INFORMAL THEORY

Informal Theory of Development

Joshua M. Cauble
CSP 621: Theories of College Student Development
Western Carolina University

INFORMAL THEORY

Before I begin thinking about my personal development, on a professional, academic, and

personal level, I wanted to take a moment and think about what I believe development means. A
general knowledge of the word development, in terms of a person, is the growth, or progress of
an individual, usually resulting in a predetermined goal. I believe this definition of the word to be
true, but I would also add that people never truly develop one hundred percent at any given time.
My thought process on why people will never develop into a true form of themselves is
because I believe we, as a population, are ever changing. People develop, but I think its an
evolving development; meaning we strive for more than our original goal, and even when we
think we have reached our final destination, in fact we have only opened another passage for us
to travel down.
Keeping within this framework, I would have to say that I have not truly developed in to
the person I want to be, personally or professionally. Although I believe I have hit some major
milestones within my life, my development is continually changing and evolving itself into
something greater. On a personal development scale, I deem myself very knowledgeable in who
I am as a person, and what I stand for as an individual. Although I am confident in this area, I am
always changing points of views with new information and doubting who I am as a person with
different situations.
During my high school career, I was not a confident person, which I can contribute to my
insecurity with my sexual orientation. Being gay in high school, and not out, can really take its
toll on a person who is trying to figure out who they are as an individual. Even during my first
year of college, being a new first year student and not knowing how to interact with new students
or in a new cultural environment can take its toll, but not knowing where you stand as a person
can be an extra challenge most students will face.

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During my second year of undergrad is where I really got myself together and realized
what I was as an individual. Even though I knew what I was, I didnt know who I was quite yet. I
like to make that distinction, because I think that most people get the differences confused.
Knowing who you are as a person can be very different from knowing what you are. Knowing
that I am a white, homosexual male, is knowing what I am, but going deeper is when I think we
get to know who we are.
Even to this day, I would like to think I know who I am as a person, but I am always
changing and acclimating with my surroundings. The process I have taken in knowing who I am
has been a very straight and simple process be who you want to be. I feel that most of our lives
we strive to be who other people think we should be, and I think that is the number one cause of
losing yourself and your personal development. Figuring out who you would like to be as a
human being can be a huge part of your developmental process. For this, I believe that having a
mentor that you look up to is a great asset when viewing yourself as the individual you are and
the individual you would like to be.
From the point of graduating with my bachelors degree, to now, I have personally
changed substantially. Even within such a small time frame, I have grown to know myself more,
understand what I want in my future self, and know how I can better myself on a personal level.
Even so, I know that tomorrow is a new day, and 2016 is a new year, and with these I can change
and direct myself to whatever developmental stage I choose to accomplish. As of today, though,
I can say that I havent reached where I would like to be as a person, but the developmental
stages I have passed are truly remarkable. Being someone who was insecure of who they were as
a person to someone who stands up for their rights and beliefs show the change and development
that have occurred within me, on a personal level.

INFORMAL THEORY

In terms of my professional development, I cannot say with good consciousness that I am

the professional I should be. Even though I have been in several professional fields of work
during my life, I still consider myself a beginner when it comes to my professional development.
With that being said, I dont think my professional development is terrible or needs a huge
makeover, but I do need more time within the field to substantially say I am a professional.
I think I lack on my developmental checklist within my professional life because this is
the first year I have truly taken on a role of importance and professionalism. Before this year I
worked as on office assistant within the Office of Leadership and Student Involvement, and
before then I worked at Wake Forest Medical Center within the clinical research department, but
neither of those positions worked extensively on my professionalism within the field I was
always the student.
Now, being in a more secure position, I have had to take on more professional roles,
throwing me in to the world of professionalism. To help me with my developmental stages of
professionalism, I look to my colleagues in the office and how they act within the field of higher
education. With that being said, Im not sure if the office I work in is quite the best office to
learn professionalism. From working within the OLSI office for the last several years, it is going
to be a culture shock when I have a job at another school when their office acts differently than
ours. Either way, I am still learning professionalism within my role in the office and how
professional one should be.
As the same with my personal developmental checklist, I will never fully be the
professional I would deem fit, but I will always be changing myself depending on my job
placement, the area where I work, and the colleagues I will work with. All of these

INFORMAL THEORY

environmental factors will alter my develop stages, and where I take my next professional
development step.
Personally, the way I develop myself and learn is by hands on activities. I have never
been able to read a book or directions and know what I was doing. I have always been a handson learner, since I was younger, and I think thats what interested me with the science field as my
undergraduate degree. In terms of my graduate courses, reading the class material doesnt give
me much insight, but when people are discussing the content around me I am able to focus in on
what they are discussing and formulate ideas within my head. The same can be applied to my
assistantship. Being within the office and having to plan events, email certain people, make
phone calls, attend meetings all of the work I am putting in is giving me something tangible
that I can say I have mastered.
In essence, my theory on development is this: development is an ever-occurring process
that one will not truly complete in his or her lifetime. Each individual person has his or her own
developmental stages that they must complete to accomplish the stages of their life. Only that
person truly knows what they must complete to accomplish these personal goals, and only that
person knows the best method of getting to their goals. Not every person is on the same path as
the next, and thats ok. As long as the individual is happy with where they are currently located
and where they want to be, that is what truly matters. It is our job as student affairs professionals
to help guide students to where they think they need to be during that time, and it is our duty to
help when they choose to go in a completely different direction. No two students will be the
same, and that is why I think a theory that involves an ever-changing component is essential to
ones learning and teaching abilities.