College Expectation

Tiera Burks
Ms. Berrier
ENG 101
October 1, 2012
Expect the Realistic
High school seniors have a lot of pressure on them to figure out what’s their next step after graduation, whether it’s going into the workforce, military, or college. Even though the choice to choose between the three is theirs to make, the stress of college is always put on their shoulders. An individual from Youniversitytv.org said something that struck a light bulb and it states “these days, there is a great emphasis placed on students going to college, almost to the point of expectation”. At a very young age we learn that college was the way to go but the process to get into college is so intense it made some people wanted to rethink their choice. At that moment I knew that college was going to be no joke and so did my peers but I didn’t sweat it because I knew “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Once we were finally in college we were spoken to about the integrity policy and how serious it’s taken, and we were given all these rules from the RA, and so much more. After the first 2 weeks of college many students, including myself, felt like their brains were going to explode and it made many of them take a step back and make sure the priorities for college were on the right track mentally and physically When given this assignment we were asked to think of things that affect us or something we were scared of and college expectations was the first thing to come to my mind. College expectation is a very broad topic so my goal is to break it down even further and give the aspect of expectations when it comes to academics and its outcomes on students.
Before getting to the interesting stuff we must make sure we are all on the same page on what the word expectation really is. When the word expectation is said, it’s being referred to as the expectancy of a higher figure or someone you look up to. As a human being we are already expected to be and act a certain way, which is the reasoning for having laws. Robert K. Merton, a famous sociologist, once wrote that “a person's expectation is directly linked to the Self-fulfilling Prophecy” (^ a b Lazarus, Richard. Emotion and Adaptation. Oxford University Press, 1991.).When thinking of expectation, academics a reasonable word to give because with academics comes great power and with great power comes great responsibility and with responsibility comes great expectations. The next task is figuring out what academic expectations are thrown at students when it comes to college and a student’s success. The process of writing down those things weren’t as difficult as I thought it would be and believe it or not I then had a page and a half list of things that college expects us as students to do, say, know, and achieve when it comes to academics.
College itself is a prestige’s word. In fact some might say that it marks the beginning of a significant life (www.Swccd.edu/~asc/lrnglinks/coleexpectations.html). But some expectations such as the integrity policy in some cases are extremely too high of a pedal stole to be on. The academic integrity policy is “the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner, serving as a basic guiding principle for all academic activity” (Faculty Senate Policy 49-20, PENN STATE). The integrity policy isn’t just a statement it’s a commitment a student make but the way its enforced is kind of intimidating. Academic integrity is the heart of educated life both when it comes to learning and research (Cornell University, Academic advising office).Students are terrified of making a mistake and being penalized for it because of the integrity policy. When writing papers the integrity policy is constantly on a student’s mind and that is a constant struggle to have to write a paper with that burden on their back. If I were to violate the integrity policy I would not only get punished by the school but I could also be punished by the United States because it’s a violation of the fourteenth amendment. The punishment for the integrity policy is basically the same for every college and the City University of New York said it best when they stated “If the instructor desires solely an “academic” sanction, that is, a grade reduction, less process is due than if a “disciplinary” sanction, such as suspension or expulsion, is sought” (CUNY Office of the Academic Integrity Official). Although this is a very important policy, the fear they strike in students hearts is simply unreasonable. I remember when I was at soar here at UNCG and they did a skit about all the things you could face in college. One of the sections was talking about the integrity policy and she accidentally didn’t cite something in her paper. That kind of expectation wasn’t reasonable or realistic. Citing, when it comes to writing, isn’t the easiest to do and it is very easy for an individual to not cite correctly. So that type of pressure could draw a student over the edge or make a student breakdown. The phrase “you should know” is constantly used when professors refer to information students should already have stored in memory but like a professor I have had said if as a professor they want you to know something they wouldn’t assume that you know it they would teach it to you. That phrase is never fully understood because it’s once again not realistic. I would like to see those same professors try to remember something they learned in middle school or even high school. In college there are constantly a large number of students who are sleep deprived due to college life and school work. “Only 11 percent of American college students sleep well, and 40 percent of students feel well rested only two days per week”( Dr. Robert Stickgold). So it should not be expected from students like me to know information that was taught before college simply because sleep is a major part of memory. “Inadequate sleep appears to affect the brain's ability to consolidate both factual information and procedural memories about how to do various physical tasks” (the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School). When reading an article that this same college study did a girl by the name of Liz explains how she always felt like it was never enough and how if she wasn’t working on school work she should be (the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School). That is a prime example of how much pressure is put on college students. When you an individual gets to college their maturity is constantly tested. But the level of maturity that professors expect them to have is unreasonable. As a freshman in college its already hard to adjust and for some of us we haven’t had