studentaffairsgrad

In my experience, professors experience this kind of thing all the time, and will try to be accommodating, even if they don't remember you. Just be sure that if they agree to it, you give them sufficient time and some supplemental materials (your statement of purpose, transcript, info about the program you are applying to etc.) so that the letter comes of as if they know you well. After all, they've been through the process themselves, and somebody had to write them LORs too

I think this is an extreme alternative, but... I am in the field of higher education, and I know a number of people who pursued a grad degree in this area specifically so they could get a free education in something else. There is a ton of funding in higher education, so most people end up not paying, but being paid to get the degree. Once they get the degree, they are able to find a decent job at a university. Then, they are able to go to school for free as an employee of the university. I know someone who is working as a residence hall director and has her Masters in higher ed, but is taking part time classes at the university to obtain a Maters in agriculture. I know someone else who is getting law school paid for the same way. I'm not saying I advocate this, but it is an interesting alternative. I do think in order for you not to be miserable, you would have to have at least some interest in higher ed/ working with students. Interestingly enough, a lot of people in this field were history undergrads... Keep your chin up, friend! I was in the same situation as you. I graduated in journalism, the dying profession! I applied to so many jobs, and didn't get one call. Luckily I eventually found a decent paying job working in the financial sector - imagine that. I ended up being so bored, I realized how much I missed my experience as a resident adviser and the students during my undergrad, and decided to go to grad school for higher education. I am now getting paid to go to school, and receiving free room and board on top of that, so I'm not going to be a financial burden on my parents anymore! I would say to try to get a job outside of your field if you have to - broaden your horizons. After you get your job, research grad schools/programs, and see what you can find in the ways of funding/fellowships.

I don't know about the schools you are considering, but as far as your other questions... I would think your cumulative G.P.A. would matter more, since it gives a broader view of you as a student. I would only think they would look at just the in-major G.P.A. if it was directly related to what you were wanting to pursue in graduate school. I wouldn't sweat it though - the committee will see that your lower marks were in math/science which isn't a part of your grad program study. Fortunately, I've found that in higher education, undergrad grades don't matter as much as things like experience, etc. Unless you are applying to super competitive programs. Which brings me to your next question about research and extracurricular activities. I'm attending a higher education grad program in the fall (college student personnel), and the majority of students I've run into have no research experience at all, including myself. The importance of research depends on where you are applying, and what you want to do. I am going to a program that focuses more on practical experience and outside the classroom experiences like assistantships and internships. I don't have any intention of doing research in grad school, because I am looking to work straight out of grad school, as opposed to going on to get my PhD in higher ed and becoming faculty. Say your goal is to become a faculty member. You would want to apply to programs like Penn State, which really focus on research over the practical side. My guess is that they would like to see that you have experience in basic research methods, but they most likely aren't expecting extensive research, as a lot of undergraduate research experiences will be in labs, and won't align closely with the subject matter in higher education. I would suggest reaching out to current students in the programs you are looking at, and see what their qualifications were. To sum it up, research isn't going to matter much unless you want to pursue a faculty position or PhD. Even then, I would suggest just waiting until grad school to start with the research. On the other hand, your experience in the orientation office etc. matters the most! Regardless of which track (research vs. practical) you choose, that experience shows you have a passion and commitment to students, and at least have some idea of what you are getting yourself into. For example, I wanted to work in residence life (housing), so I really played up my undergrad experience as a resident advisor. Find out what you want to do, then tailor your experience to it. You will find that EVERYONE invited to interview will have a lot of experience in the area. That being said, you need to demonstrate how your experience was unique. Everyone applying for assistantships in housing had been resident advsiors, so I had to find ways to show how my experience was unique and made me a better candidate than the others. Decide if you want to go into res life, admissions, orientation, etc. and make sure you can get as much experience in those areas, and find someone who can write you a letter of recommendation. When you go to apply for assistantships, this experience will matter so much. My program isn't top of the line - just mid range with an emphasis on practicality. Most of the people applying to these kind of programs aren't the genius academic types, and have eclectic backgrounds that led them to student affairs (so many history majors!) So don't get nervous about your grades. You have the experience, which is the important part. If you are applying to top of the line uber competitive programs, things could be a bit different for you, and you might want to consider some backup schools just in case. As far as double majoring...meh. I think that is taking it too far. Higher ed people love the words diversity and leadership. If picking up a minor in one of the two won't cause you to have to add an extra year onto your undergrad, then I would say go for it. If not, at least take a few classes in the area. That way, when it comes time to find people to write your letters of recommendation, you will have professors who are teaching subjects that can be related to higher education. I took one leadership class just so I could get the letter of rec from the prof, and it worked out great! I'm going on and on here, so just a couple more things. You are at the point where you should be thinking about taking the GRE. The good thing about higher ed is, there are a lot of programs that don't require students take the GRE. Figure out if your program even requires it. If they do, take it soon. See what your results are. If they are terrible, you might want to consider applying to some safety schools. Lastly, you should not go into debt, or even have to pay for this degree. You've already seen me mention assistantships a couple of times. Your experience can help you to land an assistantship, which should at the very least, cover the cost of your tuition. My assistantship pays for full tuition, parking, room and board, plus a stipend of about 10,000. If you are seeking a position that isn't live-in like housing, a good offer is one that covers all of your tuition, and gives you a decent stipend that you can live off. If you have any questions, just message me There isn't a lot of info regrading applying to grad school in higher ed, and I'm always willing to share what I've learned while applying!

