OP-ED: Going back to college as an adult
Returning to an institution of higher education as an adult is intimidating and an occasion for reflection.
You are able to observe and listen to the bustle of the novice, while simultaneously reflecting on remnants of yourself within them. However, in my case, particularly with young men, accountability, goal setting, and basic leadership roles are lacking, all of which are hallmarks in society.
To the untrained eye, one might think that attending college and being naïve, ignorant, and unfocused are a part of the transition of college students throughout their four-year tenure in academia. Consequently, many students never received the mentorship and training required to begin an effective transition into a focused and productive atmosphere. Moreover, a vast majority never take on accountability of the self-due to the lack of effective studying, learning-for-understanding, and keeping their dorms in order.
The lack of accountability brings a gargantuan blow to setting achievable goals as a consequence. Goal setting is not accomplished by putting tangibles only into the calendar, although it is one aspect to achieve that aim. There is a stark difference in planning to organize and planning to put your life in order. Planning for a purpose constitutes as recently discussed, the tangibility of the task by priority; the second, is to the risks and challenges that you encounter, and the third, how you will mitigate and overcome them. This single fact is the precursory initiative that you must take in the order of goal setting. All goal setting is, is visualizing a destination, weighing the tangibility, identifying the obstacles through pre-planning; engaging in conflict resolution, and deciding to pursue the goal.
Lastly, and most important, honing basic leadership roles that is the right of passage for developing men in society. Basic roles include, controlling aggression, looking people in the eye,
a strong handshake, and finding a means of suffering to gain a sense of self-realization in ability. These are no doubt the end as the list goes on. However, I feel these basic traits can be mastered by any one man. Eye contact shows strength and confidence, with the handshake as the solidifier of that truth. If the handshake is weak, it tells all, no less. There is truth in the suffering. It can make the most brutish of men drop to their knees. Nonetheless, suffering is good in that you gain experience and incorporates itself naturally into the latter points. It can be traversed and overcome, but also harsh and unforgiving if its chaos consumes you.
I am both optimistic and concerned for where we will be led with the increase in neglecting responsibility. We are being taught that there is no longer a need for men to do their duty hitherto. I didn’t believe much of it until I had thrust myself back into the college campus as a more experienced and mature individual; who is only observing in the background. It is vitally important to each and every one of us that we continue on the path to mentor our future generations and not neglect their roles in society. In order for us to keep our way of life we must all know where our duties lie and our place within the world. For one day, we will again be faced with the calling to protect our way of life once more. If we are not prepared, we will lose what we hold dear.h