It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 18

There's mistakes that I have made,
Some chances I just threw away,
Some roads,
I never should've taken,
Been some signs I didn't see,
Hearts that I hurt needlessly,
Some wounds,
That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,
But it don't make no difference,
The past can't be rewritten,
You get the life you're given,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.

It seems like so long ago that I started this blog with a little insight from Carrie Underwood. Nine months later, while her songs still have a lot of the answers, I realize all the lessons I have learned on my own in my first year of grad school.

My awesome, crazy, motley crew of a cohort has taught me that there is great wisdom in diversity. Also, that I don’t have to be great friends with everyone. That it can be more meaningful to have close relationships with just a handful of people.

I’ve learned that the most challenging things are usually the ones that make me grow the most. I’ve learned so much about being an advisor, supervisor, employee, student, girlfriend, and friend. And I’ve learned that I have way too much left to learn. If you’ve followed this blog at all, I won’t rehash everything I’ve written. Instead, I’ll leave you with some lessons from the Vice Provost of my university which I think are both awesome and beneficial.

Prepare an Elevator Speech
Think of how you could explain your job, or Student Affairs in general, to a stranger in a short elevator ride. I’ve heard many variations of Student Affairs elevator speeches—both on and off elevators. Recently, a Higher Education professor explained Student Affairs as working in “talent development;” preparing students to use their talents to successfully accomplish their dreams. Others say something about student affairs being the non-academic side of higher education. I’m still working on my elevator speech, which currently goes something like, “I just wanna stay in college forever.” A lot of thought should go into the speech. Student Affairs is academic and supports the academic mission of institutions. And my speech doesn’t exactly scream professionalism. Elevator speeches come in really handy when people ask things like “What exactly do you do?” It’s also important to understand your own beliefs and philosophies and tie those into the speech.

Create a Go-to-Hell Fund (or GTFO Fund)
A go-to-hell fund is kind of like a savings account except instead of using the money on car repairs, dental work, or tropical vacations, it’s used in case you need to quit your job and stick it to the man. Now, a GTH fund should not be used just because you’re tired of working and want to spend some time in the Caribbean. Instead, a GTH fund should be used if you have any ethical, philosophical, or other large-scale disagreements or problems with your job and feel there is not way to stick it out. The fund should be large enough to keep you afloat while searching for a new job.

We’re Here For the Students
I know this one isn’t really witty but it’s the most important. For a long time, I thought all Student Affairs professionals were the crème de la crème—friendly, sincere student advocates. However, there are some Student Affairs professionals who start to forget the students. They get caught up in making as many connections as possible or focus on the prestige of administration positions and become like my power hungry manager the summer I worked at Sonic. They focus on what is easiest or cheapest rather than what is best for the students. In the past year, I’ve learned that it is important to speak your mind about what you think is best and sometimes remind those who have forgotten.

Ok, so I guess I didn’t mention things like Kohlberg’s Moral Development theory or tight and loose coupling (which, c’mon sounds like something from Karma Sutra). I have learned a lot from textbooks this year, but I think what will stick with me the most are lessons learned from experience and from the wonderful (and less wonderful) people around me.