WhyCollegeIsNotHome

Thecollegeyearsaresupposedtobeatimeforimportantgrowthinautonomy（自主性）andthedevelopmentofadultidentity.Howevernowtheyarebecominganextendedperiodof adolescence，duringwhichmanyoftoday'sstudentsarenotshoulderedwithadultresponsibilities.

Forpreviousgenerationscollegewasadecisivebreakfromparentalcontrol；guidanceandsupportneededtocomefrompeopleofthesameageandfromwithin.Inthepasttwodecadeshowevercontinuedconnectionwithanddependenceonfamilythankstocellphones，emailandsocialmediahaveincreasedsignificantly.Someparentsgosofarastohelpwithcoursework.Insteadofpromotingtheideaofcollegeasapassagefromtheshelterofthefamilytoautonomyandadultresponsibilityuniversitieshavegivenintotheideathattheyshouldprovidethesameenvironmentasthatofthehome.

Toprepareforincreasedautonomyandresponsibilitycollegeneedstobeatimeofexplorationandexperimentation.Thisprocessinvolves"tryingon"newwaysofthinkingaboutoneselfbothintellectually（在思维方面）andpersonally.Whileweshouldprovide"safespaces"withincollegeswemustalsomakeitsafetoexpressopinionsandchallengemajorityviews.intellectualgrowthandflexibilityarefosteredbystrictdebateandquestioning.

Learningtodeal.withthesocialworldisequallyimportant.Becauseacollegecommunity（群体）differsfromthefamilymanystudentswillstruggletofindasenseofbelonging.Ifstudentsrelyonadministerstoregulatetheirsocialbehaviorandthinkingpatterntheynotfacingthechallengeoffindinganidentitywithinalargerandcomplexcommunity.

Moreoverthetendencyforuniversitiestomonitorandshapestudentbehaviorrunsupagainstanothercharacteristicofyoungadults:theresponsetobeingcontrolledbytheirelders.

Ifacceptablesocialbehavioristoostrictlydefined（规定）andcontrolledtheinsensitiveoraggressivebehaviorthatadministratorsareseekingtominimizemayactuallybeencouraged.

Itisnotsurprisingthatyoungpeoplearelikelytoburstoutparticularlywhentherearereasonstodoso.Ourgenerationoncejoinedhandsandstoodfirmattimesofnationalemergency.Whatislackin