Why College is Not Home
The college years are supposed to be a time for important growth in autonomy and the development of adult identity. However, now they are becoming an1period of adolescence, during which many of today's students do not2adult responsibilities.
For previous generations, college was3break from parental control; guidance and support needed to come from people of the same age and from within. In the past two decades, continued connections with and dependence on family, thanks to cell phones, email and social media, have increased significantly. Some parents go so far as to help with coursework. Instead of promoting the idea of college as a passage from the shelter of the family to autonomy, universities have4to the idea that they should provide the same environment as that of the home.
To prepare for increased autonomy and responsibility, college need to be a time of5and experimentation. This process involves "trying on" new ways of thinking about oneself both intellectually and personally.6we should provide "safe spaces" within colleges, we must also make it safe to express opinions and challenge majority views.7growth and flexibility are fostered by strict debate and questioning.
Learning to deal with the8world is equally important. Because a college community（群体）differs from the family, many students will struggle to find a sense of9. If students rely on administrations to10their social behavior and thinking pattern, they are not facing the challenge of finding an identity, within a larger and complex community.
11, the tendency for universities to monitor and12student behavior runs up against another characteristic of young adults: the response to being controlled by their elders. If acceptable social behavior is too strictly defined（规定）, the insensitive or aggressive behavior that administrators are seeking to minimize many actually be13. It is not surprising that young people are likely to burst out, particularly when there are reasons to do so.
Our generation once joined hands and stood from at times of national emergence. What is lacking today is the14between desire for autonomy and their understanding of an unsafe world. Therefore, there is the desire for their home to be replacement homes and not places to experience growth. But every college discussion about community values, social climates and behavior should include15of the development importance of students autonomy and self-regulation.
