1 Kelsey Heiple February 11, 2013 Contemporary College Student Dr.

Fayth Parks My Developmental Journey Anyone who has attended college can attest to the fact that those years are largely responsible for his or her development. The experiences, both positive and negative, you have in college contribute to developmental stages and, ultimately, help to shape the person you become. My personal experiences in college are the perfect example of this. Using Arthur Chickerings Seven Vectors of Student Development, one of the psychosocial theories of student change in college, it is easy for me to pinpoint the different experiences I had in college that contributed to my developmental journey and helped make me the person I am today. I will highlight experiences that align with the Seven Vectors to include achieving competence, managing emotions, moving through autonomy toward interdependence, developing mature interpersonal relationships, establishing identity, developing purpose, and developing integrity. My college experience began at a small, religious university in North Carolina. Having been raised in a Christian household, I thought that it would be an extension of home. I was looking forward to being surrounded by peers that held similar beliefs and values as my own and expected it to be an opportunity to grow not only in my religion but also as an individual. The reality of it, however, was quite opposite. I found myself surrounded by people whose main priority was partying. While I expected this to some degree, seeing as how it was the first taste of freedom for many students, I certainly was not prepared for what I witnessed. I did not feel like I had much in common with classmates but, for fear of completely alienating myself, I continued to spend time with them. Although discouraged and somewhat lonely, I vowed to finish the semester before transferring back to a college

2 near my hometown. It was probably the longest sixteen weeks of my life but I managed to finish the semester with all As. Based on Chickerings Seven Vectors of Student Development, many of the aforementioned experiences directly contributed to my development. More specifically, they contributed to the first two vectors in Chickerings theory. The first vector, achieving competence, was done through focus on my studies as well as learning how to interact with people. Although I felt quite lonely, I could not alienate myself in my room for the entire semester. I may not have been interested in partying but I sought out other mutual interests over which we could bond. Furthermore, having some time to myself while my peers were out partying allowed me to really focus on my studies and do well in all of my classes. The second vector, managing emotions, was something that was really important during this time, as well. Seeing as how I was so far away from home and in an environment that I found uncomfortable, I experienced a wide range of emotions. Of course, I was fearful of being in a strange place and depressed about my situation; however, I could not let that affect the real reason I was there. I was there to get an education and I was expected to do well. I had to learn how to manage all of the different emotions I was feeling so as to not let them interfere with my studies. Although my experiences in North Carolina were not great, things took a turn for the better when I transferred to Kennesaw State University. Not only was I closer to home but I was also around familiar faces. Many of my friends from high school went to Kennesaw State and, although I may not have seen them much on campus, it made it easier to feel at home. I found myself getting more involved not only on campus but off campus, as well. Having gotten a job on campus, I was exposed to students from all walks of life. Even as a student, I had many group projects that required me to work alongside students of diverse backgrounds. Although we may not have had much in common, interacting with students from different cultures and ethnicities allowed me to become more open-

3 minded and have respectful conversations about our opinions on various things. Off campus, I was becoming more involved with friends that I had made at school. I had developed friendships with all different types of people and, as our friendships grew, we began to appreciate each other for the unique qualities each possessed and paid less attention to the physical aspects. Most importantly, however, I had an opportunity to study abroad in Italy one summer which I feel was instrumental in my development. I was able to experience an entirely different culture first-hand and, for a period of time, abandon my own in the process. It allowed me to find value in my own beliefs and the ability that I had to do something with those beliefs and values. Graduation, of course, was significant in that it was the closing of one chapter and beginning of another. All of the experiences I had over the past four years had prepared me to make something of myself and I was bound and determined to do that. Overall, my experiences at Kennesaw State were more positive and rather significant in my development. With regards to Chickerings theory, my experiences at Kennesaw State University can be attributed directly to the remaining five Vectors of Student Development. His third vector, moving through autonomy toward interdependence, was something I began to experience while I was still in North Carolina by gaining that emotional freedom from needing reassurance and the approval of others. However, this was something that did not come full circle until I was at Kennesaw State. Perhaps the decision for me to transfer to a college closer to home was evidence of this development as I was able to make the decision to do that on my own. Furthermore, the relationships I developed upon arriving at Kennesaw State allowed me to have that feeling of belonging. Those relationships also relate to Chickerings fourth Vector of Student Development, developing mature interpersonal relationships. In addition to the many friends I made, I had to work with various people at my job as well as in the classroom. As one could imagine, group work, in any setting, requires all participants to be respectful of others opinions. Their opinions are likely a result of their background and values and, in order to work

4 effectively as a group, respect and maturity are critical. The relationships that I developed with friends, specifically, also helped me to begin establishing my identity. Although I feel like the establishment of my identity, Chickerings fifth vector, began with the strong friendships I had built, the one event that I found to be most instrumental in doing so was my experience studying abroad in Italy. Having the opportunity to completely immerse myself in a foreign culture helped me to really pinpoint my own values, culture, heritage, and why I was the way I was. I saw it as a time to reflect on my life and be proud of who I was. This also helped me to begin developing my purpose, Chickerings sixth vector. By establishing my identity, I was then able to develop my purpose. I knew who I was and I knew what my values were so I was then able to determine where I was going and who I wanted to be. For me, it was important to help others have the same educational opportunities that I had and, so, I knew that I wanted to build a career in higher education. Finally, the last of Chickerings seven vectors of student development, developing integrity, was something that really came to light upon graduation. As I stated previously, graduation was kind of like the end of a chapter for me. It led me to really reflect on the experiences I had and see how my values and beliefs would help me get to where I needed to go. It was, at that point, that I set out to be successful and true to myself.