Learning To Fly - Post 1
Quote of the Day: "I like a quiet life, you know me." - Harry Potter
Welcome to this blog! And welcome back to those of you, who followed my journey last semester as "Candidate #0000."
It's just been a few months since I put on my cap, gown and hood; only a month and a half since I packed up my car, said goodbye to friends, colleagues and mentors and drove for 13 hours...It feels like a lifetime.
The summer was filled with the excitement and anxiety of knowing that I would soon start a new part of my life, a new adventure. I spent half of my last paycheck on new books, all related to Residence Life, learning communities and being a new professional. I spent countless hours organizing my computer files and documents, sorting through papers and notebooks...after all, I wanted to start off my new life "well-organized and prepared." I spent precious hours with friends trying not to ask when I'd see them again or whether or not we'd manage to stay in touch in spite of the distance. I daydreamed about new opportunities, about being the "perfect" new professional...and in the back of my mind - even though I never admitted it - I worried about not being good enough, not being "liked" at the new institution, not being able to make new friends, and not being able to succeed in my new position.
And then the day came: my car was packed. A last look around my apartment to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. Handing in the keys at the Complex Office. Saying goodbye to my supervisor and a few colleagues. A last look at the institution that had been my home for the past two years. And then I was on the road...
The first few days were filled with anxiety hidden well behind a big smile. How would I fit in here? What will this year bring?
Now, I've survived Week 2 of the Fall semester. I made it through the long days of professional staff training. I bonded with my Resident Assistant staff during Student Staff Member training. I was astonished at how smoothly opening went as I welcomed 220 first-year students to my building. And before I was able to take a deep breath, the semester started. Students stormed my office to ask academic advising questions (yes, working for residence life here, I don't only run a building and supervise a staff but also am the academic advisor for my first-year residents). There hasn't been a dull moment yet. And I don't think there'll be a dull moment...EVER.
But what can I say, I LOVE it!
No, not everything has turned out the way I expected it too. Yes, there have already been many long and stressful days, unexpected challenges and frustrating discoveries but some things have also been easier than I expected, there have been positive experiences, fun surprised and memories that will last a lifetime.
And it's only the beginning....
Welcome to this blog! And welcome back to those of you, who followed my journey last semester as "Candidate #0000."
It's just been a few months since I put on my cap, gown and hood; only a month and a half since I packed up my car, said goodbye to friends, colleagues and mentors and drove for 13 hours...It feels like a lifetime.
The summer was filled with the excitement and anxiety of knowing that I would soon start a new part of my life, a new adventure. I spent half of my last paycheck on new books, all related to Residence Life, learning communities and being a new professional. I spent countless hours organizing my computer files and documents, sorting through papers and notebooks...after all, I wanted to start off my new life "well-organized and prepared." I spent precious hours with friends trying not to ask when I'd see them again or whether or not we'd manage to stay in touch in spite of the distance. I daydreamed about new opportunities, about being the "perfect" new professional...and in the back of my mind - even though I never admitted it - I worried about not being good enough, not being "liked" at the new institution, not being able to make new friends, and not being able to succeed in my new position.
And then the day came: my car was packed. A last look around my apartment to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. Handing in the keys at the Complex Office. Saying goodbye to my supervisor and a few colleagues. A last look at the institution that had been my home for the past two years. And then I was on the road...
The first few days were filled with anxiety hidden well behind a big smile. How would I fit in here? What will this year bring?
Now, I've survived Week 2 of the Fall semester. I made it through the long days of professional staff training. I bonded with my Resident Assistant staff during Student Staff Member training. I was astonished at how smoothly opening went as I welcomed 220 first-year students to my building. And before I was able to take a deep breath, the semester started. Students stormed my office to ask academic advising questions (yes, working for residence life here, I don't only run a building and supervise a staff but also am the academic advisor for my first-year residents). There hasn't been a dull moment yet. And I don't think there'll be a dull moment...EVER.
But what can I say, I LOVE it!
No, not everything has turned out the way I expected it too. Yes, there have already been many long and stressful days, unexpected challenges and frustrating discoveries but some things have also been easier than I expected, there have been positive experiences, fun surprised and memories that will last a lifetime.
And it's only the beginning....
posted by StudentAffairs.com at
6:52 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks for the post. I'm just starting to get my degree from CSU in Student Affairs in Higher Education and the week you described sounds very familiar to me. Hang in there, I'm glad that you are loving it. I'd be curious to see how you balance everything and how your experience in grad school prepared or did not prepare you.
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Shadow, at 7:19 AM
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