Takin' Care of Business #16

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade...

When life gives you noisemakers, have a party...

When life gives you the opportunity to learn, make the most out of it to share your knowledge with others...

I sit here before my laptop thinking how much has changed in a year. I made a surprise visit to Iowa this past weekend for a sorority sister's wedding. She used to be an RA with me last year. It's surprising how much we have both changed since the end of Senior Year. As I think of this the song "Seasons of Love" is playing through my head. 525, 600 minutes...that is alot of time...time that has past....time that will be coming up soon. What a year...

Throughout the course of this past year, I moved, I changed my attitude about life, I learned to live alone and cope with my problems by myself, I loved, I lost, I fought, I hurt, I complained and whined, I got my act together...I can say I'm not the same girl who I used to be. If anything, this year has been one of much growth for me and my becoming an adult.

It's weird to think to think that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you make a change. I think it definitely worked for me. Last semester was rough, but the Spring had better things in store for me. And I admit that I am happy where I am at with my life. I mean...think of it...I just completed my first year of grad school. What an accomplishment! I really didn't think back in October that I would make it this far...but I'm here...done with year number one and holding a 3.86 GPA (my highest GPA ever). I was so happy when I got my grades last week. After a super rough semester I ended up with all A's. I forgot how that felt. It feels great!!!!!

If I had to give a word of advice to the new grad students for next year on the things I learned, I would say that make the most out of your situation. Give the institution you are at, if it is different from your undergrad, a chance. Some schools have different ways of doing things...but the point is, you are there to study and to learn. Not just about Student Affairs, but I honestly think you will gain some awesome life skills through grad school. Because hey...you got to grow up sometime, right? What better chance to learn about life? What you're made of?

A year has passed...I still can't believe it. I can't even start to think that I have a year left. It baffles me. I survived the first year...whoa!

Dear friends who read our blogs on the site...thank you so much for becoming part of the first year graduate experience. Being a Student Affairs professional is not something you think about becoming when you're a little kid. But I am so glad that I'm in this field. I really want to help other students make their dreams come true. I want to help students find their way. I want to be the one they can come to with their issues. I want to help them have a voice. It is for people like my academic advisor in undergrad, my hall coordinator, my supervisor at my undergrad's Recreation Center...it's for people like them I wanted to be in this field because they believed in me that I could do my best. I want to help students reach their potential. That I am someone who believes in them.

I know it sounds like I'm trying to give the big statement of my career here, but it's all true. A person's life can change in one year, one month, one week...and in my case 525,600 minutes...

Good luck with all your endeavours future graduate students and those who graduated this past Spring. I can't wait to have you all as my colleagues someday.

And remember always to be "takin' care of business" the best way you can...do your best, give your best, receive the best :)

It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 17

Sometimes, like now, it can seem like this job sucks. Moving a thousand people out of a building can be slightly overwhelming. Not to mention working with RAs who are stressed out about finals. And custodial staff that is stressed out about the building falling apart around us. And students who are partying their way through finals week. So—I can’t believe I’m saying this—I just have to keep reminding myself that I have the best job ever.

Seriously, when I think about how much I love this job, I know I’ve made the right career choice. At least five hours of my work week are spent in one-on-ones. That’s right, I get to spend almost 15 percent of my time at work chatting and having fun with my student staff. Not only do I get to, I’m expected to. This year during one-on-ones, I’ve explored new restaurants, gone for walks, rollerskated, gone shopping, gone swinging at a park, worked out at the rec center, visited an on-campus museum, played a mean game of Guess Who?, and much more. Much of the rest of my time is spent meeting (not always for good purposes) with residents in the building. I am so lucky that one of my job expectations is to get to know such incredible students.

Not only do I have incredible students, I have wonderful colleagues. I have found the most amazing mentors and friends. There is just something special about Student Affairs professionals. I even receive professional development funds to network with more of these amazing people at professional conferences.

One of my favorite things I’ve gotten to do this year is work with my building’s hall government. In April, we put on our huge, traditional Battle of the Bands program and it was such a blast. As part of set-up I got to order a bunch of food, create some sweet t-shirts, listen to great demos, find amazing student talent, and order a moon bounce. The day of the event, there was a lot of on-the-spot trouble shooting and although a lot of things went wrong, it only brought us closer together. After we finally set up, right before the event began, we all put our arms around each other and sang the alma mater. I’ll never forget that moment or that day. I even get to attend all kinds of programs that I don’t have to plan—campus programs, organizational programs, individual floor programs—and there’s usually a lot of new people to meet, a lot of great food to eat, and sometimes even something to learn. Don’t even get me started on the free shirts.

OK, I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, we have the best stories in Student Affairs. Like the time I walked into the elevator and a guy was sitting in a chair playing his guitar. He just looked at me and said “elevator music.” Or the time a student started a protest about giving away fish at a program. He hung posters all over the building and even started a Facebook group about animal cruelty. It turns out it really is illegal in our state to give fish away as prizes.

Perhaps best of all, I get to be a part of an incredible university. It’s like having a huge family that always has something going on. Last weekend, I helped an intramural softball team win the championship, stayed up all night walking in Relay for Life, and went to a BBQ planned by my RA staff. When you work at a university, there is always something to do, something to learn, and some way to help. Sure, making movies and stuff sounds exciting, but I wouldn’t trade this job for anything.

It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 16

I live in one of those big, dirty, loud, in-your-face residence halls. Recently, when I was interviewing a candidate for a desk position, he described my building as the bottom deck in the Titanic. The rooms are cheaper, the people are diverse, and there's always a party. One of the other grads in my building recently referred to our building as the center of the universe. I lovingly refer to the building as my beautiful mansion on the hill. And for the 1,000 students who live here, it is simply home.

It has been a tough month in my building. Seven of the 18 fire alarms we’ve had this year happened in April. We had one student assaulted and robbed and another mugged at gunpoint in our back parking lot. We’ve had flooding, vandalism, and lots and lots of noise. I’ve had more than 30 judicial hearings in the past two weeks.

Unfortunately, many students, staff, and administrators will only remember that these things happen in my building. They will not remember the outstanding staff that does a lot of its bonding at 3 a.m. fire alarms but has a crazy amount of spirit, dedication, and pride for this building we live in. They will not remember the outstanding programs in our building including the traditional program in April that more than 450 people attended. They will not understand that our staff works harder than any staff on campus.

Last week, we had an end-of-the-year banquet and awards ceremony for housing. Of course, because of budget cuts and limited resources, dinner was not served at this year’s award’s ceremony. Still, all 31 staff members dressed up and attended the event. We carpooled to the Union and sat for an hour and a half while we received zero awards. None. For the second year in a row.

I was completely surprised, disappointed, and well, pretty furious that the department would let an entire building go unrecognized. Surely the largest staff on campus must have some outstanding employees, right? It was even more disappointing that at the end of a long, hard year my staff was unrecognized. A night that was supposed to be celebratory ended in disappointment.

There’s a big part of me that wants to have a we-don’t-need-no-stinking-badges attitude but it’s really tough. I hate to be a sore loser but I don’t understand how you can require a building to attend an awards ceremony in which they are completely ignored. So, our senior staff is working it’s hardest to make our own futile attempt at recognition.

All year, I’ve been hearing that our building has a bad reputation and is never praised by the department. I guess I’ve just never really understood until this month. I’ve never had so much pride in something that’s greatness has been so invisible to others. And it’s tough. But we’ll keep fighting the good fight in our building because I know that despite what anyone on the outside says, there are many people who have called and will continue to call this big, dirty, loud, in-your-face building, home.