Personal Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Development Plan - Essay Example In an investigation to identify the effects of culture shock on minority students, Ostrove and Long (2007) and Greenfield (1994) found out that culture shock negatively affects academic performance of the students. The research focused on the black students who were the first generation students. Similarly, Grossmann and Varnum (2011) considered college to be an alien planet where young people from both poor and middle class families are the first to attend college.   Consequently, the social atmosphere results to culture shock on the black students from the said backgrounds, and it influences their adjustment to college.   Inherently, the new social atmosphere also has direct effects on ones personality.   The difference between the social class between the first generation students and the continuing generation is also believed to influence academic performance (Phinney and Haas, 2003).  Induction experience and points for improvement  When I was inducted in Wolverhampton College, I found out that the social atmosphere was quite different from my former university, in America where I studied my undergraduate degree. Firstly as a student I came to know communication between the campus people in Britain was a lot. The university pushed students to talk to each other and develop friendship which gave me a sense of belongingness as soon as I started my program here. Secondly, I came to the university with the notion that it was a very serious institution of learning. Another significant transformation that I was forced to go.... The research focused on the black students who were the first generation students. Similarly, Grossmann and Varnum (2011) considered college to be an alien planet where young people from both poor and middle class families are the first to attend college. Consequently, the social atmosphere results to culture shock on the black students from the said backgrounds, and it influences their adjustment to college. Inherently, the new social atmosphere also has direct effects on ones personality. The difference between the social class between the first generation students and the continuing generation is also believed to influence academic performance (Phinney and Haas, 2003). Induction experience and points for improvement When I was inducted in Wolverhampton College, I found out that the social atmosphere was quite different from my former university, in America where I studied my undergraduate degree. Firstly as a student I came to know  communication between the campus people  in Britain was a lot. The university pushed students to talk to each other and develop friendship which gave me a sense of belongingness as soon as I started my program here. Secondly, I came to the university with the notion that it was a very serious institution of learning. To my disappointment I found out that most the university students preferred partying more than studying. Unfortunately, trying to beat this will only make one to lose friends, and consequently, one has to manage to cope with such a situation. Subsequently, due to time consumed in partying and actually, to adapt to these changes my overall performance was actually affected in by first year in

The Importance of Diversity in the University Research Paper

The Importance of Diversity in the University - Research Paper Example While institutional diversity is highly regarded as a positive thing by many, others argue that it can lead to institutional drift and mission overload if parity of esteem does not prevail between institutional types. Despite the many benefits associated with institutional diversity, many institutions of learning in the current day education system are highly characterized with student bodies which are highly deficient of the desired diversity (Vught, 2009). Many factors have been put forth to explain this severe lack of diversity in the institutions of higher learning among them being lack of proper selection mechanisms into the institutions of higher learning and discrimination during the selection process (Devins, 2003). Emergence of many private institutions offering higher education is another major causative agent for higher deficiencies of diversity in higher institutions of learning. Such institutions are merely profit driven and at times tend to compromise the educational va lues associated with diversity. They often concentrate on the breed of students who are capable of raising the huge amounts of tuition fees they charge with less regard to diversity balance (Warner and Palfreyman 2001). In attempts to enhance diversity in institutions of higher learning, states and governments have well defined legal provisions focusing on matters related to students’ diversity (Mellor, 2008). The numerous benefits associated with a diverse student body are universally acknowledged and practices such as provision of racial bonus points are constitutional in some nations. This offers the minority foreign applicants a higher probability of securing places in institutions of higher learning outside their own countries. In other provisions, race is an important factor during admissions for undergraduate programs (Vught, 2009). This helps to achieve a balanced ethnic diversity hence attaining the so much desired diversity in the student body. Notable also is the i ncorporation of affirmative action policies in many public education systems, a strategic move usually geared towards elimination of discrimination and also aimed at coming up with a student body which is ethically balanced in order to a achieve a diverse student body. In most states, measures to mitigate discrimination based on gender, colour, race, religion, which are deeply embedded in their constitutions (Bankston, 2006). Everyone has equal rights to access education and this further enhances diversity since selection process is free and fair and not in favor of any particular group of people. To further uphold diversity in higher institutions of learning, special consideration is usually given to special groups of people in the society (Pollak and Louis, 2005). Women and the disabled for instance are at times given special consideration during the selection process to ensure their numbers in the institutions of higher learning match that of their male counterparts. An important legal provision also aimed at upholding diversity in the institutions of higher learning is the great emphasis given to respect of basic human rights. For purposes of peaceful co-existence of the diverse student community, basic human rights such religious and cultural rights are highly upheld. This allows easy integration of people of different cultural and religious background in a