Transition

As you know, this semester I am back at DGS full-time. I thought it would take me a little longer to get used to the full-time position, but I guess the beginning of the semester was so busy that I adjusted to the new schedule almost instantly. Another contributing factor could also be that I already know all my coworkers and have my own space, so the transition hasn't involved too much uprooting.

I think that if I were beginning a job at another institution, the transition would be more difficult and would take more time. In this position, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work as an intern for a summer and semester before beginning full-time. In a sense, I have had time to ease in to the new schedule.

As I mentioned in class the other night, the biggest differences in my responsibilities are that I now have a full roster (~300 students), I have a probation roster (~25 students), and I will be teaching a university orientation course next semester.

For the past couple of weeks, the biggest challenge for me has been working with students on academic probation. I was nervous about this at the beginning of the semester because I have not worked with students on probation before. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would field conversations about academic standing and how I would facilitate the PASS program (a voluntary program to help students get off academic probation). So far, I have gained much more confidence about this challenge after having the chance to meet with most of the students on my probation roster. I have recognized a dichotomy of attitudes; some students are very eager to do whatever it takes to raise their GPA and get off probation, while others seem indifferent or think that the conditions of being on probation are "not fair." Now that I have had the initial discussions with almost all of my students on probation, I am no longer nervous and am looking forward to seeing how each of them progresses through the semester.

Throughout this semester, I will use this blog to highlight my activities in my new position. As we discussed, I will include reflections on beginning a full-time job while finishing grad school. I think I have a lot to learn this semester and I am looking forward to sharing those reflections here.