Running Head: Personal Philosophy

Personal Philosophy Paper

Christopher Lee
NIU

CAHA 500
Molly Swick
10/19/14

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The importance of education should help with an increase of more educated class of
adults. College is a great stepping stone to create another generation of workers. I also like to
think that education is for personal enrichment, and an opportunity for students to find out what
tastes and interest they have to work towards a career in a particular field. A great education
system is fundamental to society. If college was more student-centered, students would learn best
in the real life activities with other people you come into contact with. The status quo of higher
education should strive to prepare students for life challenges in which knowledge can be
received in two ways, which is living and learning experiences.
A challenge most students face is figuring out what to major in. These students look at
careers that will earn them the most money once they graduate. Students realize how miserable
their life might be if they have a job they dont enjoy going to. I think it is important for
educators in student affairs to provide those services to help students learn about themselves.
From personal experience, my advisors never took the time to get to know me as a person, but
would recommend courses they thought would be great for me. Once I took those classes, I
struggled because I didnt have an interest in them. I believe that it is equally important for
educators to lead students in the right direction, and not set students up for failure. I might not
make much when I earn my career job, but at least I will know its something I would love to
wake up and do.
The purpose of a student pursuing higher education is for an institution to help with the
guidance of a students discovery of themselves, becoming sociable with diverse populations,
find their identity, and mature the talents of that person. Adult learners should be able to cater to
all groups of people, whether they fall in different categories of age, race, religion, and sex to
engage them in the same education to further their careers world. Adult educators allow for

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everyone to learn at an equal level. No two people are alike, so it makes sense for adult educators
to provide their services to diverse crowds. In my opinion the current education system is lacking
in the practical knowledge for students. We do everything in an authoritative style currently, and
also overburdening our students by having them sit through lectures. I believe text books should
be emphasis on what is taught, but there should also be a need to ensure that teachers act as
facilitators in a more student centered environment to promote efficiency of course goals.
College students try to go for those specialized subjects that are related to their careers.
For example a biomedical engineer would take more technical courses tailored towards their
field as oppose to liberal arts. These students know for sure what they want to do career wise
after they graduate, as they focus on courses that are related to their majors. Many institutions
require that undergraduate students take courses that are unrelated to their major to provide those
students with a wide range of knowledge and experience. The idea of incorporating liberal arts
provides fundamental skills that can be applied towards various skills. These classes incorporate
skills such as thinking and reasoning, the art of thinking across several fields, collaboration
amongst groups of people, and writing skills. If your career goal is to become a lawyer, then
there should be a focus on communication, writing, paying attention to detail, and maybe even
lying. Instead classes are more tailored towards power points and lectures.
In college the role of a student should evolve from being less dependent, because
responsibility should shift to the student as they become more capable of facilitating and being
cooperative amongst their peers. The role of the adult educator in the classroom should decrease
as students age, most importantly in college. An authoritative figure might have been the
facilitator previously, but students in a college should be more increasingly responsible for

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communicating directly amongst others. The basic role of the student is to become contributor to
the classroom community and be an independent learner.
General education is taught during elementary school. Intermediate education builds on
the general education taught during elementary school. College courses are more challenging
courses taught in high school because more is expected of the students in terms of assignments.
In college you learn time management skills, and independent living skills because of the
balance of everyday life duties such as academics, work, and social life. College is a part of the
education process that continues that general education foundation, and its goal is to challenge
students and teach them a special process into emerging adulthood.
Pursuing a degree in higher education provides an opportunity to a better life. Now I
believe that a college education is now a career passage for all. A bachelors degree in my
opinion is now devalued to many employers. Im not implying that a degree is meaningless, but
for practical purposes experience and internships are the keys to success as employers place
more value into individuals who have the skills and traits that relate to a particular job
description. I look at Adult and Higher Education as another opportunity for students to
development. Acquiring new skills, networking with people from diverse settings who can help
you progress in your ambitions, and learning how to perform tasks in a less complex fashion will
make life easier into a competing job market.
A philosophy I would incorporate with my own is a progressive philosophy. Progressive
education places an emphasis on educating by providing hands on experimental learning which
can help towards career goals. Integrating curriculum can focus on various skills. The strong
emphasis placed on problem solving and critical thinking to provide students with the

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opportunity to investigate and justify ideas. I would also place less emphasis on text books as
well, and would on only rely on them just as an additional resource. Grouping students prepares
them for real world job realities of working in teams by having collaborative projects that
promotes cooperative learning. Teaching students that education a social responsibility helps
with progression towards a more developed nation. This philosophy affiliates with my ideology
even more importantly because it is personalized and accounts for a students personal goals.
This is very important for students to live their lives, and promote self-authorship because it
would help with students strive for lifelong learning. My reasoning is because when people take
take control of their lives, students will develop interest in many things, and would strive to
achieve them.
Earning a degree is an achievement nobody can take away from you. It will build your
confidence and expand your mind. It is a life changing experience. People who have college
degrees are more valuable than those who dont. Being a college graduate is something that is
admired. What students learn in college allows them to become more knowledgeable than they
were before. Where would we be if we just stopped pursuing education? Lifelong learning is a
foundation of success because if you have goals and expectations, you can most likely fulfill
them through pursuing education. Even if there were a possibility to learn everything before
going to college, higher education should promote a foundation for students to be presented with
the challenge that there are always more things to taught and discovered. Using the information
you retained previously and applying it towards critical thinking allows for a better
understanding and accurate interpretation of the world around you.

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