My LOR writers actually let me read their letters before they got sent in. I think a good letter shows that the person knows you well as a person, can speak to your work ethic, your accomplishments and your potential to be a good student. I think having the professor is good too. In my opinion, not all of your references have to have amazing credentials. I would suggest you go over to the forums on The Chronicle of Higher Education, and ask this question in their grad school forum, if you want to seek additional opinions. A lot of people in admissions and others who actually make the decision on whether or not to let someone in read those forums. They might say something completely different than what I think, but it will give you more to base your decision on.

I've never done it, but I don't think availability is a problem. I did my undergrad at a university that often tops the list of the country's largest, and I always noticed there were plenty of zipcars around (the parking lot for some of them was right across from my residence hall). Someone on my staff used to rent them and had a positive experience, but it does sound a bit pricey.

I agree that it depends on the situation. I oversee a staff of 7 undergraduate resident advisers, and haven't always had texting on my phone, so if I was in a meeting and couldn't get away to answer my phone, they could always e-mail me with questions/something they need, and I could get back to them if it was urgent. In my situation, I had to use e-mail as instantaneous communication. Thankfully I have texting now, so I won't have to do that as much But, if I had to e-mail a professor, supervisor etc. I was so worried I would make a typo, I would usually try to wait until I got in front of my computer if it wasn't urgent.

At first, I was taken back when I saw the analogy between homosexuality and guns, as I have many gay friends like More does. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the analogy could be negative or not, depending on how you view guns. If you view guns as dangerous killing machines, then you are probably going to look at the comparison to homosexuality as a negative and distasteful one. But, if you have a more positive view on guns, then you might interpret the analogy different. If I read it correctly, and give Aaron the benefit of the doubt, I think he used that analogy because gun control and homosexuality (unfortunately for the latter imo) are both controversial topics for a lot of people. He was just saying that regardless of where you stand on a controversial issue, you should not have a right to prevent someone from carrying a gun, or living their life as they feel comfortable just because you are not uncomfortable with the idea of it. I don't think he was making a sweeping generalization of gay people being violent, but saying something more along the lines of - they aren't doing anything wrong and should be allowed to live as they see fit, just as gun holders should be allowed to carry as they see fit. The problem I think where some folks are having an issue with this analogy is that the group in latter part of the analogy (gun holders) involves intent (because they can be peaceful or have the intent not to be), while the group in the first part of the analogy (homosexuality) doesn't involve intent - gay people are the same as heterosexuals in that we can all be violent, peaceful, neutral, etc. and should be allowed to live as we see fit. Aaron, feel free to correct me if you feel I've misinterpreted your words. I don't mean to take this discussion further off topic, but just thought that as a person who is on the fence regarding the issue of gun control, and as someone who doesn't have as strong emotions attached to the issue like others, me trying to put the debated analogy in perspective would allow some to see it in another light and we could thus get back to the real issue at hand - guns on campus. (Sorry for the run-on sentence!) I would just like to remind people that we all interpret things differently based on our own experiences, opinions, etc. and it is good to try to see how someone on the opposite side of an issue might interpret something you say, so you can choose your words carefully and make sure you get your point across without it turning into something else you didn't intend.

