Professionalism at school means benefits in career

Society over time, predominantly in the last century, has become increasingly lax concerning the overall appearance and motivation of individuals. There was a time when it was commonplace for every man, young and old, to work hard and to ultimately take pride in himself and his work. Unfortunately, due to reasons that have eluded me, members of the student body and society, myself included, find it acceptable to dress in a much more casual manner and at times neglect our work. As students of SFA, or any other university for that matter, we are preparing ourselves for a life in a particular profession, for a life in the world. In order to truly prepare ourselves mentally and physically for this world that awaits us, we should begin to make that transition from what was acceptable in our formative years to what is acceptable in our professional fields.

This is not an issue faced merely by one student, one race, or one nation-it is an issue faced globally. If you were to compare a snapshot of SFA in 1945 to one from 2007, you would see a dramatic deterioration of values and pride. The same results would appear for nearly any other region throughout the western world. We cannot expect ourselves and other graduates to succeed if we do not attempt to place ourselves into the mold of the profession we plan to serve in the future. Often, I believe we have the wrong mindset when it comes to college and our careers, which could have led to this change in priorities. College has changed from being simply a choice and a means to progress to an inevitable sentence we all must serve to be successful. Years ago people were raised to be extremely hard workers, and to always apply themselves completely and utterly in whatever they did-it was expected. Today college students, with the exception of a few, seem to do the bare minimum to receive a degree. We go to class, we do what is required, but many students lack the drive to go above and beyond what is expected-to break free of the average expectations. Despite your major or particular career path, you have the opportunity to be successful and to put a stop to the immature and often unprofessional activities that could put an end to your future career.

This article is meant not to attack the students of this campus that this applies to but simply to inform students of the need to "act the part." We are in an environment designed to educate and stimulate minds to sustain an economy with competent workers. To achieve such a goal we must take the responsibility to prepare ourselves for our future careers. To discard ideas and activities that may have a detrimental effect on our professional development would greatly increase our chances of success. To again reference those early SFA students, I encourage involvement in academic organizations that relate to student's majors, a practice which dominated that era. The dream was to work and to support society and generate income-it is the way of capitalists-the way of Americans. Education and progression should be the dominant goals for attending a university, and every opportunity to excel should be taken. Take pride in your school and your choice to earn a degree of higher education.

Organizations across campus offer a variety of services that can aid students in nearly every major and prepare them for their futures. It is the duty and responsibility of the student to take advantage of the services and organizations of this University and take a step toward the future.

Think long and hard about your future, and consider the ramifications, whether negative or positive, that my result from the decisions you make.

Seth Kinard is a journalism freshman from Abilene