Essay Instructions: This paper is about student development. Based on the autobiographical paper (below), explain the student developmental growth using Chickering's Theory to relate to the situations. Based on the situations, discuss them applying Chickering's theory. There are only three sources that MUST BE USED for reference. These sources include one (1) book and two (2) journals. These are:
1. Chickering, A. W.. Education and Identity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1969, pp. 8-19,144-157,280-290.
2. Straub, C. and Roberts, R. F.. "An Exploration of Chickering's Theory and Women's Development." Journal of College Student Personnel, 1986, 27, pp. 216-224.
3. Reisser, L.. "Revisting the Seven Vectors." Journal of College Student Personnel, 1995, 36, pp. 505-512.
APA style citing MUST BE USED within the paper.
The autobiographical paper is below:
It is difficult to pinpoint specific events that trigger or alter a way one views their own life. With the hundreds of events that occur during everyday life, it can seem overwhelming to pick and choose. However, within this autobiography, I plan to evaluate several events in my life that I think have added meaning and purpose to the shaping of who I am and where I am going. Though it was difficult, I have been able to narrow my important experiences within recent years to the following: realizing the importance of school and my studies; choosing my major and career path; and proposing to my fiancée. I will try to explain these meaningful events with Chickering’s theory.
My high school experience took place at Robert E. Fitch Senior High in Groton, Connecticut. Much like every other teenager, I had experiences during my high school career that were filled with highs and lows, and the arrogance that can come with being a teenager made high school seem like a breeze. I was very much involved with student organizations, clubs, and sports which took up most of my afterschool activities, but my social life was equally dynamic and fulfilling. I played a sport every part of the year and I was nominated twice to be the class vice president. Being accepted into the National Honor Society combined with being recognized all four years as a member of Who’s Who Among American High School Students, gave me a sense of academic self confidence which I now know I took for granted. I received very good grades throughout high school and I graduated in the top 10 percent of my class. The circle of friends with whom I spent most of my time also did very well academically, with all of them also graduating in the top 10 percent of the class. Our ambitions to pursue a college education were not necessarily a question of whether we would go but rather of where.
There was always the expectation growing up that going on to college was the norm. I had a very supportive family that always helped and looked after my education goals and physical and emotional well-being. Of my nuclear family, only my older sister had actually gone to a college. My father served in the United States Navy in the nuclear program and my mother was a homemaker. After my father retired from the navy to start a family, he went to night classes for his bachelor’s and it took him almost 15 years to earn his degrees. Raising three children, working full time as a Senior Instructor for Nuclear Operations at Millstone Power Plant, and balancing the rest of his life, he graduated with two degrees in engineering, one in mechanical and the other in electrical engineering. My older sister, Hilary, went to the University of Connecticut where she majored in industrial and organizational psychology.
During my senior year in high school, I was actively looking at colleges. Receiving letter after letter from different colleges who wanted me to apply was flattering at first, but it soon started to get a little bothersome. I had already narrowed my search, though, and I planned to apply to only a few schools. My first choice was UConn and the other three were Suffolk, Stonehill, and St. Anselm. I was accepted to all four and received several academic and sports related scholarships to each. After seeing how my sister liked UConn so much, and because the idea that having family close was important to me, I decided to accept UConn’s letter of acceptance and attend beginning in the fall of 2002. Most of my friends were also planning to attend UConn. Although I knew that I wanted to go to college and advance my learning to the next level, in retrospect, I was not fully aware of what I was getting into. The sense of reality and responsibility involved in going to college was not at all a factor in my decision.
My freshman year was pretty typical. This is the first time in my life that I was away from home for a sustained amount of time with little or no supervision. I could do what I wanted and when I wanted to do it and no one was there to tell me I could not. Besides class, what else was there to do…PARTY! Like many freshmen, I got caught up in the party scene as well as extracurricular activities such as sports. If there was a party, then I was there. Intramurals? Sign me up! Looking back, I do not know how I functioned my first year, let alone sustain a decent grade point average. I was aware that conventional wisdom equates an A in high school to a B in college, but with my lack of attention to studying I should not have managed to get a B- average. For the entire first year of my college experience I stayed up until 3am and got up for my 8am class Monday through Friday. Needless to say, I was on the path to burning myself out.
