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| Bluto (John Belushi) from "Animal House" (1978) |
Young adults, in particular, may feel drawn to the process of defining their identity. After having grown up in the shadow of their parents' values, habits, and talents, young adults often welcome the freedoms of high school and especially college which give them an opportunity to define the tastes and talents that make them unique as individuals.
Given the appeal of such an identity-discovery process, is it wise to encourage young adults to forego the comforts of defining "permanent truths" about their "true" identity (i.e. "the real you") out of fear that a premature definition will limit their potential futures?
Along similar lines, should universities require students to take general education courses that are designed in part to "expand their horizons" if students feel that they already know what they want to major in?
Along similar lines, should universities require students to take general education courses that are designed in part to "expand their horizons" if students feel that they already know what they want to major in?
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ReplyDeleteI believe that a person's self-growth is a huge part of growing up. It is these moments that we really find ourselves. But self-growth should never cease to happen. As we are always learning, we should always be growing as people. If a person labels themselves as a specific type of person early in life, that can cause them to cease growing as a person. By labeling people, or labeling ourselves, we are denying them of self-growth.
ReplyDeleteAs for requiring general courses that promote self-growth, the idea is excellent. But, I do not believe that students should be forced to take the courses. If these courses were to be put into effect, they should be elective courses that students can choose to take.
-Tyler Macon
You could not have said it any better. If you already have preconceived beliefs about yourself, chances are you will limit yourself in what you can accomplish. That being said, I believe that it is wise to encourage young adults not to permanently define themselves.
DeleteIn terms of a college course that encourages students to grow, I believe that it should be required. Some students think that they know what they want to major in until they actually start to take classes in that field. This can lead to several changes of major before the student settles on one. I believe that this required course might help students make a more permanent decision.
-Kaylee George
On a day-to-day basis, we as people learn and grow. Our experiences are constantly changing who we are. Even though this learning process may not be intentional, we all go through it. As I reflect on the past few years, I realize how dramatically my life has changed. Some of the changes were purposeful, but a good portion of it wasn't. For this reason, I don't see how permanently defining oneself at any age would be beneficial. There is always room for growth.
DeleteAs for the general education courses, I believe they can be beneficial. There may be a class that sparks an interest in something you had not thought of before. These classes could challenge people to try new things that are not necessarily in their comfort zone.
-Brandi Trujillo
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DeleteI forgot to put my name on the comment above me, but this is Cassandra Hembree's thoughts and ideas.
DeleteI think that your ideas about self-growth are very true. You are always trying to find the best version of yourself, and when you say that you've got it all figured out, that's where you go wrong. I learn something new about myself everyday, and that's amazing. I also learned a lot during my first year of college when I took my general education classes. I found out that the major and career path that I had chosen was one that I did not feel passionate about. In fact, I felt as though my major choice was going to ruin my life and my happiness. I decided to change my major after taking general classes. I think that it's amazing that people can know what they've wanted to be since the time that they were young children, but there are some people who have not learned that about themselves that being exposed to the basics of other areas, opens a whole new world to them.
DeleteOn a day-to-day basis, we as people learn and grow. Our experiences are constantly changing who we are. Even though this learning process may not be intentional, we all go through it. As I reflect on the past few years, I realize how dramatically my life has changed. Some of the changes were purposeful, but a good portion of it wasn't. For this reason, I don't see how permanently defining oneself at any age would be beneficial. There is always room for growth.
ReplyDeleteAs for the general education courses, I believe they can be beneficial. There may be a class that sparks an interest in something you had not thought of before. These classes could challenge people to try new things that are not necessarily in their comfort zone.
I think that knowing the “permanent truth” about yourself would not be comforting at all. I know what I’m good at and I know what I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I can stop working on either one. I think that defining one’s identity can be limiting. If someone thinks they cannot improve on an aspect of their life, then they might not put any effort into improving it. It is good to know what you are capable of, but it is impossible to know what you will be capable of.
ReplyDeleteI think that general education classes are important to every student’s education for many reasons. First, they help students become well-rounded, educated adults that can carry on conversations with other professionals, help their kids with homework, and know what’s going on in the world around them. It is also a good idea to explore other fields in case you want to change majors, or even just to have a respect for people who study different things. I heard a small speech about the same topic, they pointed out that many employers looked at general education classes. They look at how you did in these classes, because they care about how well you learn new things and subjects that you may not like as well. This gives them a better idea of how employees will react when given new information to learn or tasks they may not find as interesting.
