It occurred to me as I started this blog up again that it may be a good idea to provide a bit of an update as to the thing they call graduate school that has consumed much of my time over the past six months. It has definitely been interesting to be bqack in student mode again. The world of textbooks, discussions, lectures, papers and projects is a much different one than I had been inhabiting the last couple of years.
I learned very quickly in the fall that grad school is indeed very different from undergrad. There are no exams, in my program at least, and everything is based on papers and projects. There is also far less lecture and much more discussion, which I generally do like. There is also A LOT of group work. This can be a double-edged sword. While I appreciate working in teams, I was managing four group or partnered projects at one point during the fall and it got to be a bit much to keep up with at times.
I find many rewards in the opportunity to learn about the things I have a passion for. It has been quite interesting to talk about various theories and concepts in student development (boy, it’s nice to know where some of the names and terminology come from that have surrounded me in professional circles), the histrory of higher education, and types of institutions. I’ve had a change to research cool topics and learn a lot–we’ve covered far more than I can ever remember inside out. Needless to say, these textbooks are not being sold, but rather will be resources on an office bookshelf for some time to come.
The biggest surprise? The amount of personal reflection during the first semester. I had a lot of writing assignments where I was the subject–whether it me reflecting on my own development as a student or my choice to enter the student affairs profession. At times I almost got sick of myself as a topic–and reflection such as that brought forward some memories and experiences that were both positive and negative. In the end though, I see there was great value in considering exactly what makes me tick and leads me to do the work I do.
It’s hard to believe that following one semester and a January term, I have successfully completed one fourth of my studies. There are days I love it, and days I feel like the stress of work, school and life is a bit much. Thankfully, those days are fewer, and I have supportive people to help me stay motivated.
The work can be hard, the nights can get long (100 percent evening classes are another adjustment), but I would not have it any other way. It’s where I’m meant to be and what I’m meant to be doing at this point in my life.
Posted by Berne 