much influence to look back on, when it comes to maturity because in “ High school they are supposed to prepare one for the major transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Some high schools do a great job; others are disaster in this regard” (Reverend Francis Pizzarelli, Successful transition to college needs maturity). For example when you have an issue with a professor they expect you to come to them as adults and be mature about whatever the issue is but some constantly still treat you like a teenager when approaching them. The expectation of maturity and respect is held at a high standard but the reaction to that is not always at a high standard. When entering college not everyone’s maturity level is up to where it should be so the question that remains is why are we put on that type of pedal stool. Communication is a big factor when trying to mature. “One important behavioral area in which many students entering college are probably lacking, to some extent, is communication competence” (Keith T. Hardeman, M.A. Students and Communication Competence). With this information now being known there should be less emphasis on this expectation and maybe work with students more to better themselves to mature themselves. With these important expectations and so many more, they of course come with consequences. Stress is a handout that comes along with college expectations due to the competition for grades, the need to perform, relationships, career choice, and many other aspects of the college environment (© Counseling & Wellness Center| Division of Student Affairs| Educating Leaders for a Global Community). In some cases stress is good for you; in fact a lot of the stress that we all experience is helpful and motivating. If a person were to live life with no stress they would have a pretty boring life but the problem becomes when they endure too much stress. Stress is definitely something that weighs heavy on a lot of students so here are some ways to minimize the stress. Number one; understand your role in stress reactions. Sometimes we never want to own our responsibility in some situations so if we owned up to our part in situations it would take a load of stress off of one another. Number two; develop a balanced life-style and effective personal life. This simply means fill your life positive things but also don’t fill your life up with too many things because that’s how individuals become overwhelmed. Number third; learn specific relaxation techniques. These techniques like meditation, self-hypnosis, and deep muscle relaxation work in a similar fashion. They make it possible for you to spend a short period of time in a state of profound relaxation (© Counseling & Wellness Center| Division of Student Affairs| Educating Leaders for a Global Community). Number four; gain perspective on problems by discussing them. This technique is just a way for you to talk about what’s bothering you so you don’t keep it bottled up inside. Last but not least number five; clarify your values and develop a sense of spirituality. This means just remembering what’s important in life and finding something to relieve that stress. Many ways that can help you minimize stress you just have to find what best fits you.
Another outcome of college expectation is depression. Depression has been on a rise when it comes to college students. It is said that “One out of every five young people and one out of every four college students or adults suffers from some form of diagnosable mental illness” (Therese J. Borchard, Statistics About College Depression). Every year 44% of college students that attends a four year university will be diagnosed with depression. My point isn’t that every college student is suffering from depression but I am emphasizing that a vase majority of college students are being diagnosed with depression. Reasons for depression could be things like when students develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades. School performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family life. I can relate to depression first hand because about two years I suffered from depression and I was in a really dark place in life. Once my parents recognized what was going on they got me professional help with a therapist and talk to a doctor about medication. Over time with help of friends and family I was able to overcome and get better. For a long time it scared me to talk about it because I was always scared about what people would say but I soon realized that I wasn’t alone and that there were others like me.
Another strong outcome of college expectations is suicide. For a long time suicide was considered one of those things that society felt was a touchy subject and wanted to keep it quiet. Every year there is a large number of suicides due to college and the stress it puts on students but we are never fully aware of the facts. About 20% of college students at a four year university will attempt or will commit suicide. Suicide is considered the second leading death amongst college students. So how can we impact these numbers if the cause is still in full affect. One way we could prevent suicide is not ignoring the signs that are present with suicidal students. It is said that four out of five students that are suicidal or have committed suicide exhibit clear warning signs that people that are in their everyday lives ignore. Suicide is also considered the impact of depression because a person diagnosed with depression is five times more likely to commit suicide than a normal individual. One of the most important things in preventing suicide is a support system. Whether it’s from a friend or family member, you can’t do it alone you need help. They need that support system to help them find hope in life again. “A suicidal person may not ask for help, but that doesn't mean that help isn't wanted. Most people who commit suicide don't want to die—they just want to stop hurting” (Melinda Smith, Suicide Prevention).
College expectations year after year get tougher and tougher because of the demand for an education and every year the growth of drop outs, suicides, and depression diagnoses reflect those same expectations that are present. As a student trying to better their self they shouldn’t be on edge just to make it in life. Now don’t get me wrong they should push us to be the best we could be but it should cross a boundary that leads to death and depression. If you don’t take anything else that I said away from my paper just remember it’s ok to want the best for college students but you can’t force someone to want something, they have to want it themselves and when they do they’ll achieve it