Transformative Learning

Baxter Magolda is a well-regarded professor who studied how young people develop upon completing college up into their thirties. Her research conducted a longitudinal study where the main aim is to find out how adults lives transformed throughout university into their thirties and what changes occurred. She was particularly interested in how it transformed students’ thought process in that period of time. University is a time of big changes; it’s the first time since being in education where young adults are able to get out of a structured system and try certain things in their own

As adolescents begin their senior year, the topic of college often runs without hindrance, often causing extreme stress. As the monetary value, as well as the time spent, begins to accumulate in their minds, students often find themselves bound at the wrists figuring out a way to balance as well as afford college living. In many cases, the upcoming graduates are unsure about their career path, almost enhancing their stress in choosing a school that would cater to their needs. It is almost then they begin to ponder whether or not University/college life is for them, which is could be an extremely advantageous shot in a, for example, high achieving family. Whilst college does allow for a plethora of doors to be opened, the lack of time, effort, and money can hinder one 's ability to properly choose a university. Though school can help with the stepping stones of life, they do not entirely ensure a proper future, therefore many may opt out of school; however, with the correct actions, they may turn out extremely successful, which may not have even happened without the release of the burden of school.

College, The doorway to the future. Many things can happen during this phase of one’s life, well known for exposing peoples “true personalities” through its multiple hardships and adventure. One thing to be said about college is that it is one of the most stressful times of a person life. In College pressures, an article written by William Zinsser, the head master of Bradford College, states that the amount of pressure placed on college students is heavy and that is unintentionally been cause by their own self-doubt. I am interested in the essay because although it was written in the 70’s I know for a fact that many college students can truly relate to this essay in more than one way. I, personally, relate because I would be the first in my family to complete college with more than just an associate’s degree and it is a lot of pressure but, unlike the people in this essay, I know very well how to handle the pressure, but I do know many who are friends and in college right now who cannot handle the pressure and are failing under the pressure. In William Zinsser’s article, he simply explains how the unstable economy we live in is distracting us from adventuring out into uncharted territory. Simply because, in our up bringing our parents emphasized the importance of stability and the suggestion of striving for more realistic jobs. It also stresses the influence of peers have on one’s personal experience and opinion on where he or she should be academically causing exhaustion

“In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.2 million since fall 2000” (National Center for Education Statistics). That number seems to be rising each and ever year, and it almost seems as students feel like they have to go to college directly after high school. Maybe it is because they feel that they have to fit in, even if college is not for them. Although some students attend college for academics, sports, and other reasons, some students attend college for no apparent reason; with that in mind, students should take into consideration the time and money that is put into going to college.

Beginning with the fatalistic discourse utilized by my family, peers, and educators, I internalized such thoughts, and implicitly understood that, quite naturally, I would make the predestined transition to college from high school. Finding

Students enter college with the anticipation that the next four years of their lives will be a

The transition from high school to college is a dynamic time in one’s life that parallels the change from childhood to adulthood. Both of these changes are dramatic and, as a result, feelings are difficult to put down into words. A messy combination of emotions fills the heart, surfacing in strange ways. Confident high school seniors go right back to the bottom of the chain when entering college as freshmen. These students start all over, just like entering grade school or high school for the first time. The move up from high school to college signals the switch from dependence to self-sufficiency. From a personal point of view, going through the experience of graduating high school and transferring to a residential college campus at STLCOP, made me realize I was no longer a kid and capable of making my own decisions.

