If you are reading this right now, you might be considering a higher education or student affairs graduate program, currently in one, supervising or mentoring current grad students, or simply looking for another good article to read. While my intention is focused on the first two scenarios, I hope it also helps those who fall into the latter categories.
Let me start by saying congratulations on your new journey into higher education. This profession needs your insights, suggestions, experiences, leadership, empathy, and dedication. Despite the challenges within our profession, the reward of helping students reach their goals and dreams, break generational barriers, and gain the skills necessary to be productive members of society is worth it all. Creating change in the world is hard work, but there are amazing partners in the work and phenomenal students on our campuses we are able to collaborate with to make sustainable progress. By the end of this article, I hope you find my perspective and suggestions helpful as you prepare to start or complete your higher education/student affairs journey.
At the time of writing this, I am preparing for my second year of graduate school at the University of Georgia (UGA) in the College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program. During my summer internship at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in 2024, one of the rising seniors on our orientation leader team approached me about pursuing a master’s degree in student affairs/higher education. Our conversation covered questions you and I may have asked: How did you choose your program? How did you secure an assistantship? What should I include on my resume and cover letter? This conversation forced me to reflect on my journey of pursuing this career path and the many conversations I had with mentors leading up to my first day as an M.Ed. student at UGA.
To provide some context, it was a whirlwind two-month journey for me, as I had not previously known about this field or wanted to pursue a graduate degree at the time. You may feel the same, which is fine as this is a common narrative at the beginning of a student affairs journey. When I decided to pursue a master’s degree in student affairs, I was a senior at James Madison University (JMU). It was the first week of October, and the December 1 deadline for many programs was quickly approaching. I reached out to some amazing mentors, Dr. Alysia Davis, Dr. Mike Davis, and Dr. Myles Surrett, who guided me through the process.
It was a quick turnaround, but I submitted my applications, attended in-person interviews while serving as an interim director of bands and orchestra, and moved eight hours away to Athens, Georgia, to start a journey I did not fully know what the next steps would look like. Since then, I’ve woken up every day excited to be in this profession and serve the students I work with in my assistantship in University Housing. That conversation with the orientation leader made me reflect on some valuable lessons for graduate students entering the graduate school path or currently walking through the journey. While the following points are not exhaustive, I hope they serve as a helpful reference as you prepare for this life-changing journey.
Take Time to Identify Your Why
As mentioned, I attended James Madison University, earning my bachelor’s degree in music education with an Honors Interdisciplinary Studies minor. One of my favorite classes was a music education professional practice class with Dr. Amy Birdsong and Scott Rikkers. This class taught me that I struggled with reflection (more to come later on this topic). Throughout my time in the class, there was never a day where Scott did not directly ask or follow up a comment with the question, “Why?” I think this is such a short question with profound implications. After struggling to answer the question sometimes, I learned that the class taught me the beauty of reflecting on this question: “Why?” It is a question that helps bring clarity and focus to any situation for me.
Regardless of when you read this, let this be your sign to reflect on your why in life or why you are joining this profession. This is important for two reasons. First, this work is challenging. With critiques from political leaders and the media, enrollment challenges, and questions surrounding the return on investment in higher education, the attrition rate in our profession is climbing more than ever. Knowing your why helps you press on when knocked down by personal and professional challenges. Knowing your why helps you recenter discussions where you have a voice at the table. Knowing your why enables you to push through the late-night programming events or crisis response calls that may shorten your beauty rest. Knowing your why can inspire and motivate you to go the extra mile because you know you have a goal in mind and a purpose to fulfill.
Secondly, I have learned that answering the questions of who, what, when, where, and how becomes easier when you know the why. While you don’t need to know all these answers at the start of your journey, identifying your why is crucial to helping you answer them along the way. My why is to positively inspire and influence the lives of students I work with by helping them turn their goals and aspirations into reality. With my why identified, I can confidently answer the who, what, where, when, and how. If any of those answers do not align with my why, then most likely, it is not a decision I need to make or a direction I should go in.
So, what is your why?
Your Peers Can Also Be Your Professors
The CSAA M.Ed. program at UGA is a cohort model. I knew I needed this structure when selecting a graduate program because I thrive in a community with like-minded people passionate about seeing students succeed in supportive and inclusive environments. Regardless of your program’s modality, your peers can also be your professors, teaching you some of your greatest lessons that will be integral in your work as a student affairs professional. The peers you learn alongside will have experiences that offer different perspectives or new insights.
Think of your time in a graduate program like building a house. Your professors help you set your foundation, but your peers help you build the rest of what your dream home will look like. My cohort has taught me countless new things, from Duval’s focus on first-generation students to Maitlyn’s passion for working with college athletes, Zeke’s desire to be a catalyst for change in K-12 and higher education, and Lillie’s love for global engagement and study abroad. It was when I took a moment to listen and learn from those with whom I shared the classroom space that helped me understand perspectives I may never have read about or witnessed personally or professionally. Your peers will provide insights that may be missing from articles or presentations. This is not a critique of the schools and professors; instead, it’s an opportunity to have intentional conversations with those walking alongside you on this journey.
If we are honest, you and your peers will be the ones who have a clearer understanding of the practical application of what you are learning in the classroom. You also have a greater pulse on what students on the college campus in today’s world are thinking, feeling, saying, and seeing. Invest in your professional network by learning about the passions of those you are in class with and share your experiences or journey to higher education. These will be the colleagues you will work alongside to help solve our most challenging issues in higher education and find innovative ways to serve today’s students best.
