As many of you know I will be back-loading my practicum until July when I spend five intense weeks working at Dickinson College. This experience is one that I have been hoping for since I started the Student Affairs program. I know that I love what a land grant institution is about and the feeling that I get while being on a large campus with a strong sense of school pride and excitement - it's simply home. But I also realize that I may love (or may not love as much) a smaller private institution and this experience is something that I hope can answer that question. Dickinson may seem like a random choice, but a connection through the VP for Enrollment has landed me in the Campus Life Office working with student activities, housing, and orientation; all areas in which I hope to gain more knowledge.
Before I leave there are many opportunities to better prepare myself for when I arrive on campus July 4th weekend. My supervisor, Mary Triano, has given me plenty of information, links to campus sites, and long discussions to allow me to have the best knowledge base possible before I get to Dickinson. I am nervous for the change and to leave Starkville for 5 weeks, but I am also eagerly anticipating the experiences that are ahead of me. I hope to leave this practicum experience with a better understanding of the inner workings of a private institution. I also want to better understand truly what a liberal arts institution means compared to a research based institution. Overall I'm anxiously awaiting my journey to begin!!
- Carrie
Carrie,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty in terms of looking for confirmation of your "fit" in higher education institutions. This is an important key as you consider job possibilities within the next year (can you believe it is that close)? I look forward to hearing more about what you experience as you head up north.
Dr. H