Term Paper on "Cognitive Development Theories"

Quoted Instructions for "Cognitive Development Theories" Assignment:

Based on the autobiographical paper below, explain each of the events described in the paper as they relate to Lawrence Kohlberg's cognitive development theory of Stages of Moral Reasoning. Relate each of the three events in the autobiographical paper to Kohlberg's theory.

3 sources must be used.

Autobiographical Paper:

It is difficult to pinpoint specific events that trigger or alter a way one views their own life. With the hundreds of events that occur during everyday life, it can seem overwhelming to pick and choose. However, within this autobiography, I plan to evaluate several events in my life that I feel have some meaning and purpose to the shaping of who I am and where I am going. Though it was difficult, I have been able to narrow my important experiences within recent years to the following: realizing the importance of school and my studies, the choosing of my major and career path, and proposing to my fiancée. I will try to explain these meaningful events with relevant theories and give you the reader*****”and myself the *****”a clearer view.

My high school experience took place at Robert E. Fitch Senior High in Groton, Connecticut. Much like every other teenager, my high school career was filled with highs and lows and the arrogance that comes with being a teenager made high school seem like a breeze. I was very much involved with student organizations, clubs, and sports which took up most of my afterschool activities, but my social life was equally dynamic and fulfilling in its own. I received very good grades throughout my tenure and I graduated in the top 10 percent of my class. The circle of friends that I spent most of my time with also did very well educationally with all of them also graduating in the top 10 percent of the class. Our ambitions to pursue a college education was not necessarily a question of would we go but rather of where would we go.

There was always the expectation growing up that going on to college was the norm. I had a very supportive family that always helped and looked after me with my education and well-being. Of my nuclear family, only my older sister had actually gone to a college. My father served in the United States Navy in the nuclear program and my mother was a homemaker. After my father retired from the navy to start a family, he went to night classes for his bachelor*****s and it took him almost 15 years to earn his degree*****”or should I say degrees. Raising three children, working full time as a Senior Instructor for Nuclear Operations at Millstone Power Plant, and balancing the rest of his life, he managed to get two degrees in engineering for both mechanical and electrical and did so at the same time. My older sister, Hilary, went to the University of Connecticut where she majored in industrial and organizational psychology.

During my senior year in high school, which was my older sister*****s sophomore year at UConn, my plans to start looking at colleges had already begun. Receiving letter after letter in the mail seemed all well and good at first, but after the 13,000th it started to get a little bothersome. I had already narrowed my search though and I had it down to only applying to several schools. The first, which was the school I wanted to go to, was UConn and the other three were Suffolk, Stonehill, and St. Anselm. I was accepted to all four and received several academic and sports related scholarships to each. After seeing how my sister liked UConn so much, and the idea that having family close was important to me, I decided to accept UConn*****s letter of acceptance and attend the fall of 2002. Plus, most of my friends were also attending UConn and I am sure that it helped to persuade me as well on an underlying level. I knew that I wanted to go to college and advance my learning to the next level, but in retrospection, I was not fully aware of what I was getting into. The sense of reality and responsibility was not all present.

My freshman year was pretty typical. This is the first time in my life that I am away from home for a sustained amount of time with little or no supervision. I could do what I wanted and when I wanted to do it and no one could tell me I could not. Besides class what else was there to do*****¦PARTY! I, like most freshmen, got caught up in the party scene as well as extracurricular activities such as sports. If there was a party, then I was there. Intramurals? Sign me up! Looking back, I do not know how I functioned my first year let alone sustained a decent grade point average. I know they say that an A in high school is the same as a B in college, but I should not have managed to get a B- average with the lack of studying that took place. I stayed up until 3am and got up for my 8am class Monday through Friday for the entire first year of my college experience. It was needless to say that I was on the path to burning myself out.

As my undergraduate career pressed forward moving me into my sophomore year, it was almost immediately that I got sick; nothing bad, but every other week I had a cold, the flu, or something that inhibited my ability to attend my classes. My roommate, who is my best friend and will be my best man at my wedding, did his best to get assignments for me when I missed classes, but the amount of class time I was missing was starting to build up exponentially. I did not really seem to realize the extent to which missing my classes was impacting my schooling. The fact that I may fail classes did not ever enter my mind until I received emails from my ***** expressing their concerns. After reading said emails, I proceeded to talk with my instructors and see if there was something I could do to make up the work I had missed. All but one of my ***** was willing to negotiate. I had to drop three of the four classes I was taking that fall of 2003 because if I were to continue in them, I would have failed each of them. I ended up getting a C- average and my GPA dropped significantly.

