lesson one your college years introduction i.warm-up questions ii. background information iii.text...

Lesson One

Your College Years

IntroductiIntroductionon

I. Warm-up Questions

II. Background Information

III.Text analysis 1. Theme2. Structure3. Special Technical Terms

4. Detail Analysis

IV. Writing devices1. Antithesis 2. Developing paragraphs by examples

V. Questions for After-class Discussion

Lesson 1 – Your College Years

I. Warm-up Questions:

What’s the difference between middle school life and college life?

What important changes have happened to you? What problems /difficulties have you come cross? Were you happy in the past year? List your progress/success and your loss/failure in

the past year. Have you had a better understanding of your

strengths and your weakness?

College life is both an exciting and frustrating experience

What does college life mean?

First of all, to go to a university usually means to go to a new place far away from home and live among strangers.

It means that we are on our own, independent. We have to take care of ourselves and even learn to

take care of others.

What does college life mean?

It means we have to handle our finances, choose our own wardrobes and determine our own agendas.

In short we have to face many “developmental changes” and make many important adjustments and decisions.

handling finances: learning how to spend money wisely

choosing their own wardrobes: choose their own clothes

determining their daily agenda: determining (making a list of ) what they are going to do every day

How to handle “the Identity Crises”? To find out who we are, what are our strong

points and weaknesses, what we should do and where we should go.

Of course we must learn to be independent psychologically as well as in other matters.

What is psychological independent? Doest it mean to be isolated? It means that we have to acquire new

knowledge, develop new ideas, form new habits, adopt new attitudes, and cultivate new relationships.

We need to relate to our family, our teachers, our school, the people around us and society as a whole in a new, more mature way.

How to handle the sudden independence or freedom? Some students are at a loss. They can no

longer get parental guidance for everything they do; the teachers do not seem to care very much what they do or do not do.

Independence really means self-discipline and a strong sense of responsibility.

Some students take it as that they can do anything they want. They go to class late or not at all. They

Copy exercises or term papers. They can just “enjoy life” and muddle through the four year.

Establishing Sexual Identity

Each student must define her or his sexual identity in a feminine or masculine role.

Internalized religious faith, their values and their morals. as young adults, they have the opportunity to

decide for themselves what beliefs, values, and morals they are going to accept for their lives.

to internalize: a psychological term meaning “to make faith, values, morals, attitudes, behavior, language etc part of your nature by learning or assimilating them unconsciously”

Bob Hartman was born in Pittsburgh, the United States, and moved to England in the summer of 2000. He has been working as a storyteller for children for more than a decade and is a part-time pastor.


Author Author

To be continued on the next page.



Author Author

The end of Author.

A selection of books by Bob Hartman


II. Background Information This text is addressed to college students about

what they will experience in their “college years”. It is particularly appropriate now as we are just

beginning the second academic year, which is the most important in our college life.

With our first year’s experience we can better understand the issues involved and the effective ways to deal with them.

III. Text III. Text AnalysisAnalysis

College is designed to be a time of changes for students. Threatening the changes may be, they contribute to young adults’ growth and maturity. College students are experiencing a lot. Not only are they being introduced to new people and new knowledge, but they are also acquiring new ways of assembling and processing information. They are also proudly growing in their understanding of themselves, others and the world.

Theme of the text

The end of Theme.


Structure of the Text Part I (para.1-4): theoretical analysis on adolescent’s

developmental changes Part II (para.5-9): specific changes that college students would

face Part III (para.10): brief summary of importance of college time

III. Text AnalysisIII. Text Analysis

Special technical terms

developmental changes (para.1): • a psychological term. • It refers to the physiological and behavioral

changes throughout the lifespan. • Changes take place to people from one life

stage to another.

identity crisis (para.2) （ Piers &Landau)1. determined by genetic endowment

2. shaped by environment

3. Influenced by chance events

psychological independence (para.4)1. Functional independence (4 aspects)

2. Attitudinal independence

3. Emotional independence

4. Relationship independence

to internalize their values (para.7)

to affirm personal values (para.8)

in addition to affirming personal values… (para.8) : 除了确定个人价值观……

to affirm: to strengthen (beliefs, ideas, or feelings)

personal values: values concerning personal life or behavior.

compare: social value; moral principles; principles of what is right and what is wrong

Detailed AnalysisDetailed Analysis

Mentioned in Para. 2


Question: How do college students go through an identity crisis at college? What factors may influence identity?