I agree with you - contact info is fine, but the inspirational quotes annoy the crap out of me. I also hate it when people put something such as, "Go green, only print this if you have to." I've never printed out an e-mail in my life, as I can look at it anytime on my phone if I need to. The sent from mobile device doesn't bother me. I don't want to write an essay length e-mail on my phone, and the sent from mobile bit is a good way to just acknowledge that you received an important e-mail, and you are probably out and about, and will follow-up later. I know people who would get touchy if they wrote a long, detailed e-mail and received an e-mail back that didn't address every single of the 100 issues, but the sent from indicates that the e-mail was on the fly. Also, I like it b/c if it wasn't on there, some people would probably think that my always quick response to their e-mails would indicate I sit in front of a computer all day and check my e-mail

I would think that is okay, since they know you and your work better. I had a post doc in my field whom I knew very well from class write my letter of recommendation.

Sorry - I should have been more specific. If you are looking to buy the plant to grow, it is found almost anywhere that has a decent garden section. Even Wal-Mart and Lowes where I live carries it, and any garden center will have it. It is way cheaper and worth it just to buy the plant and harvest leaves every morning. It is hardy and will grow like a weed. I'm not really sure as far as trying to buy it at the store. The Giant Eagle where I live has a good selection of herbs - I know I've seen mint there, but not sure about the choco variety. It is so worth it. It makes that Folgers that I drink every morning bearable! haha. Maybe once I'm out of school and making some $$$ I will step up my game

I just use a regular Mr. Coffee and some Folgers or Maxwell - whichever is cheaper. BUT, the secret to an amazing cup of coffee is putting chocolate mint in it. It is an herb that I grow in my garden. All you do is take about 5 leaves for 2-3 cups, stick it in the bottom of the filter, throw the coffee on top, and make it like usual. It is so delicious! Chocolate mint can be found pretty much anywhere, and is easy to grow. It is really aromatic too, so the smell alone helps to wake you up

Something else I would like to add...an example of what I am talking about in my post above, from something going on in TheGradCafe. There was an interesting conversation going on in one of the threads regarding reputation points on this forum. A number of folks were expressing concerns that others were giving people negative points just because they didn't agree with their opinions. The prevailing logic on the thread was that negative points should only be given to a poster who has tried to hijack the thread, said something inappropriate etc. Posters were saying that oftentimes when someone doesn't agree with the consensus, they are voted down, even if the poster had made a valid claim and substantiated their opinion with facts, etc. Now, I would say a number of academics hang out here on TheGradCafe. Obviously concerns are being expressed that people are unfairly judging posters (giving them negative REPUTATION points) just because they don't agree with their opinions. Some folks also expressed in the threads that they would like the option to see which posts received the negative votes, and who voted them down. Which would 1.) Discourage people from flagrantly voting down well-thought out opinions they just don't agree with and 2.) Allow the poster to engage in discussion with the person who voted them down. Now, I bet that if there was an option to see who voted what down and engage that person in conversation and make them actually defend why they voted the post down, people wouldn't vote posts down as much for simply disagreeing with an intelligent point of view. Why? Because the people voting posts down couldn't hide behind the veil of anonymity as much. So, that brings me to the OP's worry that someone such as a hiring manager might see their videos and hold something they said against them. They can be just as snarky as the people sometimes are on TheGradCafe, who vote reputation points down when they feel like it, and harbor prejudices against the OP for disagreeing with them. They can also hide behind the veil of anonymity, because really, who is going to admit they don't want to interview, work with, be around someone because of some Youtube videos. If you brought up your controversial viewpoints when having a conversation with someone, you would have the chance to engage in an intelligent conversation with that person. But if you use TheGradCafe as a case study, SOME not all of the people viewing your Youtube videos will take it at face value and not want to be mature enough to initiate an intelligent conversation with you. Just a thought.

