Physical
"Marjorie has always expected a lot from herself, which did lead me to think that she had some self doubts when she reached her high school years; she was a little chubby when she was 10 to 14 years old and a little stressed in school at this time. When we started her in a new school at the age of 15 she started to flourish once again. She became very interested in nutrition and exercising at this time. She joined the running club at the high school; she was happy again and finding a lot of new friends. She also liked to go shopping with me on the weekends and quite often would request that we go alone, just Marjorie and Mom"
When I was 13 years old I moved from my small town school to a larger one. It was a big transition for me coming from a school of 400 students from kindergarten through grade 12, to a school with 400 kids, but with only grade 8 and 9’s. This change was really good for me because it provided many more opportunities for scholastic achievement and social development. At first I found it quite hard because it was during my adolescent years that I was shy, but I was able to adapt and excel in many aspects of my life; I made so many new friends that I am still close with today and I was learning in an environment that promoted self discovery and excellence. This is very important during these years because:
a) “close friendships help young people deal with the stresses of adolescence” (Lansford el al., 2003; Wentzel, Barry, & Caldwell, 2004); and b) “schools that provide rich and varied opportunities also foster identity achievement” (Berk, 2009). A strong sense of identity is important for psychological wellbeing and plays an important role later on in life, which will soon be discussed.
From childhood to adolescence there were a few noticeable changes in my appearance: My hair slowly turned from golden blonde to more light brown, and my height increased; I was one of the tallest people in my class at the age of 10.
These changes in physical appearance are associated with biological factors, i.e., genetic inheritance. We are all made up of cells, and in the nucleus of these cells are chromosomes that store and transmit genetic information (Berk, 2009). My appearance is due to the combination of genes, from both parents on each of my chromosomes; each form of the genes received are called alleles. The characteristic of hair color is easy to trace because it involves one gene; the allele for dark hair is dominant and the allele for blonde hair is recessive. Since I have light hair like my mother, I received both recessive alleles for light hair from her. Height on the other hand is polygenetic and more difficult to trace because there are many factors that affect the phenotype, or the physical appearance of the gene; such factors are multiple genes and environmental factors (Mpofu, 2010). Since I am tall like my father, it can be asserted that I received the alleles for my father’s height; however, there are environmental factors that influenced my height as well, such as nutrition. A proper diet ensures healthy growth and development during ones youth.
Social
"Marjorie has always expected a lot from herself, which did lead me to think that she had some self doubts when she reached her high school years; she was a little chubby when she was 10 to 14 years old and a little stressed in school at this time. When we started her in a new school at the age of 15 she started to flourish once again. She became very interested in nutrition and exercising at this time. She joined the running club at the high school; she was happy again and finding a lot of new friends. She also liked to go shopping with me on the weekends and quite often would request that we go alone, just Marjorie and Mom"
Grace Walker
When I was 13 years old I moved from my small town school to a larger one. It was a big transition for me coming from a school of 400 students from kindergarten through grade 12, to a school with 400 kids, but with only grade 8 and 9’s. This change was really good for me because it provided many more opportunities for scholastic achievement and social development. At first I found it quite hard because it was during my adolescent years that I was shy, but I was able to adapt and excel in many aspects of my life; I made so many new friends that I am still close with today and I was learning in an environment that promoted self discovery and excellence. This is very important during these years because:
a) “close friendships help young people deal with the stresses of adolescence” (Lansford el al., 2003; Wentzel, Barry, & Caldwell, 2004); and b) “schools that provide rich and varied opportunities also foster identity achievement” (Berk, 2009). A strong sense of identity is important for psychological wellbeing and plays an important role later on in life, which will soon be discussed.
Cultural
When Marjorie was around 17, I noticed her transitioning from child to young adult. She was starting to make her own decisions and was starting to enjoy engaging in conversations with older adults. It was really becoming apparent that she enjoyed people; she values her friends and holds family in top priority, and also loves older people as she has mentioned many times. This was around the time when she was preparing to leave for college.
Grace Walker
Me getting ready to leave for college at a young age is a cultural norm; it is quite common for North Americans to leave home at around the age of 18-25 years, this is apparent in most industrialized nations (Berk, 2009). Leaving home for higher education is the most common reason why young people do so. I was leaving home to begin a more independent life in pursuit of my goals. This is a sign that I was securely attached to my parents and knew that they would be there for me if ever I came back; they would be my safety net.
