Student Placement Reflection - June 2025

Published on 24 June 2025

Hi, my name is Jeepesh and this is my reflection on the 300 – hour placement at MYS.

My placement at Monash Youth Services (MYS) was genuinely rewarding. It gave me hands-on experience and helped me see youth work from a different angle. My first placement had mostly involved play-based activities, so coming into a structured community environment at MYS was a totally new experience.

At the start, I felt a bit nervous, but the team quickly made me feel welcome. Right away, they invited me to help plan a "Global Pay It Forward Day" event. It felt good to jump straight into something meaningful, and it helped me settle in quickly.

I was giving my input in planning some icebreakers for "Activate" program. Activate is a weekly youth program held at Jordanville Community Centre. Seeing how carefully the team planned the activities taught me a lot. Things like icebreakers and music were chosen to make young people feel comfortable and included.

I also spent time at the Euneva Youth Space (EYS). Young people come together to chat, study, play games, and get creative with art and craft. This relaxed atmosphere really helped me connect with the young people. Just talking and having fun made it easier to build good rapport with young people.

The weekly team meetings were also helpful. I got to see how the team made decisions and solved problems together. I was also given the chance to give my input for ice breakers for “Elevate" program, which focused on helping young people develop skills and confidence. Seeing how programs like Elevate are developed was useful, and I picked up practical ideas I could use later.

One of my favourite experiences was attending a youth worker support meeting. This was a great place to learn about the best ways to talk with young people, respond appropriately in different situations, and assess challenging cases. It was practical advice I could use immediately.

Having weekly supervision meetings was another highlight. My supervisor always encouraged me to ask questions and try out my ideas. They taught me things like how to write a good CV, send formal emails, and how to structure events clearly using run sheets. This helped me gain practical skills that will be useful later.

Creating social media posts and posters was something I particularly enjoyed. I had the freedom to be creative and try out my own ideas. It was fun to see my own work being used to connect with young people online.

I also got to team up with another placement student to make a video for the Sir John Monash Awards. Working together on the script and filming taught me about teamwork and creative thinking. It also gave me a chance to regularly reflect on how my placement was going.

One thing that really stood out to me at MYS was the team's genuine kindness. Small things, like sharing lunch and tea breaks, made me feel welcomed and part of the group. Their real care for young people made a big impression on me.

Overall, my time at MYS gave me valuable skills, showed me different ways to engage young people, and made me even more passionate about youth work. I’m excited to use everything I've learned in the future.