Response to Egan

     In the book The Skilled Helper Egan lays out 6 steps he believes once achieved make you a mature adult. I agree with Egan that if you accomplish these 6 steps you will be a pretty mature adult. I also believe that there are many other things that make you mature that he didn't mention. I feel another big part of being mature is being the bigger person. Knowing that just because you are right the argument isn't always worth fighting. In my life I am about two thirds way through this list. I think numbers 4 & 5 need the most work while I've done the others. It is hard for me to view myself as an equal to adults while I'm still in school and at home where it is obvious adults run superior. Though I do believe when I am out running errands and such I don't feel below the other adults around me. With that said I think once I've been living on my own for a little next year I will definitely feel on the same level as most adults. I also do have interests but some do come and go fairly quickly. As I get older I will have had the time to try out different hobbies and find on I enjoy a lot and that one will endure.

     I don't quite get number six on the list. I understand how it makes you mature to control your own destiny but I don't get how that has anything to do with understanding yourself. You can make a decision of where your life is going to go with or with out a deep understanding of yourself. I wouldn't say I exactly understand myself just yet but I have definitely taken steps controlling my destiny. Choosing a college and a major for instance will greatly effect the path my life takes.
   
    A huge example of task 2 in my life is the class AP Biology. In biology most of our learning is done by ourselves. We have a giant textbook, he tells us what we have to have read for the test, and it is up to us to actually read it & learn it. Most of the class time is spent focusing on labs and not what we read. If you want to succeed in this class then you need to be self-motivated to learn.

    The catch phrase "Try Something New Today" by Sainsbury's is one of my favorite quotes. I know it being the tag line for a grocery store makes it seem weird to follow in everyday life but I think following this will keep life fresh. In his 4th statement Egan says that you need to develop interests that are strong and last longer. I understand how it could be immature to change your 'passion' every week and blow a ton of money on a short lived hobby. But I feel like as an adult you should still explore all aspects of life. Even if you really like baking and want to stick with it I still think going and checking out new things is an important part of life. Having a routine does seem more mature but you also don't want to get bored by doing the same things over again. You may hate a new thing you try and stop after a week but it could also become a new passion. So I think everyone should try something new today.

     I believe in some aspects Sycamore allows students to follow these paths, in someways it pushes you to follow and in other aspects it holds you back. A lot of times teachers do give you the freedom to make your own choices; this class as an example of that. We were given a general assignment and we're able to take it wherever we want. This leads to maturity because we have to take responsibility for producing a good final product without specific guidelines. Sycamore can hold us back though in feeling like we are equals to other adults. I don't think this is a bad thing. Without knowing that teachers and administrators are above us, some students aren't capable of keeping themselves under control. Heck, some students still can't keep themselves under control when teacher is giving rules. Some of the other tasks that Egan stated are more for outside of school so Sycamore doesn't have much effect on that. Other than the fact that you have less free time to have solid interests, a lot of these steps are for the real world.