As I consider what type of individual I hope to be after graduation, I have come to realize that my college experience will impact my development as a person, student, citizen, and professional.  Although these four categories are closely intertwined, there are slight differences in each.  For example, my personal development will take place as a result of unique opportunities I have, challenges I face, and friendships I make in college.  Unique opportunities such as serving in the community, participating in campus groups, and developing my skills through learning are a vital part of discovering my passions and becoming a well-rounded individual.  Facing challenges such as finances, interpersonal conflicts, or the stress of classes will all better equip me to handle challenges that the future may hold.  The last part of my personal development is building friendships.  Relationships are the most important part of my life - without them I would find little motivation to get through each day.  Knowing that I have friends who are there to support me, cry with me, and laugh with me brings great encouragement and joy to my life.

As a student, I hope to gain three main things from my time in college.   The first is to graduate with the accreditation and knowledge I need to launch into my career as an event planner.  The second is to develop a strong work ethic.  When daunting tasks are before me, I will know how to muster the strength and determination to successfully handle them.  The third part of my education that will be especially beneficial is having an increased knowledge in research and technology.  Because these are two of my weaker areas as a student, through computer classes, research classes, and program workshops I will have the opportunity to improve those skills.

Throughout college, I also believe my role as a citizen can be developed.  As I serve in my community, I can improve it as well as gain awareness of social issues.  Through this awareness, I can then learn the true needs of my community.  I will also become a more conscientious citizen as a result of my education.  Even in my first semester of college I have been challenged to intentionally research about those running for different government positions.  By knowing my community’s needs and those who represent me in government, I can then vote for those who will bring about changes that the community, state, and country need most.

My college education also plays a vital role in my professional development.  Through workshops on resume building, interviewing, leadership, and media, I am given free opportunities to develop skills I will need in my career.  Through the relationships I form with faculty, while serving in the community, and during career fairs, I am able to build connections with those who could eventually help my find a job after graduation.  While in college I also will have internships that will provide invaluable hands-on-experience for my future occupation.

When examining IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning, there are three principles that are especially relevant to my college goals and future.  As a Communication Studies major, the need to develop core communication skills in both written and verbal communication is essential.  My ability to communicate will be a large aspect of my career as I represent a company to the public. 

The development of my critical thinking skills is a principle that is important in every aspect of my life.  Whether analyzing a news article, engaging in a classroom discussion, or developing creative avenues to advertise events, my ability to critically process information while remaining open-minded is a crucial skill. 

The third principle that I believe is especially imperative is the integration and application of knowledge.  Over the next four years, I will take classes and have experiences from which I will learn a vast amount of information.  Yet, if I cannot apply what I am learning, then it will all have gone to waste!  For example, not only will a class such as conflict communication enhance my ability to work through workplace conflict, I can also apply what I learn in every day conflicts that might arise.

Another key part of my development will be through opportunities to engage in service and international learning.  As an academic aspect, I can participate in service learning courses.  I am also fortunate to be attending a college that places such a high importance on civic engagement.  Because of this, there are many opportunities for me to serve others by personal choice as well.  Through service, I will be able to develop connections with others in my community and apply what I am learning in classes while helping others.

My international experience through studying abroad is another part of my college career that I am especially excited about!  Interestingly, I will actually be able to combine service with my international experience through the Honors Service Learning in Costa Rica Program.  Not only will I be experiencing a new culture and country, I will also be able to have an entirely unique chance to serve abroad!  Having at least one international experience is important to me for two reasons.  The first reason is that I believe it will provide amazing stories of character refining experiences that I can share in interviews.  The second reason is to develop a more cultured perspective of the world around me through experiencing a culture vastly different from my own.

Although the future has many wonderful things in store, during my transition to college I faced challenges such as moving downtown, developing friendships, improving my time management skills, and handling difficult classes.  The first of these was moving downtown.  I have lived in the same house in the same town for my entire life.  All summer I was absolutely ecstatic to be moving downtown for school.  However, once I moved in I found myself far out of my comfort zone.  I never could have anticipated how badly I would miss waking up to cornfields and country roads every day, or the homesickness I would feel every time I returned downtown after a weekend at home.  The solution to this was a matter of choosing to change my perspective.  Rather than focusing on the negatives, I began to focus on the positives – like not having to commute, being able to get involved in the community easily, and living within a 10 minute walk of all my classes.  As I began to have a more positive perspective and become engaged in my community, IUPUI became my new home. 

Another daunting aspect of college was making friendships.  In high school I had a well-established friend group, but coming to college I knew only a few people.  I suddenly realized that I was not used to making new friends!  Although this led to times where I felt lonely, I also was able to learn new interpersonal skills.  I found that the best way to make friends was to reach out to others and provide a listening ear.  Most people love to talk about themselves!  I also gained a new appreciation for having many acquaintances.  It is wonderful to simply see others while walking and be able to smile, say hello, and brighten their day a bit.

The third challenge of adjusting to the rigor of college had two components, refining my time management skills and handling difficult classes.  Although I knew college would be more difficult than high school, I could not fully prepare myself to handle it.  Even though I am a highly organized individual, I had to become even more intentional about making a schedule for studying and actually following the schedule.  I found that giving myself enough time to accomplish my assignments was the most important aspect to creating high-quality work.

Above all, my college experience has taught me to love learning.  Rather than dreading classes and responsibilities, I have an energized, positive attitude towards them.  Yes, hard work is often involved, but that is part of life.  Without sacrifices and hard work I would never truly glean benefits from many of my experiences!  As I look into the future I truly look forward to applying the many lessons I have learned so far, as well as further refining myself as I learn many new ones.