My Learning Adventure

 My Learning Adventure

Hello Folks!

    I am Rukiye Buse Kayaalp. I am in the 2nd year of AYBU Psychology Department. I would like to share with you what the Peer Advising Program has meant to me so far. I hope it will be an informative and enjoyable reading!

    I heard about the Peer Advising Program for the first time at the orientation event of our university. Although I was interested, I wasn’t able to examine it in detail because it was my first day at the university. Then, in the preparatory class, our instructor told me about the details of this program. Then, I sent an e-mail to the coordinator of the program immediately, but unfortunately, on the same day, face-to-face training was suspended due to Covid 19. During distance education, I contacted the coordination many times, and they suggested I join the LAP Clubs. LAP Clubs helped me gain different perspectives in my learning environment. At LAP Clubs, the instructor was asking powerful questions. These questions affected me so much. Even though the sessions were over, I was thinking about the questions for a long time. Furthermore, through reflective discussions, I started to question my learning styles and tried different techniques. Also, I got to know my mentors at the LAP Clubs and made new friends. Finally, the new academic year started, and we set off our Peer Advising Training Journey that I was looking forward to for two years. The starting of Peer Advising Training certainly excited me after a two-year waiting, but I couldn’t help feeling afraid that all my expectations would be in vain. However, over time, I found that it was worth the wait.

    

    In this training, I experienced many Aha moments (I learned what Aha moment was at the LAP Clubs). One of my Aha moments was about the difference between advising and giving advice that we focused in one of our sessions. I realized that when I made suggestions, I was ignoring the other person's thoughts, experiences, and wishes. Sİnce the time I learned this, I have made changes in my life to be someone who makes other people think by asking questions from someone who gives advice. Another Aha moment of mine was the principle "It's not about you", which is one of our three principles that we put a lot of emphasis on. This principle offers us to focus on the advisee's thoughts and not perceive them from our point of view. This has caused a difference in the perspective of my life. It helped me not to take things personally and to stop including myself in every event. This training has been more than just an education for me because it has added new perspectives to my life.

    In addition, in this training, I understood the meaning of our logo, the butterfly, much better. Because after every one-to-one session, I was flying like a butterfly.

    The Peer Advising Program turned out to be a place where we, learners with unique issues, first realized our own learning issues and then learned how not only to solve our issues but also to help our peers solve theirs. Since the first day of this training, I gained great awareness and valuable people in my life. It is so invaluable and exciting to know that I have been one of the initial PA’s of this program, which is truly 'unique' in Turkey.

    I can understand how terrifying and painful it is to step out of your comfort zone, but unless you take that step, you will always look at it from the same perspective. One of the places where I step out of my comfort zone is Peer Advising Training, even if it is difficult to take that step, it is worth it.