Relationships Are the Currency of Higher Education
I cannot stress this point enough. I remember conversing with one of my close friends in our program, Duval McCoy, about this point during the spring semester of my first year. We were reflecting on how small the student affairs profession is regarding who knows who. If you did not know that we are a big profession with a tight-knit community feel, here is your warning. Everyone knows everyone! I shared with him that in the short six months of working together in the classroom and our housing assistantship, “relationships are the currency of higher education.” This work of student affairs is based on relationships: the connections you develop with students, the partnerships you form with families and supporters, and the collaborations you build with colleagues in your office/across the institution.
When prioritizing meaningful connections with students, we can foster a supportive work and engaging learning environment. Through my internship at UMW, I learned how building partnerships with families and student support helps ensure a holistic approach to education, recognizing the vital role that parents and guardians play in this transformative moment in a student’s life. Collaborating with colleagues (peers, professors, or practitioners) creates a community of support where sharing ideas and resources enhances professional growth practice. Together, these relationships, and many more, create a foundation for a thriving educational community as a graduate student and practitioner in the profession. Our success in this profession lies within the intentional and meaningful relationships we develop and maintain. Start building those relationships by asking questions, scheduling coffee or lunch meetings, and connecting with individuals on social media platforms. You never know when one relationship/connection can be the key to a conference presentation collaboration, job opportunity, or support system in your student affairs career.
Every Experience Brings Revelation, Confirmation, and Information
I learned this recent lesson through my practicum and internship experience. You will have many opportunities to explore or engage with hands-on experience through internships and practicums. Each of these opportunities has a moment of revelation, a point of confirmation, and provides a depth of information. The revelation is when you discover new knowledge or truth through experience. This can be the revelation of your capabilities, passion, and insights into strengths and challenges in our profession. The confirmation lies in the validation you receive through the practical application of your work. For some of us, that is the realization that we can see ourselves continuing this work in a certain functional area or institution type. For others, confirmation looks like continuing to search for what other opportunities are still out there to find our best fit. The information focuses on the fact that we are a profession that prides itself on being lifelong learners. Despite how good or bad the experience may be, there is a lesson of information in everything, which will be used at some point in our professional career.
For example, you accepted an internship at a large institution in the student conduct office. This internship may have revealed that you have a passion for helping students understand and learn from mistakes related to their poor decisions, confirmed that you prefer to work at a smaller institution, and helped you realize your gift and skills related to administrative tasks.
Reflecting on what revelations, confirmations, and information you have gained in every experience will help you narrow your job search after completing your degree program, so do not delay discussing, documenting, and dreaming about these along your journey.
Get Ready to Reflect
Lastly, as I have mentioned several times, get ready to reflect. Earlier, I shared that I did not like reflecting on everything that had happened in my life. I would do something, complete it, and move on to the next task. In our graduate program here at UGA, like many others across the nation, you will reflect at the beginning, the middle, and the end of every assignment, project, and step of your journey. I have learned, though, that this is not a bad professional and personal practice to implement in your life.
Reflection is helpful when communicating feelings or thoughts you cannot fully express. For example, in one of the courses I took during the first semester of my program, our professor, Dr. Dallin Young, assigned a one to two-page reflection on the class period for the week and the corresponding readings. I remember writing in one of my reflections, “This was a trying week, considering I was sick from the previous week and had trouble fully understanding the readings.” I wrote how I felt, and Dr. Young was so supportive and understanding that what I felt in my personal life directly impacted how I completed my work in my professional/scholarly endeavors.
Reflection will require you to be transparent and vulnerable with yourself and others. I learned this best when I was going through the interview process and would call my friend Mandy Vitale on car rides home to process everything that happened in the short 48 hours of being on a new campus to see if it was the program was the right fit for me. One of the most productive ways to make reflection time beneficial is to schedule a designated time and a special place to reflect on your feelings, thoughts, and actions. As someone still learning how to implement this in his own life, I can tell you that in the future, you will thank yourself for taking those moments and incorporating the practice into your work routines now.
In the spirit of reflection, I want you to think about these questions:
- What is my why (either personally or professionally)?
- How can I create opportunities to maximize learning from my peers?
- What relationships or connections am I hoping to grow in grad school?
- What experiences do I want to pursue, and what do I hope for regarding revelation, confirmation, and information?
- What time and place will I schedule to reflect on my journey?
So, those are the lessons I leave you with as you start, continue, or read about the journey of higher education. Remember, this is a journey or a marathon, as some mentors have reminded me. Similar to a road trip with friends, it will be filled with highs, lows, U-turns, unexpected inclement weather, and sunny drives cruising on the highway, listening to your favorite artist. Regardless of what season you are in right now, I hope these lessons encourage you when you want to give up, motivate you to step out of your sphere of comfort, and inspire you to pursue your passions with grit, determination, and confidence.
If no one has told you,
- I believe in you.
- This profession needs you.
- Take care of yourself and those around you.
- You are not alone.
- Lean on those around you doing this work and support them in return.
Always remember that today is a great day to make a difference in the lives of those around you.
Go forth and be the change
Author Bio:
Xaiver Williams (he/him) is a first-generation master’s student in the College Student Affairs Administration program at the University of Georgia. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 2023 from James Madison University. He currently holds a graduate assistantship in University Housing. His research interests focus on first-generation sense of belonging and success, Black male recruitment and retention, and student success and well-being.