I completely agree, Abbie. Although knowing a "permanent truth" would make planning for the future much easier, it does not sound comforting to have such fixed and limited options. The vast amount of opportunities and potential paths for the future is one of the most exciting parts about college, but it can also be the most intimidating. Many students will take their talents and what they know they have always been good at as an easy way out. Even so, I believe some people really do know what they want to do for the rest of their lives early on. Not necessarily because of their abilities, but because of their passion for it. However, regardless of how certain you are about the future, branching out from a "label" can always be beneficial. Even if a new class or experience does not end up sparking your interest, you are able to narrow down what you do enjoy by knowing what you do not.
Delete-Tiffany West
I think It is really good that you brought up the passion on has for something! Being passionate for something really makes someone want to work hard. It is an important aspect in who is good at something. Passion for something can cause someone with less "natural talent", to surpass people who are extremely "naturally skilled".
DeleteGrowing up with an older sister and three cousins that are closer to her age than mine, I have watched many young adults set out to find themselves. They have all taken a different route, but I have learned something from each of their journeys. I believe that "finding yourself" is about finding who you want to become, not making a permanent evaluation of yourself. It is about determining how you will improve yourself. You cannot fall into a fixed mindset, regardless of its comforting appeal. I think that General Education classes assist in the attainment of a growth mindset. They create a glimpse into every field. They expand a student's possibilities.
ReplyDelete--Sierra Rankin
I completely agree Sierra! I believe that even if you have a set career path you wish to follow, general education classes can provide much more than just the information they contain, such as insight into other areas and personal growth. General Education classes are essential to not only the growth mindset, but also to the betterment of our society in general.
DeleteI agree with you, Noah. Additional mandatory general education courses would not be ideal. In addition to your statement, I feel inclined to point out the cost of the courses. A course at East Central can cost up to $600, so even two extra classes would cost each student $1200 that could be spent on a host of other expenses that plague college students. Not to mention the fact that there exists a percentage of students who are very inclined toward a particular field of study, these ambitious students would feel bogged down by such a mandate. For example, if I were forced to take two additional composition courses instead of advancing further into my more difficult biology courses, I would feel cheated out of my time, money, and energy.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think that universities should require courses out of an individual's field of study. College is expensive anyways and courses range from $400-$600. I have been "expanding my horizons" all throughout high school. I've sat through seminars for the Chickasaws, I have shadowed different individuals in their careers, worked several different types of jobs, took career classes, and on op of that, the major I chose is based on personal experiences. Next to be expensive, college is stressful. It's new. Most kids have never been away from home, you don't have teachers reminding you about things, and your classwork gets harder and more in depth. I would hate to be stressing out about a class that I actually needed for my major, and then remember I have a paper due for a class that I didn't even want to enroll in.
ReplyDeleteI think that maybe they could set up a course for maybe five or six weeks for the students who are interested, or just undecided on their major. General education classes can be beneficial, just not to everybody, so why subject kids to them?
As a person who wants to teach kids in the time that they should be finding themselves and their paths, I believe that it is important to let people be free to choose how they want to express themselves. However, I don't think that a "permanent truth" is possible to achieve. Yes, you may have a very good grasp on the person you are, but there are things about ourselves that we don't even know. How can we be absolutely sure of our personalities, values, or futures? A person's horizon should always be expanding. You find your true self by making mistakes and going through awkward and strange phases.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up with a permanent identity can be harmful. I believe that you don’t need to “discover who you are”, while you are living life you figure out what you like and dislike, who you want to be around and who you don’t. Trying to discover your identity and having a label could waste a lot of time and effort. If you are not given one from the start you can figure out who you are just by living life.
ReplyDeleteI also think that general education courses are not a bad thing, the only thing bad about it is that there are too many that are required, the students should be able to decide which course outside of their majors they want to take, this should also only be in the student’s first year so they can figure out what they like and dislike. As Tanner said these classes can be expensive, ECU’s extra costs for these classes are still nothing compared to most universities. I still believe that some sort of general education class should still be required but it should be more in the students hands since they have to pay for it.
I completely agree that having a permanent identity can be harmful. When I was taking concurrent classes at a community college I had a professor during my first and last semester there, which were about two years apart. I talked to him a lot and after I turned in my first paper in my second class with him he said “you’ve changed a lot haven’t you?” I remember it was said in a way that made me feel guilty for changing. But I believe our purpose as people is to learn, grow, and change. I think sometimes people view change as scary or as weakness. I am not the same person that I was yesterday and I certainly hope I will not be the same tomorrow.
Delete-- Ginger Johnson