Our Journey has just Begun
As week 5 comes to a close I have to take a deep breath, step back and look at lessons learned thus far as a masters candidate in the CICS program. With two 620 assessments completed, preliminary papers written and graded and group projects progressing I’m beginning to understand the phrase “work to your full potential.”
Dr. Gillette created an analysis comparing the orientation of an undergraduate and a master candidate. Undergraduates focus on self-development, figure out personal strengths and how to grow into mature adults. In the graduate world, the expectation is to focus on developing professional skills and work as you would in the business world. He compares undergraduate to graduate students as high school student to undergraduates, we are now in a different world.
In graduate school the work is extensive, the content is challenging and the responsibility is intense. While overwhelming at first, I feel like I am beginning to swim as opposed to struggling to stay afloat. The culture in CICS feels more like a large, extended family. You can rely on classmates to send you their notes and faculty to schedule weekly review sessions for additional explanation. We have developed fast friendships and built alliances to offer support through a program you truly cannot understand until you experience it.
We are still in the early stages of the year, with plenty of time for mistakes and success. I take one day at a time and live by various to-do lists scribbled on post-it notes, scraps of paper and my Google calendar. I have come to terms with the fact that at times I will get overwhelmed and want to give up. Graduate school is hard, but it pushes you to the limit to prepare you for experiences in the working world.
Works cited:
Gillette, J.E. 2006. Factors of Primary Perception or Orientation. Human Communication: Process and Theory Course Handout. Ball State University, Muncie, IN.