As my undergraduate career continued into my sophomore year, I found myself often getting sick. Every other week I had a cold, the flu, or something that interfered with my ability to attend classes. My roommate did his best to get assignments for me when I missed classes, but the amount of class time I was missing was starting to build up exponentially. I did not really seem to realize the extent to which missing my classes was impacting my schooling. The fact that I could have failed one or more of my courses did not ever enter my mind until I received emails from my professors expressing their concerns about my absence and slipping grades. I spoke with each of my instructors to see if there was something I could do to make up the work I had missed. All but one of my professors were willing to negotiate, but in the end I had to drop three of the four classes I was taking because if I were to continue in them, I would have failed each of them. I ended the semester with a C- average, and my overall GPA dropped significantly from a 3.0 to 2.2.
Getting through that semester was tough but I figured that the start of the next semester would be a fresh beginning. In spite of my opticism, the sophomore slump continued. I remained unable to shake my illnesses, and my grades were again suffering. At one point early in the semester, I contracted strep throat and could not leave my bed for two weeks. I was so sick that I was unable to eat and barely able to drink which led to a substantial weight loss of almost 20 pounds. When I recovered from this illness, I again made efforts to talk with my instructors about my situation and see if there was something that could be arranged to make up for the absences. Unfortunately, no agreements could be reached and once again I had to drop 3 of the four classes that I was enrolled in for that semester. Ironically, the two classes that I was able to remain in for this school year were my physics classes. In high school I had always had difficulty with the subject, but I had no problem with the subject in my sophomore year. In fact I excelled at it. Perhaps as a result of experiencing this small triumph, I had a moment of realization that left an impact on me even to this day. No matter what the excuse, it was up to me and only me to strive for an education and if I truly wanted one then hard work and persistence would need to follow.
During the second semester of my sophomore year, I also managed to make yet another discovery that would leave a lasting impression on me. This would be my future fiancée, Kim. She is the best thing that has ever entered my life and is the second moment in my life that has altered the way I see myself and life. We first met when we were little—though we did not realize it—playing against each other as kids on our hockey teams. I played on my travel team and she played on an all-girl team. Years later, during our sophomore year at UConn, our paths once again crossed. We skated on the same intramural hockey team, but it was not until the spring semester that I had the courage to ask her out on a date. I sent her an IM on my computer and, much to my relief, she answered that IM. Looking back I recall how nervous I was about asking Kim for a date. I was literally sweating and my stomach was in knots.
At first Kim did not know who I was, and I had to explain that I was the new guy on her intramural hockey team. We then started a conversation in her dorm room that would last for at least 3 hours. We said goodnight and picked up the conversation the next morning through IM as if we had never stopped talking. It was Super Bowl Sunday, and we were more interested in talking with each other than getting pumped up for the game. We talked all the way until kickoff and continued after the game ended. She asked if I wanted to get together again and I agreed. The more we saw each other, the more we realized how much we loved and needed each other. There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank my roommate for literally making me talk with Kim. It has been a blessing to find her and her impact in my life has continued to this day.
Kim has also helped me realize even more how important it is to have a good college education. She was a coach, and a mentor and the one who pushed me hard to get back on track with college. After the summer, I was finally back on my feet with a drive to excel once again in my studies. During my four years at UConn, I had changed my major four times. I started out as a freshman with an undeclared major, changing to mathematics spring semester. After struggling with some of the upper level courses, I yet again decided to change my major from mathematics to physics the following fall. Excelling through the courses I quickly became overwhelmed, and soon after I began to experience a burnout. Feeling as if I had failed to succeed with math and science, I turned my attention to the other end of the spectrum of sciences. I changed my major to communicational sciences, concentrating in interpersonal communications, my junior year. It was as if a breath of fresh air had filled my lungs. The courses were enjoyable but I could not see myself pursuing a career in the field for any great length of time. Since it was my junior year and I had not yet figured out my career path, I needed to sit down and take a look at what I was good at, what I liked doing, and what I could see myself doing in the future. With Kim’s help I saw that I had a knack for helping people. I was able not just to be supportive of others, but I could really connect with people and help them. I also had a great knowledge of course planning for almost every major at UConn, because I liked to read through the course booklet and see what kinds of classes were out there and see the different majors and what the requisites were for each. Also, I realized that I often helped my friends with their course selections and major planning before they went to their own advisors. Therefore, I decided to major in Human Services where my concentration was in academic advising.
I wanted to become an academic advisor. I knew that my college experiences did not reflect someone who could assume such a high responsibility for helping others about their futures, but I did not see my past as a hindrance. I saw it as a benefit. In terms of my grades, I had been from one side of the spectrum to the other, and I saw my experiences while doing both well and poorly as invaluable in helping me connect with and helping students realize their own goals and aspirations. The fact that I was a bad student for awhile is an asset. The fact that I was able to realize and overcome a poor start to my college career will hopefully help students see they can improve too.
