Introduction As student affairs practitioners, using and understanding student development theories is a key factor within our responsibilities. We must learn how to apply different theories to certain situations that will arise with our students on the college campus. Student development theories can also be vital in understanding why students may act the way they do. Student development theories can be defined as a way that a student grows, progresses, or increases his or her development capabilities
intellect and effective use of education. When developing internal intellect, an individual must be aware of his or her inner self in order to acquire meaningful knowledge through the evolution of an identity. In The Seven Vectors: An Overview, Arthur W. Chickering and Linda Reisser discuss the importance of acquiring a “sense of self in a social, historical, and cultural context,” encouraging internal awareness and attention to one’s inner self (38). Also, in his Major Decisions, James Tunstead Burtchaell