Cafe Victoria

Yahoo..finished another paper..this time I feel tired. The third year of grad school has officially set in. I remember hearing from other third years that the second year was the hardest one to get through. Ahh.. I’m going to have to say the third year might be the one. We’ve got A LOT of reading and papers to write. So, if I do not sound as excited as the year before..imagine you’re on a steep hike..and you have not reached the level part yet. This year is going to feel like a long hike to the ocean. Hmm..I will keep you posted on what hike I am on. Right now, I feel like I just started the Muir Beach hike. Great view to go with a great book, just lots of questions to answer.
On a fun note: Yesterday, we saw my life long friend Christine and her Husband Quoc’s new baby. Another life long friend, Kristina came down and we joined others in celebrating Nathan’s arrival to the Do family. I am soo happy for them. Let me tell you, it is an amazing feeling when you see your elementary school playmate holding their first child.

While on the path of studying Student Affairs I would:

Write papers:

• At the Sunflower Café in Sonoma Plaza.
• At the Acura dealership in Fairfield while waiting for car service.
• At Factor 5 in a spare desk across from Matthias.

Often feel:

• Overwhelm
• Excited
• Supported

Discover:

• How much I love watching people socialize and connect at cafés.
• How much I love and believe in community college students and their experience.
• How much I enjoy reading on our front porch.

Often drink and eat:

• Green and Earl Grey tea.
• Dark Chocolate

Procrastinate with:

• Doing laundry.
• Writing a blog entry for my web site…

Last Friday morning, after getting some great advise from Tira and support from Matthias, I contacted the course instructor, switched my plane ticket and I am now traveling to APU earlier for the Strengths Quest elective course. I feel at peace and excited about taking this course. I was a little stressed because I was trying to get into a counseling course at Sonoma State or SFSU to use as my elective for my program, but never heard back from them. Then I realized, it was not meant to happen.

Last summer, I took the instrument as part of another course and fell in love with the idea of focusing and finding ways to use your own and others strengths. I mention in my About section my top 5 strengths. Finding what you are good at is awesome. Finding out what you are really great at..fun and challenging. I look forward to reporting back on how this elective course will help me use my top 5 strengths “Responsibility, Significance, Maximizer, Arranger and Communication” and encourage others to do the same. My strengths motivate me and drive me nuts at the same time!

To my co-hort ladies! I’m looking forward to seeing all 7 of us strong, smart, sexy and natural at Student Affairs CSA summer track APU class of 2008. Yahoo! 3rd years!

Yahoo! Another assignment done, finished, and delivered over email. As many of you have heard me talking about, these past 2 weeks I have been interviewing Napa Valley College Community College Transfer Students to find out if they joined Greek Life at the University level. Thank you Sonya, Ryan, Mariam, Vicente, Matt and Mario for being part of my focus group. Here are some of the common themes found between their interviews.

1. Greek Life builds a social community.

All of the students interviewed mention that Greek life is a social community and essential on a college campus.

2. Greek Life at the Community College.

The group was split on this topic. Interesting enough the three students who wanted to join Greek Life did not think Greek Life could exist on a community college campus, while the three who did not pledge, agreed that Greek Life could exist on a community college campus.

Today I studied for 3 hours at my usual Starbucks in American Canyon. When you do graduate work online, schedule time to do homework and making sure you have a study buddy. It makes all the difference. This afternoon, I actually felt like I was doing something fun and not working. Part of the reason why I felt this way was because one of my students was working there and I did not have to worry or advise her. Now, she was working and I was doing homework.

This current class I am taking is very much on your own. I only have 4 assignments but these assignments are huge. There is no class discussion or reports on reading required on the ecollege site. Every time I have a class like this it reminds me how much you learn is your responsibility. It is your responsibility to do the research, ask all the right questions and manage your time wisely. Ironically, how well you do is in your own hands. Makes you wondering if this kind of learning is suppose to transform how you live your life. If no one is grading you on how much time you spend at the gym or with your family, how do you know when you are doing enough?

On a side note, my younger self would not approve of my studying at a Starbucks. He he.

I need your input. For my current research project, I am researching the transfer experience of community college students; especially those who join the Greek system at their four year college. If you are a transfer student who can related to this project, please leave a comment. If you are a transfer student, I would also like to hear how your experience was moving on to a four-year university. Here are a few questions to answer. Feel free to leave your email for follow up.

1)      Are you a commuter or do you live on campus?

2)      Why did you decide to join a fraternity or sorority?

3)      Since you have transferred, has your G.P.A. increased?

4)      What has been the biggest change since you transferred to a four-year college?

Thanks for your help!

This week I begin another graduate course. This one is titled Today’s College Students. The main focus of the course is a research paper on a subgroup. My first choice is on the subgroup of Transfer Students who join Greek Life. Why or why not? I think it would be interesting to learn if Greeks consider recruiting incoming transfer students along with incoming freshman.

Today, the students I work with were in the office scrambling to finish their scholarship applications. They even asked to shorten the student government meeting so they could finish their applications. For the first time, I think the office was pretty quiet while 5 students focused on their personal essays. I wish them the best. Any student who applies for financial support will use all the help they can get. It takes a lot out of you to talk about yourself, your strengths, and why you are worthy …kind of like applying for a job. The best part is the feeling you get when you turn it in and let life takes it course. I say go for it, whatever it may be!