Comments on: Manliness in Higher Education

By: MICHAEL ROGERS

MICHAEL ROGERS — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:48:48 +0000

Maybe my thoughts will be considered sniveling but– I feel that I along with perhaps most students at most universities didn’t receive guidance.
As it is, I did attain an AA, BA, and MS but the best was not made of my talents. There were many situations I should have availed myself of such as the opportunities to serve as a student aid during graduate school, Grants to study abroad, and many other opportunities I still am unaware of. Not coming from an affluent family, I had to consume much time working which was not therefore available for some of the mentioned extracurricular activities.
Perhaps this negligence could be excused in that I went to a State University, not Stanford or such where one might well be carefully guided.
As it was, I feel very fortunate that I could attend university at a time when it was still possible for a youth from a unaffluent family to do so. but I feel that I could have made a significant contribution had I made a number of other choices than I did out of ignorance.
This said, I would be considered successful just not in a way that I might have made a much more noteworthty contribution.
To sum: Find mentors that are successful in your desired area of life!

By: David

David — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:08:33 +0000

If you want another good book on Theodore Roosevelt’s college years/early life, check out David McCullough’s The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. Extremely well-written and engaging.

By: Simon

Simon — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:55:19 +0000

Wow, what a diligently and comphrehensively written piece! Thanks very much. I’m in my 3rd year right now, and luckily I took a pretty proactive approach to studying and achieving right from the start of college, so I feel like I’ve achieved alot.

By: Diane

Diane — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:48:32 +0000

I really want to work on my leadership skills and this might really help. Thank you for posting this.

By: j s

j s — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:53:13 +0000

“Wild at Heart”.

All I have to say. It’s from a Christian perspective and it is filled with great insight for all men today, and particularly for those who are coming of age.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:29:41 +0000

As far as book recommendations go, Peter Taylor was one of our greatest short-story writers, I’d go so far as to consider him the American Chekhov. Sadly, he’s not read that often anymore. He writes about high-class Southerns, especially men, as their world–of the Depression through the ’50s–changes drastically, and how they handle it with grace and class (he does, however, freely criticize them for their often racist and misogynistic attitudes). His Collected Stories are out of print, but most any decent library would have it. Check it out and read “Dean of Men,” which I think is one of the greatest “to a young man moving into the real world” stories I’ve ever read.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:27:53 +0000

Very good article. I was one of those that went from being a shy guy in high school to a leader on campus, and college can really be a life-changing time if you allow it to be. I now teach at a university, and I try to encourage my students to seize their college experience and make the most of it. I see far too many men in their 20s and even in their 30s that still haven’t “grown up” and become men.

In regards, to the other posts, college is the best time to expand your horizons – take those literature and philosophy, study abroad, find avenues to learn leadership skills through student clubs, intramural sports, and service. Mentoring to younger boys, such as working with the Boys and Girls Club, is an excellent way to help boys learn how to be men. ALways strive for excellence, self-improvement, and self-realization.

And Fred, I always think â€˜Oh Captain, my Captain,’ when I hear carpe diem – great film!

By: Lenton

Lenton — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:52:24 +0000

I’m studying engineering at university right now and whole-heartedly agree with this post (both directly above and the main article.) An excellent book for the Young Christian Male is:

Purity: The New Moral Revolution by Kris Vallotton

It takes a look at why avoiding pre-marital sex is important, along with some other related topics, like marriage.

By: IA_

IA_ — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:29:55 +0000

Just getting out of college, if I had another go I too would take better advantage of my opportunities.

You’re forgetting one important aspect: Spiritual.

Go to church! Jesus helped me grow as man more than anyone else. Religion is the pursuit of truth. College is a apt time to go beyond simply believing to figuring out why you believe what you believe. Read the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch (martyred between 98-117 AD) who was eager to be martyred for Christ. There is a vast difference in thinking I shouldn’t have premarital sex and understanding sex as a part of marriage, part of a life-long union catching man up into God’s creative genesis.

It helps you develop responsibility through aiding out others more in need than you, volunteering at the local soup kitchen perhaps.

College is a good time to also develop lasting male friendships. It is beneficial to know somebody will always have your back and you need to be there for someone else. And life is fun together.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:15:49 +0000

One great book that I read while an undergrad that changed the way I looked at a lot of things (including college) was Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. I read it in about 3-4 hours, and I’ve reread it a dozen times.