The tradition of attending college has changed over the past fifty years. Previously, college was provided to those privileged students who wanted to receive an education beyond high school. Today this still remains the case, but now most teenagers attend college to ensure and strengthen their future. In today’s society, a college degree does not even promise a successful job, but it still serves as a social norm. For some, college is not even an option due to their financial status, and for others, the “college life” does not seem to suit them. In my perspective, those who drop out, overstress, and become overwhelmed in college become this way because they were not fully prepared in their previous school years. High school simply does not

The author Mezirow (1991) describes Transformational Learning as “an attempt to redress an apparent oversight in adult learning theory that has resulted from a failure to recognize the central roles played by an individual’s acquired frame of reference, through which meaning is construed and all learning takes place, and by the transformations of these habits of during the learning process” (p. 4). In correlation to leadership, based upon experience and acquired knowledge, transformative learning is part a system of self-synchronicity. As a leader, a person should be guided by ethics, values, and beliefs that undergird their work. In understanding, this establishes and facilitates effective operations in an integrity-filled manner for everyone to understand.

In this paper, the authors outlined a method of defining the effectiveness of an executive coaching engagement by determining if there was a transformation achieved by the coachee. Transformative learning theory was proposed as the lens to view the executive’s journey, so critical reflection was a key part of the analysis. Our findings show that you can have critical reflection without transformation, but you cannot have a transformation without critical reflection (Brookfield, 2000). However, the missing part of Mezirow’s theory is the trigger for the critical reflection, and the authors’ research brought in the idea of a need for critical moments in the executive’s coaching engagement in order for the transformation to occur. Then all six

Life consists of a series of choices, choices that makes us who we are as individuals. Many of us faced a 'fork in the road ' following our four year tenure in high school. There is a broad decision we must make on whether we want to follow a path of education, or to entire directly into the workforce. Among those who choose the path of seeking higher education, there is a more narrow decision. Whether to directly enroll into a four year institution/university or to attend a community college, two year institution, seeking to receive an associates degree or to eventually transfer to a four year institution. Many factors come into play in making the educational choice, and both paths have unique pros and cons associated with them.

Pursuing a college education right out of high school is an important decision—one of the most important things to consider facing young adults. Traditionally speaking, the responsible consideration would be to continue educational momentum into a college or university setting. While parents of college-age students can provide guidance and direction on the perceived correct path, the commitment and determination falls on the shoulders of the student—requiring much contemplation in making the right choice. Taking a planned year or more off upon graduation from high school is the alternative route to the aforementioned educational path. This planned period, known as a gap year, is where students can engage in the process of self-discovery process. Moreover, empirical suggests this post high school gap is a time to solidify goals, and future expectations, as well as providing a little breathing room for fulfilling personal dreams. The following content focuses on both for and against decisions of immediately continuing toward higher education, or the alternative possibility—the gap year.

As students sit impatiently at their desk in the concluding hours of their senior year, there are a million things that rush through their mind. Most students will suddenly realize that they have no idea what they will do after high school. A majority will answer by confidently announcing “I’m going off to college!”. Others, will turn up their nose and declare that they “will be staying home to look for a decent job that has an opportunity for advancement because college is far too expensive.” Some will say that they are going to start looking for a long-term job; but in reality, everyone really knows they are going to live in their parents’ basement for much longer than agreed. There are millions of possibilities of what students can do after high school and while everyone gets to make their own decision, very few will consider the best one; a gap year.

Just four years ago, an adolescent girl only ever cared to savor her youth and loathed the burdens of responsibility, desperately avoiding them when the opportunity presented itself. Having a meager enthusiasm for college, she even despised the thought of attending college, let alone preparing for it. She had a petty understanding of its significance or its relevance with making the ability to obtain a successful future exceedingly derivable. Upon experiencing high school and witnessing her sisters’ distress as a result of being unable to attend 4-year universities, she began to perceive the seriousness of college. Reality struck her vigorously as her teachers began pouring the bitter truth about the importance of college, especially four-year universities, into her life. Now, as a woman about to complete her senior year, she has unearthed a burgeoning desire to be the first in her family to attend a four-year university immediately after high school graduation. That woman is me.

Despite popular belief, college isn’t the start for the changes in maturity. For most, it’s experiencing confirmation, or getting your driver’s license. For others it’s getting a part-time job while still retaining high marks in classes. Instead, college presents a level of pressure most haven’t experienced before. For a few,