Students endeavor to find out who they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are. They want to know how other people perceive themselves as well.Identity may be influenced by genes, environment and opportunities.


going through (para.2) :

experiencing; undergoing; suffering

Other uses of this phrasal verb: Harry believed that he could go through walls by

saying those magic words. I don’t think this plan will go through the Security

council. We have gone through all these papers.

It’s too late to back out. We just have to go through with it.

(be accepted by)

(go over carefully from beginning to end)

(do it because you have promised or planned to do it, even though you do not want to)

Identity crisis （认同危机） (para.2):

It refers to the difficulties, confusions and anxieties that you go through during adolescence when you are not sure who you really are and what your purpose in life is.

Also: national identity （民族认同） ; political identity; cultural identity; social identity etc

.

To perceive(para.2):

a. To think of as

He perceived himself a loser who could not even support his family.

a. To notice; to discover; to observe

Musicians can perceive very small differences in sounds.

a. To understand; to grasp

I gradually perceived that culture and language cannot really be separated.

Erik H. Erickson

A Freudian psychologist, most famous for his work in refining and expanding Freud’s theory of developmental stages.

taught at Yale, and Harvard. author of many books including Childhood

and Society, Identity: Youth and Crisis, and Gandhi’s Truth.

International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences

社会科学百科全书

In fact, it may be heightened by their choice to pursue a college education.

Detailed Detailed AnalysisAnalysis


Question: What does “it” refer to here?

In Para. 3

For Reference




For reference: “it” refers to the independence/dependence struggle. Into the later adolescence stage, young adults tend to become less dependent on, even independent from their parents. For those who choose to enter the work world, they may become financially independent from their parents, while for others entering into college, the struggle seems stronger for they still need their parents’ support, say for money.



Question: According to Jeffery A. Hoffman’s observation, there are four distinct aspects to psychological separation from one’s parents. What

are they? How do you understand them?

1. Functional independence.2. Attitudinal independence.3. Emotional independence.4. Freedom from “excessive guilt, anxiety, mistrust, responsibility, inhibition, resentment, and

anger in relation to the mother and father.”


In Para. 4


First, there is functional independence, … such as handling finances, choosing their own wardrobes, and determining their daily agenda. (para.4)

What are the meanings of the underlined phrases?

functional independence: independence in handling everyday life situations; the ability to solve practical problems

handling finances: learning how to spend money wisely

choosing their own wardrobes: choose their own clothes

determining their daily agenda: determining (making a list of ) what they are going to do every day

Freedom from an excessive need for approval, closeness, togetherness, and emotional support in relation to the mother and father (para.4)

freedom from sth: no longer having sth you do not want e.g. freedom fro

m fearcompare: freedom of sth e.g. freedom of speech/religion

excessive: much more than reasonable or necessary

How do you understand the sentence?

… 自由

Parents and children

The sentence describes the psychological status of children, who are too dependent on parents’ approval.

They need their parents to tell them what to do or not to do. They need to be close to their parents and receive encouragement, love, all kinds of emotional support which give them strength.

But when they grow up, this should change.

Fourth is freedom from “excessive guilt, anxiety, mistrust, responsibility, inhibition, resentment, and anger in relation to the mother and father.” (para.4)

How to understand this sentence?

1)children often feel guilty in relation to their parents because they think they have done something wrong;

2) they are anxious because they are eager to please their parents;



3) they sometimes feel unhappy because they think their parents have not been fair to them;

4) They feel that they are responsible to their parents for everything they do; dd

5) they are always afraid of not saying the right thing or not behaving properly;



6) all these may make them angry with their parents or make them feel resentful.

These feelings reflect their emotional dependence on their parents.

When they grow up, they usually strive for the freedom from these.


Question: What may be one of the most stressful matters college students experience according to the author? How do you understand it?

Establishing their sexual identity. It includes relating to the opposite sex and projecting their future roles as men or women.


In Para. 5


projecting the future roles as men or women (para.5)

project: plan, design, outline, devise

to feel low (para.5):

to feel unhappy, without much hope for the future

Also: be in low / high spirits: unhappy / happy

dragging one’s feet with a dismayed, dejected look on his face (para.5)

to drag one’s feet: (figuratively used) to delay deliberately

e.g. 1) The local authorities are dragging their feet closing these small coal mines.

2) They are dragging their feet over this reform, because it will affect their personal interest.

Paraphrase: walking slowly and listlessly, looking very unhappy and disappointed

Question: What are the differences between the ways “I” related to “my” father in the past and at present? What type of change does the example reflect?


