Sixty-two percent of college graduates, including those in a two-year degree program, felt their time in college was very useful in helping them grow personally and intellectually.
Of course, participating in higher education is supposed to foster critical thinking, extensive problem-solving skills and prepare one to become multifaceted in professional development. However, it’s overlooked how college fosters personal growth.
As the weeks bring me closer to the start of my senior year at Ohio University, I reflect on what I’ve learned, except I really can’t shake how I’ve grown immensely since I stepped onto the bricks for the first time.
Sitting in a lecture hall may not be the first time you are in a room of hundreds of people. However, it may just be the first time you are sitting in a room with hundreds of like-minded individuals who want a similar future as you.
It’s very interesting to think about the framework upon which universities were founded. Yes, they were established to transmit knowledge from a professional, hence a professor. But historically, they have fostered environments for students to engage and interact with one another.
The primary teaching methods for universities throughout European history were lectures and debates.
I’ve been in a class or two where students began to debate over a subject being taught. Whether it was an intentional moment of discourse by the professor, it sparked conversation among every student present.
Lectures were used to engage students in “structured debates on specific questions to develop critical thinking and argumentative skills.” This still holds today. There is a purposeful strategy to push students out of their comfort zones.
A tradition of student debates within the classroom dates back to ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. The three emphasized intellectual and moral development through dialogue and discussion. Plato famously opened his school for higher education around 387 BC in Athens, Greece, called the Academy.
Debates, discussions and the “pursuit of wisdom were integral to intellectual growth and character development.” It’s said the Academy also encouraged questioning, shaping students into “thoughtful and introspective individuals.”
Greek education was often tailored to the individual needs of the students. In Athens, an element of learning was a method pioneered by Socrates called the Socratic Method.
The Socratic circles, or Socratic seminars, can be organized in college classrooms, typically in a smaller class size. Even as this teaching method can be very grueling, it’s almost like it’s the whole point. It forces students to inquire about a central topic to create discussion.
Its methods like the Socratic circle that force growth in students. Further, group assignments and projects are assigned by professors more often than one may think.
The biggest takeaway from group work among students may be that you either work very well with others in a group setting or not at all.
It may be bold to say there’s a plethora of self-actualization that can come as a result of attending college classes, but there’s so much that you receive from going to classes. Most of it is purposeful by the professor, or it's a complete accident.
College teaches you more about yourself than anything in a textbook.
Daphne Graeter is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post.
