After a post on five things I wish I did differently as a student, I decided to look at the other side of the coin and reflect on five things that I am really glad that I did as a student.
1. Studied a broad liberal arts education. I approached all of my courses - whether Chemistry, Creative Writing or World War I - with an intent to learn. At the undergraduate level, I majored in the Humanities with a focus on History, Religious Studies and Literature and minored in Exercise Physiology. At the graduate level, I majored in International Studies. I developed the ability to think broadly using many different lenses and to make sense of complex interdisciplinary systems, which is a skill I use day in and day out in my career.
2. Stayed healthy. I exercised often, ate my fruits and vegetables, got adequate sleep and avoided addictive toxic substances. A healthy body feeds a healthy mind.
3. Made good friends. All the academic literature on student success highlights how important it is for students to form positive support networks. I chose to surround myself with students, faculty and staff that made me a better person and challenged me personally and academically. I stay close to many of these people to this day and they continue to have a positive impact on my life - first and foremost my amazing spouse.
4. Worked hard. I remember that the neighbor in my dorm had a sign on his door: "Hard work pays off in the future but partying pays off now." Well, the future is now here and the adage holds true. The discipline and focus that I developed through sustained hard work serves me well to this day.
5. Pushed outside my comfort zone. I have 29 aunts and uncles and over 50 cousins, and almost all of them live within a 60 mile radius of St. Cloud, Minnesota. As time passes, I am gaining a greater appreciation of how fortunate I am to have such strong family roots. Yet, my life has unfolded in wonderful ways as I have unbounded my educational and career pursuits. It was uncomfortable to move away for my undergraduate education and then to move even further afield for my graduate degree, but pushing outside my comfort zone has enlivened many opportunities.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Five Things I Wish I Did Differently
They say hindsight is 20/20. For the most part, I am happy with the choices that I made while a student, now ten years out from my Bachelor's degree and seven years out from my Master's degree. However, if I could somehow travel back in time, these are the five things I would have done differently as a student.
1. Participate in international study abroad. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for a semester but I elected not to do so. I did manage to save some money by not studying abroad but I also missed out on a very unique educational experience. Now that I have had the good fortune to travel internationally as a career professional, I realize the amazing growth and learning that happens when you immerse yourself into different places and cultures.
2. Take more math courses. I took Advanced Placement Calculus in high school and then one statistics class at the undergraduate level and another statistics class at the graduate level. I use math all the time - in particular statistics - in my current role as a higher ed administrator. Since I only took a few courses of math, I now need to go back and re-teach myself.
3. Take more time for career exploration. I did not take advantage of the career development resources at my undergraduate institution. Over the course of my educational career, I was majoring in pre-medicine, physical therapy, exercise physiology, religious studies, history, literature and international studies. I was entirely focused on my academic interests - which is not in and of itself a bad thing - but I neglected to give serious thought to how I planned to translate my knowledge and skills into a career. I figured things out in time but career exploration earlier in my life would have helped the process along.
4. Study a second language. I have both the privilege and the disadvantage of being a native English speaker in an English-speaking world. I studied Spanish in high school and wish I would have continued my studies at the undergraduate level.
5. Consider a broader option of graduate schools. The jury is still out on my graduate school choice. I elected to attend an elite program at a competitive private university. I do believe that I benefited intellectually from this choice; rigor and expectations both ran very high. Whether or not this degree credential gives me special edge with an employer somewhat depends on the particular employer and his or her biases. I do know that I am making 120 payments of $450 to pay off the student debt that I incurred. Was the cost worth the benefit? In retrospect, I am not sure.
1. Participate in international study abroad. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for a semester but I elected not to do so. I did manage to save some money by not studying abroad but I also missed out on a very unique educational experience. Now that I have had the good fortune to travel internationally as a career professional, I realize the amazing growth and learning that happens when you immerse yourself into different places and cultures.
2. Take more math courses. I took Advanced Placement Calculus in high school and then one statistics class at the undergraduate level and another statistics class at the graduate level. I use math all the time - in particular statistics - in my current role as a higher ed administrator. Since I only took a few courses of math, I now need to go back and re-teach myself.
3. Take more time for career exploration. I did not take advantage of the career development resources at my undergraduate institution. Over the course of my educational career, I was majoring in pre-medicine, physical therapy, exercise physiology, religious studies, history, literature and international studies. I was entirely focused on my academic interests - which is not in and of itself a bad thing - but I neglected to give serious thought to how I planned to translate my knowledge and skills into a career. I figured things out in time but career exploration earlier in my life would have helped the process along.
4. Study a second language. I have both the privilege and the disadvantage of being a native English speaker in an English-speaking world. I studied Spanish in high school and wish I would have continued my studies at the undergraduate level.
5. Consider a broader option of graduate schools. The jury is still out on my graduate school choice. I elected to attend an elite program at a competitive private university. I do believe that I benefited intellectually from this choice; rigor and expectations both ran very high. Whether or not this degree credential gives me special edge with an employer somewhat depends on the particular employer and his or her biases. I do know that I am making 120 payments of $450 to pay off the student debt that I incurred. Was the cost worth the benefit? In retrospect, I am not sure.
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