The OP expressed worry, so I was just trying to offer a suggestion. In a perfect world, people wouldn't hold something you said on Youtube against you, and appreciate that you have opinions and are expressing them, which adds to the diversity of discussion. BUT, if you have a difference of opinion, some people will hold it against you. Especially when they view something you've posted online, and you don't have the opportunity to have a conversation and to educate the person on why you think the way you do. It would be different if you said something in the classroom or at a conference, which provides the correct forum for a conversation about the issue(s) at hand. I'm not saying academics shouldn't express their opinions...just not sure Youtube is the correct place to be addressing controversial topics. Imagine someone is looking over your job application and they decide to Google you to see what comes up - everybody does it. They see your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, published research, maybe you put your resume up...and oh...what is this? Youtube videos that the applicant posted. Better hope the hiring manager likes what they see, b/c when you have such a small amount of information to form an opinion about the applicant on (right or wrong, people do it) do you really want controversial videos you might never get the chance to address with the person looking to find info about you out there?

I think you are being completely rational. I recently started a blog about my graduate experience/assistantship and am keeping it all anonymous (not mentioning the school's name, even.) I'm so paranoid, I manipulate small details in my blog entry to throw someone off who might be on my trail! haha. I'm blogging directly about my grad school experience...it sounds like your videos may not be as direct, and less likely to offend someone. I think you just have to use your judgement. Maybe try not to vlog about controversial topics in your field of expertise.

Keep in mind when reading this, I am in a higher education program, which means that my SOP focused on different things than say someone in the hard sciences...maybe some others in the social science area or education will find this helpful. Luckily I had a very competent practitioner in the field who had gone through the same program look over my SOP, b/c after she did, I realized what a mess it was. Getting an assistantship in residential housing was very important to me, and I feel into the pitfall of trying to talk about everything I did working as a resident adviser, and how much I wanted to work in housing, blah blah blah. The person looking at it said. " That's nice you want to get an assistantship and have done all of these things in housing, but you need to get into the program before you can get the assistantship." She reminded me to think about who my audience was (professors) and write about what kind of student I would be in the program. THE LIGHT BULB WENT OFF! I finally realized that it was important to include things in my SOP that can't be listed on a resume (like my RA accomplishments). Things that will help the reader get to know you as a person. Things like - what drives me, how have my perspectives of student affairs changed through my experience, what kind of supervisor do i strive to be (supervision is important in student affairs), what are my values, etc. If you think about fields like higher education and other similar ones, these types of careers depend on your abilities to communicate effectively, make split decision judgement calls when the rules aren't always black and white, supervise others and help them to elevate themselves, etc. So for this reason, I think it is more important in these areas to communicate who your are as a person, and your personal philosophy. Certain skills can be taught, but a number of characteristics of a successful practitioner in this field are inherent, and can't be taught. You need to convey to the reader of your SOP that you have these important foundational characteristics on which the program will build. Also, while it is important to provide some specifics as to what you want to pursue (in my case, housing) mention you are open to other opportunities, as you don't want to close yourself off from other interesting opportunities and experiences. Hope this helps!

Ditto. It will totally come through in the letter that they do not know you well.

