-management, critical thinking and proper communication, skills that will prove priceless to me in my profession and have just learned a lot about how I think and learn. Learning Principles has armed me with the tools that I will need for life while in school, and later once I am into my career. One thing I have had concerns about is whether I am taking the right major for what I want to be. I have always been interested in people and what they do and think, and choosing social science just felt right to me. However, I have have seen very few undergraduate urban planning programs, and I like that the University of Maryland, University College fits in with my working-adult lifestyle, even though they do not offer a specific major for urban planning. The Princeton Review explains how Urban Planning majors study