Analysis Of John Krumboltz's Happenstance Learning Theory

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John Krumboltz’s Happenstance Learning Theory discusses that human behavior is the result of different learning experiences made available by both planned and unplanned situations in which human beings find themselves. Since no one can know in advance the destiny or outcome of an individual’s decision, Krumboltz used the Happenstance Learning Theory as an attempt to explain why individuals follow certain career paths in life and how counselors can use this theory to guide their clients through this process. The Happenstance theory explains that every situation (planned or unplanned) is a potential opportunity for someone, as long as they are open and willing to capitalize on these moments. In my own life, I can look back and see where Happenstance …show more content…
In February of 2015, I was invited to a Super Bowl party at a friend’s house. I was hesitant to go, as I did not know many of the people who had been invited and I was just recovering from having strep throat. I decided last minute to attend the party, as I had been confined to my own house for a week due to being sick and wanted to get out of the house. While at the party, I sat next to a woman who happened to be working her first year as a school counselor. I had never thought about the school counseling profession prior to this conversation, and I was curious as to why she went into this field. She was incredibly passionate about her career as a school counselor, and made me start to think about my own career path. The following day, I researched school counseling graduate programs and learned more about what the profession entailed. From that moment on, I felt strongly that I was destined to become a school counselor. I am now in my second year of the school counseling graduate program at CCSU, and realize I may never have ended up here if I had not attended that Super Bowl party almost three years …show more content…
As I will be working as a school counselor in a high school setting, most of my students will be thinking about where they want to go to college, what they want to study, or what careers they would be interested in pursuing. For many students, the pressure to determine the “perfect” college or career can be crippling and often a cause of immense stress. As a school counselor, I can use Happenstance to assure students that the question, “What should I be when I grow up?” does not necessarily need to be answered or even planned for. Instead, I can work with my students to convey the importance of engaging in a variety of activities that may present various alternatives and choices to them. If my students can remain alert to these alternative opportunities, they will have more career paths to choose

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