During my interview of Samuel Alemu, a first-year student at Georgia State Perimeter College, it was immediately clear that he is a very logical and organized thinker. He has skill in identifying patterns that will lead him to a desired outcome. Because of this, math and physics come easy to him as they consist of plugging in numbers. After analyzing more than just his response to the questions I asked, but how he answered them; I realized that he goes about all areas of his academic life using this same calculated process. Through just his body language alone, one can pick on the fact that he is attentive and precise by nature. His plain act of sitting up straight and listening makes it is apparent that Samuel’s academic self wants to be here which is arguably the core of a successful learner.
Samuel Alemu
Originally from Ethiopia, Samuel attends GSU as an international student. He described that his views of education shifted as he transitioned from grade school in Ethiopia to college in the United States. From a young age, education to him was paired with competition. He had the mindset that he didn’t do well unless he did better than someone else. Samuel states that “It wasn’t until I saw the value of collaboration that I realized competitiveness in the academic setting was undermining my education” (Alemu. Academic Self IP). He admitted that this was a toxic way of thinking because it blocked him from truly learning. Samuel described that when he got to college, he began to recognize the importance of collaboration. In viewing other students as a resource rather than an obstacle, he started to value feedback. In Dr. Stephen Chew’s video “Developing a Mindset for Successful Learning”, Chew explains 10 Study Strategy Principles. In particular, principle 7 says “Feedback helps you get better” (Chew). Samuel said that this principle stood out the most to him. Getting a second opinion always helps with improvement and better understanding. The idea of appreciating feedback encouraged newfound growth for Samuel’s academic self.
It is important to note that Samuel’s previous competitive outlook innocently stemmed from his desire to make his family proud. After being asked if he had any mentors, he brought up his uncle who is a software engineer. This inspired him to major in computer science and later he hopes to pursue a career working for Linked In. It is significant that he wants to work for an online platform that aids in helping people find jobs because that is an opportunity to positively impact the future of employment. Simply put, Samuel displays that he has direction and purpose.
Probably the hardest job for professors, academic advisors, counselors, etc. is trying to get students to realize why they are here (in college). That “why” is the living root that feeds the academic self. It can be described as an individual motivation that never runs dry.
“Are you passionate about your chosen career path?” I asked him toward the end of the interview. He smiled. There was no hesitation, confusion, or doubt.
Citations:
Alemu, Samuel. Interview. Conducted by Alyssa Harris. January 24th, 2022
Alemu, Samuel. Academic self IP1. January 18th, 2022
Chew, Stephen. Ph.D. Developing a Mindset for Successful Learning. Uploaded by Samford University. March 25, 2015 https://www.samford.edu/departments/academic-success-center/how-to-study