CSL 490 Reflection

When I began this class, I thought that I already knew a lot about higher education, but I was wrong. I learned so much in this class in such a short period of time that at times it was overwhelming. Nonetheless, it has left me in a good place where I am excited about my journey in student affairs the lies ahead.

I found the ‘We’re Losing Our Minds’ text to be very informative and interesting to read. One of the main points that I took away from this reading was how unprepared students are when they enter college, as well as when they graduate from college and enter the real world. It was alarming at first, but I completely agree with Keeling and Hersh in saying that, ‘college graduates are not prepared to think critically and creatively, speak and write cogently and clearly, solve problems, comprehend complex issues, accept responsibility and accountability, take the perspective of others or meet the expectations of employers’. With this being said, I can agree with this because I don’t believe that I gained all of these skills myself through my undergraduate experience. I believe that my professors and I were too focused on completing the amount of assignments necessary and doing well enough on them that I didn’t take the time to actually learn skills along the way.

I also found the part on how our mind is not blank, but instead encounters data and organizes it in relation to what we already know to be very enlightening. I think that by asking the question ‘what does that mean to you’ can really allow students to open up about their own thoughts and views, which should be done more in the classroom.  

Emergenetics was also a pivotal exercise for my development in student affairs. I was surprised at how much I was able to understand myself on a deeper level by examining my brain. This will absolutely help me in the future when working with various students, colleagues and other professionals. With a better understanding myself, I am able to better understand others and figure out the best way for us to work together.

The images, statistics, articles, and helpful tips that were posted on Pinterest and Twitter will be extremely helpful to me in the future. At first, I thought that it would be difficult to find things to post and pin in alignment with the course, but instead there was an abundance of information to be shared. In looking back at what was shared by my colleagues and I, one thing that seems evident is that everything that was shared can be put together to help the ‘whole student’. From tips on how to apply to college, to motivational quotes to get one through the day, the plethora of information that was provided through these exercises is nothing short of incredible. I used to believe that I had a pretty decent idea of how to help a student, but I will now be able to operate in a way that places the whole student in mind. Although there is so much to be learned in this profession, I think that my desire to provide for my students will continue to push me to further educate myself in the future.