现代大学英语精读3uint1原文.docx
《现代大学英语精读3uint1原文.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《现代大学英语精读3uint1原文.docx(8页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
现代大学英语精读3uint1原文
现代大学英语精读3uint1原文
YourCollegeYears
Haveyoueverconsideredthechangesthataretakingplaceandwilltakeplaceinyourlifeasacollegestudent?
Hasiteveroccurredtoyouthatyourprofessorsandotherschoolpersonnelhavecertaingoalsforyourgrowthandmaturityduringyourcollegeyears?
Hasiteverdawnedonyouthatcertaindevelopmentalchangeswilloccurinyourlifeasyoumovefromadolescencetoyoungadulthood?
Thoughcollegestudentsseldomthinkaboutthem,keychangeswillprobablyhappentothemduringtheircollegeyears.
Duringthistime,studentsaregoingthroughanidentitycrisisandareendeavoringtofindoutwhotheyareandwhattheirstrengthsandweaknessesare.Theyhave,ofcourse,plentyofboth.Itisimportanttoknowhowpeopleperceivethemselvesaswellashowotherpeopleperceivethem.AccordingtoPiersandLandau,inanarticlediscussingthetheoriesofErikH.EricksoninInternationalEncyclopediaofSocialSciences(1979),identityisdeterminedbygeneticendowment(whatisinheritedfromparents),shapedbyenvironment,andinfluencedbychanceevents.Peopleareinfluencedbytheirenvironmentand,inturn,influencetheirenvironment.Howpeopleseethemselvesinbothrolesisunquestionablyapartoftheiridentity.
Whilestudentsaregoingthroughanidentitycrisis,theyarebecomingindependentfromtheirparents,yetareprobablystillverydependentonthem.Thisindependence/dependencestruggleisverymuchapartofthelateradolescencestage.Infact,itmaybeheightenedbytheirchoicetopursueacollegeeducation.Immediatelyaftergraduatingfromhighschool,somegraduateschoosetoentertheworkworld.Asaresultofthischoice,theymaybecomefinanciallyindependentfromtheirparents.Butcollegestudentshavechosentogrowandlearnnewskillsthattakeyearstodevelop,sotheyprobablyneedatleastsomedegreeofdependenceontheirparents.
InhisApril1984article"PsychologicalSeparationofLateAdolescentsfromTheirParents"intheJournalofCounselingPsychology,JefferyA.Hoffmanobservedthattherearefourdistinctaspectstopsychologicalseparationfromone'sparents.First,thereisfunctionalindependence,whichinvolvesthecapabilityofindividualstotakecareofpracticalandpersonalaffairs,suchashandlingfinances,choosingtheirownwardrobes,anddeterminingtheirdailyagenda.Second,thereisattitudinalindependence,whichmeansthatindividualslearntoseeandacceptthedifferencebetweentheirownattitudes,values,andbeliefsandthoseoftheirparents.Thethirdprocessofpsychologicalseparationisemotionalindependence.Hoffmandefinesthisprocessas"freedomfromanexcessiveneedforapproval,closeness,togetherness,andemotionalsupportinrelationtothemotherandfather."Forexample,collegestudentswouldfeelfreetoselectthemajorthattheywanttopursuewithoutfeelingtheymusthaveparentalapproval.Fourthisfreedomfrom"excessiveguilt,anxiety,mistrust,responsibility,inhibition,resentment,andangerinrelationtothemotherandfather."Collegestudentsneedtostandbackandseewheretheyareintheindependence/dependencestruggle.
Probablyoneofthemoststressfulmattersforyoungcollegestudentsisestablishingtheirsexualidentity,whichincludesrelatingtotheoppositesexandprojectingtheirfuturerolesasmenorwomen.Eachmustdefineherorhissexualidentityinafeminineormasculinerole.Theseareexcitingtimesyetfrustratingtimes.Probablynothingcanmakestudentsfeellowerorhigheremotionallythanthewaytheyarerelatingtowhomevertheyarehavingaromanticrelationshipwith.Forexample,whenIwasworkingwithayoungcollegestudent,hebouncedintomyofficeoncewithasmileonhisfaceandexcitementinhisvoice.Theyoungmandeclared,"I'vejusthadthebestdayofmylife!
"Hewentontoexplainhowhehadmetanextraordinaryyoungwomanandhowthisrelationshipwasallhehaddreamedaromanticrelationshipshouldbe.Thatsameyoungmancameintomyofficelessthanaweeklater,dragginghisfeetwithadismayed,dejectedlookonhisface.Hesatdowninthesamechair,sigheddeeply,anddeclared,"I'vejusthadtheworstdayofmylife!
"Heandtheyoungwomanhadjusthadanargument,andtheirrelationshipwasnolongergoingwell.Thus,thewaystudentsarerelatingtothoseoftheoppositesexhasadefiniteinfluenceontheiremotions.