Getting through that semester was tough, but I figured that the start of the next semester was a fresh beginning. Although my seemingly enthusiastic approach was commendable, the sophomore slump continued. I had remained unable to shake my illnesses and my academic slacking was becoming more and more unavoidable. At one point early in the semester, I had contracted strep throat and could not leave my bed for two weeks. In fact, I was so sick that I was unable to eat and barely able to drink which lead to a substantial weight loss of almost 20 pounds. After the two week span, I made efforts to talk with my instructors about my situation and once again see if there was something that could be arranged to make up for the absences. Unfortunately, nothing could be reached and once again I had to drop 3 of the four classes that I was enrolled in for that semester. Ironically, the two classes that I was able to remain in for this school year were my physics classes. The reason this is ironic is because in high school I had always had difficulty with the subject. Now, with illness after illness, I had no problem with the subject and in fact I excelled at it. However, as little as this triumph was during this time of desperation, I had a moment of realization that left an impact on me even to this day. No matter what the excuse, it was only up to me to strive for an education and if I truly wanted one then hard work and persistence would need to follow.

During the second semester, I had also managed to find yet another discovery that would leave a lasting impression. This would be my future fiancée, Kim. She is the best thing that has ever entered my life and is the second moment in my life that has altered the way I see myself and life. We first met when we were little*****”though we did not realize it*****”playing against each other as kids on our hockey teams. I played on my travel team and she played on an all-girl team; Years later, while at UConn, our paths would once again cross. I ended up getting recruited to play on the intramural hockey team that she s*****d on at the end of the fall season from last semester. It was not until the second semester that I had the courage to ask her out on a date. It is rather embarrassing how I asked her, but I feel that it bears mentioning. It was late on a Saturday night when my roommate, Greg, and I were talking about the usual*****¦classes, girls, and parties. I then proceeded to tell Greg that there was a girl on my hockey team that I thought was pretty cute. After talking about her for a little while, he told me that I should give her an instant message (IM) on my computer and see what she is up to. After debating over whether I should or not for a long time, I finally decided to give her an IM. Much to my relief she answered that IM. It was weird, looking back at it, how I was so nervous about it. I was literally sweating and my stomach was in knots. I know that I have tendencies to be like this with women, but it was a heightened sensation.

At first she did not know who I was and I had to explain that I was the new guy on her intramural hockey team. After finally realizing who I was, we started a conversation that would last for at least 3 hours talking about all sorts of random things. We said goodnight and picked up the conversation the next morning as if we had never stopped talking. It was Super Bowl Sunday, and we were more enthralled with talking with each other than getting pumped up for the game. We talked all the way until kickoff and continued after the game ended. She asked if I wanted to get together some time and I agreed. We met on Tuesday and four years later we are getting married. It was almost a storybook fairy-tale the way our relationship has progressed. The more we saw each other, the more we realized how much we loved and needed each other. There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank my roommate for literally making me talk with Kim. It has been a blessing to find her and her impact in my life has continued to this day.

She also lifted me further into the realization that schooling is important and that I should care about it. She was the biggest influence for me being my mentor, supporter, and the one who kicked my butt back in gear. After the summer, I was finally back on my feet with the lust to excel once again in my studies and Kim was right there every step of the way. Since it was my junior year and I had not yet declared my major, I really had to sit down and take a look at what I was good at, what I liked doing, and what I could see myself doing in the future. I admit*****¦I was stumped; Until Kim made it quite evident of my calling. She made me realize that I had a knack for helping people and not just being supportive of people, but really being able to connect with people and help them. Plus I had a great knowledge of course planning for almost every major at UConn. Embarrassing enough as it is, I liked to read through the course booklet and see what kinds of classes were out there and see the different majors and what the requisites were for each. Also, I realized that I always helped my friends with their course selections and major planning before they went to their own advisors.

So it finally hit me, I should be an academic advisor. I know my college resume did not look as if I should be someone with such a high responsibility for others and their futures, but I did not see my past as a hindrance. I saw it as a benefit. I have been from one side of the spectrum to the other and my experiences while making those shifts will prove invaluable in the future for connecting and helping students realize their own goals and aspirations. The fact that I was a bad student for awhile is not what is important; the fact that I was able to realize and overcome is what I should be judged.

I feel very proud of the decisions I have made that have lead me down the path I am walking. The people that matter most in my life and who have supported me through the good times and the bad times, I will be forever grateful. Even though I am young and I write as if I am some age-inspired philosopher, I have been fortunate enough to have these important realizations in my life that have molded me. It is not always certain that someone has such life altering experiences and can benefit from them and I feel that my career will also benefit. As the great Albert Schweitzer once said, *****Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.*****