The First-Years

A few things that I'm noticing particularly here on the ODU campus are certain idiosyncratic tendencies with our first year students. With these students growing up in a world of instant access and gratification, I am constantly seeing first-years buried in technology.

Let me run this down a bit. I am a Graduate Assistant in a residence hall that is currently under construction. While our completion date is fast approaching, we currently reside in a hotel in the downtown area. Because of this location, the University has arranged buses to commute back and forth to escort these first-years to campus and the hotel. I too take the bus, because it helps me to save gas and because of my "hippie" liberal arts undergraduate education, I realize that this is a great way to be green. These buses run every half hour.

In my commute on these buses, I constantly see these first-years completely absorbed in their high dollar iPods, shiny new smartphones, and super-techy laptops. When riding the bus, one simply hears the lone, constant rumble of the diesel engine, pneumatic pressure release from the air brakes, and the ever present sound of music coming from a student who has no concern for their abilities for hearing in their later years.

This situation perplexes me. Whatever happened to human interaction? What is wrong with verbal communication? These students just sit in silence, absorbed in tech world. And personally, this kind of scares the shit out of me.

I come from a generation before these students, where we had computers, and all the technology they have; it was just a little less refined. Yet, I cannot make myself walk across campus with earbuds in. I can't shut myself out from human interaction; I crave it. This world of fast paced information and instant results is nice, but some people are downing in it. Welcome to generational theory.

I am also drawing an analogy with these students. Really, to me first years can be compared to newborn puppies. They're cute. Cute in such a way that they are utterly helpless. Their eyes are still shut to the real world, and they huddle close together for warmth and support. This is where the analogy ends. These students act like the own the world. They know it all, and have a certain nonchalance about them. I'm not complaining about this behavior, but I certainly can see that they have a long way to go before they actually become "big dogs." I see it as my job, as a future Student Affairs professional to help these little pups open their eyes, get their shots, and grow up to be a healthy individuals.

That's what I'm here for, and that's what I love doing.