I recently got a Droid. I had a flip phone for 6 years. I was so old school I didn't even had texting on my plan! I thought it was stupid, and if something was really that important, someone could call me. I was so wrong. Aside from now experiencing the world of texting (I'm guessing you already have texting) I love being able to get my email. It was especially helpful when waiting to receive grad school offers - I didn't have to get on my computer 10 times a day. I love being able to check out my news app first thing in the morning so I know what is going on in the world, as well as having Twitter at my fingertips. I used to think Twitter was pointless, until I got it on my mobile. Now I love it. It is also nice to use to kill time when you are waiting for class, meeting, etc. Facebook and Angry Birds keeps me occupied I also love being able to use the GPS app on my phone, b/c I am extremely directionally challenged. It is just really nice to be able to jump on the web when I need to find something out quick, vs. having to go boot up my computer. Lastly, I live out in the country, and was never able to get cell service with old phones. My droid has wireless on it, so I can connect to my wireless at home to get service. Now I can actually receive phone calls at home! That alone is worth it. You really don't know what you are missing out on, until you get one. Also Behavioral - that REM sleep alarm sounds so cool. I am going to get it now!

So true...I don't TA, but work with undergrads a lot and will be supervising a staff of them soon. Humor is what I use to connect with them. I use self deprecation too - it helps to show them that you don't take yourself so seriously, and I think they will respect you more for it. Just don't over do it - fine line there. Also, I would suggest being more strict when you start out with your class, and see how it goes. Everybody wants to be laid back and cool, which is ok if you have mature undergrads who can handle it. BUT, if you have immature undergrads and you let them run wild at the beginning, it is soooo hard to reign them back in when you have a Lord of the Flies situation going on. I would say be more structured at the beginning, and see how they deal with it. Give them a little more rope as the quarter/semester goes on, and if they hang themselves with it, pull back. If not, then you can ease up Good luck!

Gun control is interesting. Even if you impose restrictions on campus, criminals and other people you wouldn't want to carry guns are still going to ignore the rules and carry weapons. Some believe that gun control just takes the guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens, who would be the kind of people who would defend themselves and others properly, should a situation arise. The people who are adamant about carrying a gun, are going to do it regardless. The question is - do you want the other side to be armed as well? I go back and forth on it. I would never feel comfortable carrying one anyways...maybe I will go invest in a taser

My school offers lifetime e-mail. When you graduate, you have the option of keeping that e-mail for life. It is convenient, but I stuck with my gmail and use my old school e-mail as junk e-mail

I share your sentiments, especially after a year off! I miss learning something new and interesting everyday after working in a cubicle from 9-5. Maybe I will go to the library and skim over some of the textbooks to see the general topics of discussions. Sounds like a number of people do this, and I don't have to spend a lot of time reading them word per word.

That is a really good point Moose! I was having a discussion with the faculty member who interviewed me for my program to be, and he mentioned that the one thing about higher education is a lot of students get so caught up in the student affairs aspect of it, they forget it about higher education as a discipline that needs to be studied and researched as a whole. Sometimes I feel I am guilty of this - I get caught up in the world of student affairs - but your comment is a good reminder for me to not be so narrow this fall when I start my program!

Actually, I've recently procured textbooks from the grad who hosted me during grad visits! We don't have to worry about comps And I would like to share with you an exact quote from my cohort's Facebook page, " I feel like a nerd for ordering my book this early, but I'm just pumped to start school." The quote is only followed by 6 comments from other classmates saying they can't wait til fall, and have already ordered books on Amazon etc...so yeah, I would say in the case of my cohort, they are eager to start the year.

So, our professor recently e-mailed my cohort with the names of some of our textbooks for fall and the syllabi. A bunch of the people in my cohort apparently went out and bought the textbooks, and are going to be reading them this summer. Since this is my last summer of freedom, I can find a lot other more appealing things to do. Did you guys read some of your textbooks to prepare for your program? Am I way off base in thinking this is a little overboard? It isn't that I'm super excited to start my program...it is just 1.) I am cheap and was planning on buying my books at a discount from the cohort above me and 2.) If I read them now, would probably forget most of it by fall anyways How do you guys feel about it?