"Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me, but I can't trace time"
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me, but I can't trace time"
Session A has OFFICALLY moved out! This is probably sad to say, but I have never been so glad to see a group of people leave my presence! However, despite their privileged, narcissistic, unruly behavior, they taught me a lot about myself and about how hard this job can get. So I guess I should be appreciative in some way?? In order to recover from the chaos of the last couple of weeks, we took the staff to Strawberry Canyon to complete a high rope's course. I've done low ropes before, but I quickly found out that high ropes is very very different. We were all strapped into pully systems, where we had to complete various obstacles at about 15-30 feet above ground. It seemed that the rope's course was a success, as the team seemed to be a lot closer by the end of the day. I saw a lot of amazing things, including three students who were petrified to be so high in the air...but all three persevered and pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone. Another thing that amazed me was the amount of positivity and support coming from the entire group. Some of our team members have a tendency to be sort of negative, but even those people rallied around those who needed support.
Session D moved in a week ago today. So far they have been fairly good. We have a greater diversity in countries represented. I've met students from Lebanon, Egypt, Russia, Germany, France, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, and Spain. Today was the World Cup Championship (Soccer), which I typically wouldn't follow; however, one of my RA's planned a BBQ/Viewing party in Cunningham Main Lounge. Over 200 students showed up, and most of them were routing for Spain. The energy of the crowd was amazing, and even got me pumped for the game! Although I traditionally despise professional sports (on principle), sports that bring the world together such at the Olympics and the World Cup can actually be a great thing.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've also gotten to meet a few more UC-Berkeley upper-level administrators. For better or worse, I've learned a lot about the kind of administrator I want to be, and how the politics of higher education works. I've always thought that I was pretty good at navigating political terrain; however, the politics of Student Affairs can be overwhelming, if you want to make it to the top.
Two weeks from today we are roadtripping to LA! Our Assistant Director got us a couple of rooms at UCLA, so we don't have to pay for housing...which is huh-mazing! I'm excited to tour the campus, and hopefully meet some people that can shed some light on this doctoral program or no-doctoral program delima I find myself in. A lot of people are saying not to go directly into your doctorate, however I've seen others who have done it and are lot more ahead in their careers than those that have not. In a perfect world I'd be able to find a job at a university that would allow me to work and go to school full time, as I hope to have my doctorate by the time I'm 26 or 27. I would typically tell myself I have plenty of time to think about it...but the truth is I need to go ahead and decide in the next couple of months since applications will be due this fall...womp womp.
I'm tired of writing, so that's all for now...hopefully I'll be able to add a few more posts this week.
Cheers!
