- Participated in a meeting with a student to talk about choosing a major
- Participated in a weekly staff meeting
- Attended a visit to the Mississippi State University Meridian Campus
Reflection:
This week was a very fun one. First, I was able to participate in a meeting with a student who is trying to choose her major. This is always a really fun and interesting experience. Every student that we see has a completely different story and set of issues that they are facing. Learning how to work with all of these different students has been an awesome learning experience. Next, I was able to sit in on a staff meeting. I loved seeing how decisions are made in the office and gaining a better understanding of how each staff member communicates with the others in the office to let them know their schedule and work together. Last, I was able to go with the staff of the Career Center to visit the MSU Meridian Campus. This trip had two main purposes. One, was to strengthen the communication between the on campus and Meridian campus Career Center staff. I was able to sit in on administrative meetings where everyone went over ideas of how to strengthen and connect the offices better. Also, we were taken on a tour of the campus to see all of their new construction and what new academic departments they are adding to the school. We also were able to gain a deeper understanding of what programs and what types of students the Meridian campus serves. I absolutely loved being able to take part in this. I was such a great learning and networking experience for me. I think the Meridian campus is wonderful and now find myself extremely interested in it now that I know more about it.
Each week in my practicum, I learn more and more about myself as a person and as a student affairs professional. More and more I am realizing the realities of student affairs and what working as a professional will be like. A large part of the realities that I notice come from my supervisor. For example, on our trip this week, my supervisor needed to take her own vehicle because her husband and normal contact for help were out of town and she needed to be ready in case she had to go home to get her daughter if something happened. As a professional, I will have to learn to be prepared to take care of my family while still being committed to my job. Balancing this will be an interesting learning experience, but I am happy to have a great example of how to balance work and personal life through my supervisor.
Whitney,
ReplyDeleteI am really glad you are having a good experience so far in your practicum with the Career Center. It sounds like you are gaining a lot of experience and knowledge about how to balance work with life, as you have learned from your supervisor’s example. How do you think you will prioritize your work and life responsibilities, especially if you continue working with Admissions, an office that has numerous responsibilities that extend beyond the office?
It also sounds like you have learned a lot through your trip to Meridian. I hope going to the Meridian campus has proven to be insightful with how both offices work together in a “long-distance relationship”. Is their communication poor and that is the reason they are meeting? Or is it that they want to continue to have a strong working relationship? This information could be insightful if you ever work at a school with satellite schools, similar to State.
Keep up the good work! The Career Center sounds like a blast! Continue to gain that insight!
Rachel Ross