by Lisa Hill
@lisa_hill22
@lisa_hill22
As student affairs professionals we are connected to many different institutions of higher education. Some we attended as students, others as staff. When our educational home becomes a professional home, there are unique lessons to learn.
Last fall, I served in an interim position at my alma mater, in the same office where I had been a participant, student leader, and student employee throughout my undergraduate years. Transitioning from a student to a full-time staff member was challenging and informative, easy and straining. Here are three of the lessons I learned.
1. They knew you at 18, but what matters is how you act today. Trying to start a professional career when your colleagues remember you as a freshman can bring up some uncomfortable and definitely unprofessional memories. As an 18 year old I was completely unaware that I was making an impression on my future coworkers. I was busy being awkward and making mistakes because learning is MESSY! When I arrived at the office on my first day last fall, I told myself that I had a clean slate. I occasionally made jokes about myself as a student but no more than I would at any other institution. I used the opportunity to talk with people who know my history to have honest conversations about my future career.
- Your history is an asset, but don’t fall behind the times. Returning to the same office, I was amazed at how much had changed in the two years I was at grad school. The fundamental values and mission were the same, but much of the programming had changed. I caught myself wanting to say, “We used to do…” While history is important, change is necessary. Finding the balance and accepting the differences made me a stronger professional, and hopefully stopped me from annoying my coworkers.
- It’s ok to leave the past in the past. I like to think of my alma mater as my first love. Nothing will compare yet I don’t need to relive that period of my life. On Saturdays, instead of tailgating and going to football games, I woke up early to go hiking and get away from the football crowd. I found new restaurants and stores to frequent and only revisited my undergrad favorites once or twice. #ThrowbackThursday anyone? I made new friends and became involved with new activities. I loved my time as an undergraduate student, but my time as a professional was a separate and new experience.
Returning to an alma mater can be a great experience filled with reflection and growth, if you approach it with the right mindset.
Who else has returned to their alma mater? What lessons did you learn?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't be afraid! We love to hear from our readers!