After reading over the different student development theories in our text, I discovered that there were quite a few that I could apply to my college experience/student developmental journey. Even though there were many different theories that I could apply to my college experience, the one theory that stood out to me was Alan Chickering and Linda Reisser’s revised Seven Vectors of Student Development theory. Chickering felt that a student’s development is shaped by the struggle of the student encountering new ideas, values, and people and the clash that those items cause with their own ideas and values (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 21). I also chose this theory because not all students progress through the vectors at the same time and
…show more content…
In order for a student development to occur, a student must be able to learn to control their emotions, whether they be positive, intense, or even disruptive (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 21). During my undergraduate college experience, I was presented with many situations that forced me to learn how to handle my emotions. As I look back at my undergraduate years, I can see how I have learned to better handle emotions like anger, jealous, anxiety, shame, or any other negative emotion that I encountered. I have to admit that during my first two years of college, I did not have a good handle of my emotions. I know of one experience in particular where I was faced with a friend who I found out was running my name in the ground and talking bad about me. My reaction was to get angry and get even, but thankfully, I do not respond like that to those situations anymore. I have learned how to balance my emotions so that they do not interfere with my everyday …show more content…
According to Chickering, developing interpersonal relationship increases a student’s sense of self and causes a student to be open to the differences in people, ideas, or backgrounds (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p.22). Chickering also stated that students who develop in this vector have a better chance to have healthy intimate relationships (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p.22). My friend group was indeed small before I started college. That group exploded once I started college. In college, I was exposed to many different types of people from many different occupations. Because I was exposed to many different types of people or people in general, I was exposed to ideas, culture, and such that I would not have been exposed to if, I never went to college. Developing in this vector also helped me develop in other vectors as well. I learned how to manage my emotions better, due to the interactions brought on by developing mature interposal relationships. Developing along this vector also helped me develop along the next vector (establishing identity). I discovered in college that I am a people person and I would never have discovered that unless development along this vector had occurred. I know each vector of in this theory is important, but I feel this vector ranks up there on my top three
In order for a student development to occur, a student must be able to learn to control their emotions, whether they be positive, intense, or even disruptive (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 21). During my undergraduate college experience, I was presented with many situations that forced me to learn how to handle my emotions. As I look back at my undergraduate years, I can see how I have learned to better handle emotions like anger, jealous, anxiety, shame, or any other negative emotion that I encountered. I have to admit that during my first two years of college, I did not have a good handle of my emotions. I know of one experience in particular where I was faced with a friend who I found out was running my name in the ground and talking bad about me. My reaction was to get angry and get even, but thankfully, I do not respond like that to those situations anymore. I have learned how to balance my emotions so that they do not interfere with my everyday …show more content…
According to Chickering, developing interpersonal relationship increases a student’s sense of self and causes a student to be open to the differences in people, ideas, or backgrounds (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p.22). Chickering also stated that students who develop in this vector have a better chance to have healthy intimate relationships (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p.22). My friend group was indeed small before I started college. That group exploded once I started college. In college, I was exposed to many different types of people from many different occupations. Because I was exposed to many different types of people or people in general, I was exposed to ideas, culture, and such that I would not have been exposed to if, I never went to college. Developing in this vector also helped me develop in other vectors as well. I learned how to manage my emotions better, due to the interactions brought on by developing mature interposal relationships. Developing along this vector also helped me develop along the next vector (establishing identity). I discovered in college that I am a people person and I would never have discovered that unless development along this vector had occurred. I know each vector of in this theory is important, but I feel this vector ranks up there on my top three