Journal Entries
Monday April 30, 2018
I met with one of the Master program contributors for my brochures to interview them. I walked into the meeting excited and full of energy but unfortunately left not so enthusiastic. I have had such an astounding amount of positive feedback and contribution coming from each of the contributors about their programs I guess it was bound to happen sometime that someone wasn't as happy as I had expected them to be. I had a scheduled interview time with this person and had emailed them prior to confirm, I thought we were on the same page. I walked into the office and sat down to begin my interview and the responses I had were really defeating. This person told me that "there is no such thing as a non-traditional student" and "what I was considering to be non-traditional was not correct". I have done my research, I've been working alongside the non-traditional student office for some time now, and I am a non-traditional student myself. I know what the definition of a non-traditional student is.
Now, I can see a little bit where they are coming from, everyone has limitations even traditional students and teachers shouldn't bend over backwards just for non-traditional students but that doesn't give them the right to disregard non-trad student organizations as a whole. I think by the end of my interview I softened them up a little and explained a little better what I was doing and who I was. When I told this person that I was married, had a child, was pregnant with baby #2, working full time, going to school full time, have a husband that was going to school full time and also working I think they realized "oh non-traditional students do have a few more responsibilities compared to the average traditional student".
I am glad that I was able to smooth things over and leave on the same page as this person but it made me sad that it's people like this person who judge too quickly and assume things that make it hard for us non-traditional students to succeed. We need people in our court to help us play the game of life. We need supporters and encouragers not people who bring us down and make us feel less of a person.
Tuesday May 8, 2018
I volunteered in the non-trad office today! Today consisted of 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon. During the summer, the campus kind of becomes a ghost town. You have a few students that take classes and a few new orientations but other than that its pretty bare. I was nervous that I wouldn't have a lot to do but I was pleasantly surprised! Turns out summer is actually prime time for non-traditional students to come ask questions! Less crowded halls I guess make the school a little less intimidating so students who are much older (40 years old +) tend to come on campus more.
We also had some perspective students who came to check out the school who were non-traditional students as well! One of the girls who came in was so happy to know that there was a central location that she could come to that had "more people like her" that she could socialize with. I talked to her about all the different services we provide at the Non-Traditional Student Services Office and I also got the opportunity to tell her about the brochures I am making! She seemed so excited for them to get finished and put on display! I can't wait!
Monday May 21, 2018
I spent the majority of the day in the library making final edits on all of the brochures and printing out all the copies. I had a lot of print credit left and since I am graduating at the end of the summer I don't really have a use for it. Instead of just wasting it, I decided to "donate" it to the Non-Traditional Student Services Office and print my brochures using it! The library staff got a little chuckle out of me printing what seemed to be 100's of copies but it was so fun to see all these brochures come to life!! It was one of my favorite parts of this project. I have worked so hard on these brochures and to have them physically in my hand makes me so excited to give them the Non-Traditional Student Services Office!!
Thursday May 24, 2018
I dropped off all of my brochures to the Non-Traditional Student Office today! I printed 120 copies of the office brochures and 60 of each of the Master program brochures, folded them all, and hand delivered them! They were so excited to put them on display and have them available to all their non-trad students. I also gave them access to all of the brochures I created so that they will always be available and can be updated as years go on and things change. I love that non-trad students have a one-stop-shop at the school to be able to get all their questions answered and having those brochures there help make it that much more convenient for them!
I met with one of the Master program contributors for my brochures to interview them. I walked into the meeting excited and full of energy but unfortunately left not so enthusiastic. I have had such an astounding amount of positive feedback and contribution coming from each of the contributors about their programs I guess it was bound to happen sometime that someone wasn't as happy as I had expected them to be. I had a scheduled interview time with this person and had emailed them prior to confirm, I thought we were on the same page. I walked into the office and sat down to begin my interview and the responses I had were really defeating. This person told me that "there is no such thing as a non-traditional student" and "what I was considering to be non-traditional was not correct". I have done my research, I've been working alongside the non-traditional student office for some time now, and I am a non-traditional student myself. I know what the definition of a non-traditional student is.
Now, I can see a little bit where they are coming from, everyone has limitations even traditional students and teachers shouldn't bend over backwards just for non-traditional students but that doesn't give them the right to disregard non-trad student organizations as a whole. I think by the end of my interview I softened them up a little and explained a little better what I was doing and who I was. When I told this person that I was married, had a child, was pregnant with baby #2, working full time, going to school full time, have a husband that was going to school full time and also working I think they realized "oh non-traditional students do have a few more responsibilities compared to the average traditional student".
I am glad that I was able to smooth things over and leave on the same page as this person but it made me sad that it's people like this person who judge too quickly and assume things that make it hard for us non-traditional students to succeed. We need people in our court to help us play the game of life. We need supporters and encouragers not people who bring us down and make us feel less of a person.
Tuesday May 8, 2018
I volunteered in the non-trad office today! Today consisted of 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon. During the summer, the campus kind of becomes a ghost town. You have a few students that take classes and a few new orientations but other than that its pretty bare. I was nervous that I wouldn't have a lot to do but I was pleasantly surprised! Turns out summer is actually prime time for non-traditional students to come ask questions! Less crowded halls I guess make the school a little less intimidating so students who are much older (40 years old +) tend to come on campus more.
We also had some perspective students who came to check out the school who were non-traditional students as well! One of the girls who came in was so happy to know that there was a central location that she could come to that had "more people like her" that she could socialize with. I talked to her about all the different services we provide at the Non-Traditional Student Services Office and I also got the opportunity to tell her about the brochures I am making! She seemed so excited for them to get finished and put on display! I can't wait!
Monday May 21, 2018
I spent the majority of the day in the library making final edits on all of the brochures and printing out all the copies. I had a lot of print credit left and since I am graduating at the end of the summer I don't really have a use for it. Instead of just wasting it, I decided to "donate" it to the Non-Traditional Student Services Office and print my brochures using it! The library staff got a little chuckle out of me printing what seemed to be 100's of copies but it was so fun to see all these brochures come to life!! It was one of my favorite parts of this project. I have worked so hard on these brochures and to have them physically in my hand makes me so excited to give them the Non-Traditional Student Services Office!!
Thursday May 24, 2018
I dropped off all of my brochures to the Non-Traditional Student Office today! I printed 120 copies of the office brochures and 60 of each of the Master program brochures, folded them all, and hand delivered them! They were so excited to put them on display and have them available to all their non-trad students. I also gave them access to all of the brochures I created so that they will always be available and can be updated as years go on and things change. I love that non-trad students have a one-stop-shop at the school to be able to get all their questions answered and having those brochures there help make it that much more convenient for them!
Comments
Post a Comment