How are you feeling about your experience so far?
I am so ecstatic to be at HGSE! I came back to school after having worked in higher education for nine years, and my on-ramp to graduate school was several years along – so, I was REALLY ready. I leave my classes feeling so energized by the topics we discuss and by the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that my classmates bring to the classroom. While there are some days when I feel completely overwhelmed, and suffer from some imposter syndrome, most of the time I feel so content and grateful to be here.
What’s your class schedule like?
In the Higher Education Program, we have two required classes, Proseminar in Higher Education and History of American Higher Education. I am also taking Tackling Tough Challenges in Higher Education and College Student Development. I’m in class on Monday through Thursday mornings, as well as Tuesday evenings, and History of American Higher Education is my only class that meets twice per week.
What’s your favorite class?
That’s a tough one – for me, it’s between Proseminar in Higher Education and College Student Development. In Proseminar (one of the required classes for the Higher Education Program), everything we talk about is so topical, and an incredible feature of the class is that we’ve had a President-in-Residence (Jim Mullen, President of Allegheny College) attend our class for the first several weeks. He also makes himself available outside of class and has held lunches and snack breaks with groups of us. Jim brings such a unique perspective to the class, and since Judy McLaughlin, our professor, leads an institute for new college presidents each summer, they both lend such valuable insights into the structural challenges of higher education.
I am hoping to transition from admissions to student affairs, so College Student Development has been on my radar for awhile. It’s being taught by my advisor, Alexis Redding, and she presents student development theory in such an engaging and accessible way. I am not a night owl, and I don’t think I could get excited about an evening class besides this one!
How does the workload compare to your expectations?
The fire hose metaphor definitely applies to my HGSE experience thus far. I have not been in school for nine years, so it has been an adjustment getting back into constant reading, academic writing, etc. It is a lot of work, but, for the most part, the readings are really engaging, and your papers are a way to explore areas of higher education that are of interest to you. Especially if you’re looking to transition to a new area of higher education, papers are a great way to get your feet wet before you’ve worked in that area.
What’s been the biggest surprise and/or challenge?
My experience at HGSE is somewhat unique in that I moved to Cambridge with my husband and delicious one-year-old son, pictured here with me on my first day of school and his first day of daycare! Balancing being a parent with being a graduate student is definitely challenging, and, after consulting career services over the summer, I opted not to pursue an internship this year so I could focus on my studies and on my family this year. Nighttime events and group meetings are typically off-limits for me, unless it’s something I can’t miss. I am taking a night class one day per week this semester, which involves my husband having to leave work quite early to handle daycare pickup and bedtime. That being said, I’m learning how to prioritize the things that are important to me about the HGSE experience rather than trying to do ALL of the things, and feel so grateful that I have both a supportive partner who is picking up a lot of slack around the house this year and a child who reminds me of why I’m doing this! I spoke to a former student-parent last year and would love to pay it forward and speak to any prospective students who are in the same boat!
Do you have a favorite spot on campus yet?
When I’m on campus, I’m either in classrooms or in Gutman Library. There are some large tables in Gutman that look out on Appian Way that are great places to get work done while also seeing some natural light.
Author
Kristen Robinson is a master’s student in the Higher Education Program.
HGSE Admissions Blog 