Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
English 115
15 October 2017
For many people, school is the first space in which we start to develop ourselves in terms
of our own identity and grasp the implications of social and cultural norms. For those that decide
to go to college, this time in a person's life is one of the most influential. Not only does it mark
the beginning of the adult stage of life for many people but it also exposes them to a whole new
community of learning and helps them develop a new social circle. It's not only the next step for
many young adults, it is a community that greatly affects a students identity. Studies conducted
by John Foubert, Flor Kagar, Ernest Pascarella and others help draw correlations between the
development of identity and different aspects of college. I believe that college is a space that
positively forms students identities by giving them ways to express themselves,through clubs
and organizations, helps introduce them to critical thinking through studies and further develops
College is a community of students that allows for pupils to express themselves through
the different clubs and organizations their college has to offer. Students have the ability to join
clubs and organizations which are communities that are significant to their sense of identity.
These clubs are for peoples with faiths or for people with interest in a recreational hobby or for
minorities who want to join together. Organization as well provide communities for different
types of people who share a goal. All these groups provides a place for people to come together
and build upon their sense of identity, allowing themselves to physiologically develop. A study
done at a midsized public university gathered data from students over the course of four years,
tracking their progress from freshman to senior. The aim of the study was to see if any
relationship arose between joining clubs and psychosocial growth. The study found that
planning, life management, and cultural participation (Foubert and Grainger 180). This study
found a strong correlation between being in organization and the development of identity
through forming purpose and life goals. The study shows that clubs and organizations create an
environment what fostered the expansion of identity. By being in a club a student is more likely
to find their purpose and identity compared to a student who does not participate in a club.
Additionally, it is evident that students who are involved in clubs and organizations during their
college experience are also those who demonstrate higher levels of development in many areas
(Foubert and Grainger 180). Involvement in a club assists in the improvement of the long term
well being of a person. Overall, given any college there will be hundreds of clubs and
organizations which are small communities that help develop students identities. It isn't
necessarily the physical boundaries of the school that binds these small communities but instead
College also positively affects peoples identities by helping students to develop critical
thinking skills which are an important aspect of developing a good sense of identity. College is a
place where students are treated like an adult and expected to think at a higher level. They are
expected to learn how to critically think. Critical thinking is an active process in which a person
intellectually analyzes and reflects upon information in order to form logical and rational
conclusions and from this create actions. Critical thinking occurs in all types of setting at a
college, from logically deciding how to approach a complicated math problem to critiquing a
work of art with examples and reasoning. Critical thinking is an invaluable skill and important
for the growth of identity. A study done at the Islamic Azad University shows how critical
thinking would shape students identity and general mental health. A random selection of students
from a school in Tehran were put in a critical thinking session and given multiple tests to see any
difference in critical thinking skills would happen. Their findings showed that creative and
critical thinking skills teaching in students can increase informational identity style, commitment
of identity, and general health (Kargar et al. 467). Furthermore, [the] results of the study
indicate that after the thinking skills teaching program, the students in the experimental group
had an increase in informational identity style and commitment of identity, while had a decrease
in diffuse/avoidance identity style (Kagar et al. 468). Their results showed that students with
critical thinking skills had better cognitive abilities and better mental health, which overall lead
to a better state of identity. With critical thinking skills students are able to express their ideas
and reasoning. Students can form a more developed and nuanced sense of identity through
development of critical thinking skills in school. College specifically has shown to develop
critical thinking skills better than any other occupation in a young adult's life. A study from the
University of Illinois shows that that the freshman year of college significantly enhances the
critical thinking of individuals over and above the gains which could be typically expected had
these same individuals decided not to attend college the first year after high school graduation
(Pascarella 16) and that college has a discernible, positive influence on the development of
critical thinking (Pascarella 16). Through these two studies we can draw the connection that
college leads to development of critical thinking skills which leads to a better developed sense of
identity.
College is a space in which students also advance their social skills and gain valuable
experiences in networking and being a well rounded person, which ultimately help create a better
identity. Students are put into a new environment that has a lot of potential to increase their
ability to have a social life and fulfill any generally communal wants that they might have. A
persons social life is a solid part of their identity. Who a person can identify with and what
people they interact with shape their tastes, wants and needs. Therefore developing a proper
circle of acquaintances and friends is needed to support social health. College is one of the best
places to build new friendships and relationships. Not only are you put physically into a new area
but you are surrounded by hundreds of potential people who you can form a connection with.
Networking is also another important consequence of identity. When you form new
relationships with people, these people may lead you to new opportunities. For example, a
professor might introduce you to an internship program you would have never known without
them. A friend could also tell you advice about your field of study and make your life much
easier. These are illustrations of how useful networking can be and networking is possible by
branching out social life. Social skills can greatly improve an aspect of a person's identity and
Ultimately college is a close knit community of people, students and faculty alike, where
both can greatly benefit from the unique space created by a center of learning. Although no two
colleges are alike they all share the goal of helping people learn and develop a better self, and
a better identity. Colleges provide one of the best locations to join organizations that help drive
passion for activities and movements even further. They also are one of the best places to
develop critical thinking skills which are important in all aspects of life. Colleges also a hub for
social gatherings which provide people a place to develop their social skills. If you are currently
attending college I urge them to take advantage of everything your college has to offer. Join
clubs and organizations, take classes that will challenge your mind and thinking, and socialize
within your campus. College is both a community and a experience so enjoy it as much as you
can.
Works Cited
Foubert, John D. and Lauren U. Grainger. Effects of Involvement in Clubs and Organizations on the
Psychosocial Development of First-Year and Senior College Students NASPA Journal, vol.43,
no. 1, Jan. 2006, p.180, ResearchGate, doi: 10.2202/1949-6605.1576. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.
Kargar, Flor R., et al. Effect of Creative and Critical Thinking Skills Teaching on Identity Styles and
General Health in Adolescents Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 84, 9 July
Pascarella, Ernest T. The Development of Critical Thinking: Does College Make a Difference?