In the past “I” was encouraged by “my” father; now “I” was encouraging him.

The example reflects the change that college students are learning how to give and receive affection in the adult world.


I was relating to my father in a different way.In Para. 6


. … was seeing his world shrink and his options narrow (para.6)

paraphrase: he… was beginning to realize that his world was getting smaller and his choices fewer.

Narrow v.

we must try to narrow the difference in income between the rich and the poor without delay.


Question: What makes it possible for these values to last a lifetime?

During college years, the young adults have the opportunity to decide for themselves what beliefs, values, and morals they are going to accept. These values are inclined to be internalized.


These religious, moral, and ethical values that are set during the college years often last a lifetime.

In Para. 7



Question: What are the significance about the college academic life according to paragraph 8?

College academic life is a challenge. All students should be aware of how they react to new knowledge and new ways of learning, how they process the knowledge presented to them, and how they organize this knowledge.



…internalizing their religious faith, their values, and their morals. (para.7)

to internalize: a psychological term meaning “to make faith, values, morals, attitudes, behavior, language etc part of your nature by learning or assimilating them unconsciously”

modeling for them (para.7):

serving as a model for them; setting an example for them

however, these matters are questioned and in some cases rebelled against (para.7)

What does “these matters ” refer to?

Paraphrase: however, adolescents often begin to have doubts about these beliefs, values and morals, and sometimes oppose or fight against them.

to be prejudiced against (para.7)Do not drop this “against”.

Observe the following similar expressions: to be rebelled against; to be discriminated against; to be looked after; to be taken care of; to be attended to; to be put an end to; to be done away with; to be focused on; to be agreed on; to be put up with

people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds (para.7):

people from many different races

Note: today sociologists often prefer the word “ethnic” to “racial”, and “ethnic group” to “race”.

e.g. The Hans and the Tibetans are both Chinese, belonging to the same yellow race, but they belong to two ethnic groups.


Question: How do college students become world citizens?

At college, the young adults have good chances to meet people from different cultures. By interacting with them, they are introduced to new ways of life. They begin to understand life in different ways. By doing these, they experience a new understanding of the world and themselves.


in Para. 9


…seeing the people from other countries in a different light.

to see sth / sb in a … light (para.9):

to see sth / sb in a … way

e.g. 1)What he did made us see him in a new light.

2) After I took that course, I began to see the world in a different light.

to contribute to (para.10):

to help to cause sth to happen

e.g. what do you think are the main factors that contributed to the success of that company?

… they are also acquiring new ways of assembling and processing information. (para.10)

Paraphrase: they are also finding or learning new ways of arranging, organizing, analyzing or understanding information.

These are exciting times yet frustrating times. (5)

IV. Writing DevicesIV. Writing Devices

The author uses antithesis to give a focus to how college students are stressful in establishing their sexual identity.

Antithesis


Find more examples

in paragraph

5.

More examples



Probably nothing can make students feel lower or higher emotionally than the way they are relating to whomever they are having a romantic relationship with.

… he bounced into my office once with a smile on his face and excitement in his voice. … The same young man came into my office less than a week later, dragging his feet with a dismayed, dejected look on his face. … sighed deeply…

“I’ve just had the best day of my life!” … “I’ve just had the worst day of my life!”

Antithesis: more examples

The end of Antithesis.



A statement which is very general is seldom impressive or convincing. It is usually necessary to give examples to prove, to illustrate, or to clarify a general statement. We may be too used to saying “for instance” or “for example” to realize that we are using a certain method for developing a topic.

Developing paragraphs by examples


Find examples

in the text!

For Reference




What statements do the examples respectively support?


Paragraph 6

Paragraph 7

Paragraph 8

Paragraph 9

Do you know other ways of developing paragraphs?

For Reference



Developing by time Developing by process Developing by space Developing by detail Developing by generalization Developing by comparison and contrast Developing by cause and effect Developing by classification Developing by definition …

The end of Writing Devices.



V. Questions for After-class Discussion

Have you experienced any important changes (developmental changes) since you entered our university? Have they all been positive?

How in Erickson's opinion is our identity determined? Do you agree with the author that young adults like college students are bound to go through an identity crisis?

Do you find it easy to relate to the opposite sex? How do you think about the romantic relationship on campus?

Do developmental changes and identity crisis only occur to adolescents? How about young children and elderly people?

lesson one your college years introduction i.warm-up questions ii. background information iii.text...

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