Atthesametime,theseyoungadultsarelearninghowtogiveandreceiveaffectionintheadultworld.Thisaspectofgrowthdealsnotonlywithinteractionwiththeoppositesexbutwithfriendsofbothsexesandallages.Astheygrowandreachyoungadulthood,thewaytheyrelatetootherschanges.Itisatimewhentheyasadultsshouldthinkabouthowtheyrelatetoandshowproperrespectforpeers,howtheyrelatetothechildrenandyoungadolescentsintheirlives,andhowtheyrelatetotheirparentsandshowthemaffection.Forexample,whenIwasagraduatestudentatSouthwesternBaptistTheologicalSeminary,IvisitedmyparentsafterIhadjustfinishedacourseincounseling.DuringthecourseIhadcometorealizethatwhilemyworldwasexpandingandnewoptionswereopeningforme,myfather,whowasinhissixties,wasseeinghisworldshrinkandhisoptionsnarrow.Duringmyvisithome,myfatherandIhadseveralconversationsinwhichwediscussedthecontentofmycourseandhowitappliedtoourlives.IfoundmyselfseeingmyfatherinadifferentwayandrelatingtohimasafriendwhomIcouldencourage.Iwasconsciouslyencouragingthemanwhoovertheyearshadencouragedme.Iwasrelatingtomyfatherinadifferentway.
Anotherchangeforcollegestudentsisinternalizingtheirreligiousfaith,theirvalues,andtheirmorals.Sincebirth,oneormoreparentshavebeenmodelingforthemandteachingthemcertainbeliefs,values,andmorals.Intheiradolescentyears,however,thesemattersarequestionedandinsomecasesrebelledagainst.Now,asyoungadults,theyhavetheopportunitytodecideforthemselveswhatbeliefs,values,andmoralstheyaregoingtoacceptfortheirlives.Inthelatesixties,ayoungwomanfromabackgroundthatwasextremelyprejudicedagainstpeoplefromotherracescametocollegeconvincedthatherracewassuperior.Shewasdistressedbecauseshehadbeenputintoadormthathadpeoplefromavarietyofethnicbackgrounds.Overthenextfouryears,thisstudent,whoconsideredherselfintelligent,foundherselfinclassesandsocialeventsinwhichpeopleofotherracesperformedaswellasormorecompetentlythanshedid.Asshefinishedhersenioryear,shehadgrowntorealizethatpeopleofotherraceswerenotonlyequaltoherbutwerepeoplewhocouldbeherfriendsandfromwhomshecouldlearn.Thesereligious,moral,andethicalvaluesthataresetduringthecollegeyearsoftenlastalifetime.
Inadditiontoaffirmingpersonalvalues,collegestudentsdevelopnewwaystoorganizeanduseknowledge.Thechallengesofacademiclifenotonlyintroducethemtonewknowledgebutforcethemtoevaluatehowtheygather,process,andapplyknowledgeintheirlives.Forsome,thiswillbeapainfulexperience,butforallitwillbeagrowingexperience.OnestudentwithwhomIhadworkedwentontobecomeanEnglishteacher.Shesharedwithmehowherattitudetowardliteraturechangedduringhercollegeyears."InhighschoolImadegoodgradesinEnglish,"sheobserved,"butthematerialmeantverylittletome."Shethenwentontoexplainhowincollegeshecametorealizethatliteratureisoneofthebestwaystounderstandaculture.Herwayoflearninghadchanged.Allstudentsshouldbeawareofhowtheyreacttonewknowledgeandnewwaysoflearning,howtheyprocesstheknowledgepresentedtothem,andhowtheyorganizethisknowledge.
Andlastofall,theseyoungadultsarebecomingworldcitizens,arebecomingawarenotonlyofothergroupsintheirownculturebutalsoofpeopleofothercultures.Astheymeetthesepeopleandinteractwiththem,theyfindthemselvesbeingintroducedtonewwaysoflifeandnewwaysofinterpretinglife.Astheydoso,theygrowandbecomemorematurepeople.AstudentattendingacommunitycollegeinhishometownexplainedhowasastudenthecametoknowastudentfromaThirdWorldcountry—acountryhehadnotevenheardofbefore.Theinternationalstudent,whoexpectedtobeappointedtoanimportantgovernmentalpositionwhenhereturnedhome,hadabrotherwhotaughtlawatthemajoruniversityofhiscountry.TheAmericanstudentandtheinternationalstudentbecameclosefriendsandspentmanyhourssharingtheirthoughtsanddreams.TheAmericanstudentobserved,"Becauseofourfriendship,IhavecometounderstandpeopleofThirdWorldcountriesinawayIneverrealizedpossible.Icannolongerreadthenewspaperorwatchatelevisionnewscastwithoutseeingthepeoplefromothercountriesinadifferentlight.Theyarenowrealpeoplewhohavedreams,hopes,andstruggles,justasIdo."Becauseoftheopportunitieshehadwhileattendingcollege,thisyoungman,likemanyotherstudents,experiencedanewunderstandingoftheworldandofhimself.
Collegeisdesignedtobeatimeofpersonalgrowthandexpansion.Attimesitcanbethreatening.Forcertain,itisanexperiencethatcontributestoyoungadults'growthandmaturity.Notonlyaretheybeingintroducedtonewpeopleandnewknowledge,buttheyarealsoacquiringnewwaysofassemblingandprocessinginformation.Justasproudly,theyaregrowingintheirunderstandingofthemselves,others,andtheworldinwhichtheylive.