Collins-Mississippi University for Women (MUW)-Week 1

Office of Student Life--Student Activities

ACTIVITIES:

• Created and presented my Learning Contract to my supervisor, Katie on Friday morning.
• Met with Katie to discuss expectations and tasks that can be done during the month of June.
• Began to familiarize myself with MUW's rich history and traditions.

REFLECTION:

Prior to having our first class meeting, I was unaware that we as individuals were expected to begin to collect hours at our sites in the month of June. I had met with Katie before the class started and set a "Start Date" on July 5th. Obviously, this was not accurate, so I had to backtrack this week and let her know of my error. It was no big deal, but it still put me in a strange position. Katie was so glad to have me on board for the month of June. 

Cochran's Staff Listings. 

 The Office of Student Life at MUW is located in Cochran Hall. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the building for my meeting was the staff listing. I was taken aback at how many aspects of campus were located in one building. Notice that there is one staff member over broad campus life titles. From Housing to Orientation, it is all located here. I will be working under the Coordinator of Student Activities, but am so excited to be within arm's length of staff members that are over other departments. At  MSU, it is unheard of to have these offices on the same floor or in the same building. I have never been in a small school setting, and I am really looking forward to learning office and interpersonal dynamics.

Katie Robinson, my supervisor, is a graduate of our Student Affairs program here at Mississippi State. I met her during my first semester because she was doing her internship with Admissions and Scholarships. We bonded and she helped mentor me during my first semester, so I have been super excited to get to work with her in a professional setting. 

Katie Robinson- Coordinator of Student Activities

During our meeting, we discussed everything that she had been working on for the past month. We also went over her expectations of me. She said that she will be seeking my advice and help with planning Welcome Week and Social Club Recruitment. If anyone knows me, they know how obsessed I am with Disney. Katie and I have that in common. Her entire office is adorned in Minnie Mouse, princess, and other Disney paraphernalia. When Katie revealed that the recruitment theme was Disney, I got super excited. This is right up my alley. She also revealed this year's theme for Welcome Week: Private I. My mind began to race with endless possibilities for designs that would relate to this theme. Katie was very open to my ideas as I verbalized them and she seemed to be gung-ho on having another person to brainstorm with. 

This is last year's Welcome Week program.

Hand-drawn Disney Recruitment t-shirt design.

Hand-drawn Disney Recruitment t-shirt design.

Once our meeting was finished, I hopped into my 2004 Saturn Vue named Janice and left campus. As I crossed the Ten-Tom Waterway, I smiled. I realized right then and there how excited I am for this new venture.  The people are amazing, my supervisor is supportive, the campus is beautiful, and the office setting is completely different than what I am used to. Where there are entire offices devoted to one task at MSU, there is one individual who is over that same task at MUW. I really enjoyed observing the office dynamics in Student Life. They all work so well together even though they aren't working on the same projects. I have to admit that when I noticed that one person bore the responsibility of an entire vector of student life, I got nervous. There is no room to hide when you are the only one. Therefore, you mustn't be afraid to take on responsibilities and dive right in. Katie reflected about her experience as a new professional, and I was so appreciative of that discussion. I struggle sometimes with being confident in my abilities. I know that nobody is perfect, but when someone is hired, they are usually taking the place of someone else. Filling their shoes. Expected to do better than they last person that was in that position. That is a tough pill for me to imagine swallowing, but when I hear Katie open up to me and talk about challenges she has faced and things that she has learned in only a year's time, I become at ease and realize that people obtain and excel at jobs everyday. I am thankful to have a supervisor that is open to helping me become a professional. This summer will come with a lot of new experiences and I will embrace every single one. I want to be porous, like a sponge, and just soak everything up. Campus size, culture, office dynamics, and interpersonal relationships are what I am most excited about this summer, and I can't wait to see how I evolve and gain some professional backbone throughout the process.

I'm in love with this campus already.

The Ten-Tom

For more information on the Office of Student Life at MUW:  click here.

To see what I have to look forward to as far as Welcome Week is concerned: click here.

Until next week,

Brooke