It's the end of the school year as we know it! By now most, if not all colleges have closed up shop for the summer. I am sure it's such a good feeling. I know for me it is. For what will be a short month there won't be night and weekend obligations. I hope everyone had a good year and all those who started new jobs, either moved institutions or were starting your first jobs had good experiences at new places. It's kind of hard to decide if your year has been successful or not, well you survived so that is the first sign of success. If you made an impact on just one person's life weather it was a student, someone you were advising, or even someone you were working with, that would be considered successful.
I am sure all of you have had to do this at one point or another, close a building. As a wife, I don't completely understand all that goes into closing a building other then not seeing my husband for pretty much a whole weekend. Those experiencing this for the first time, trust me it's normal and it's all apart of the business. Yes, it can be hard because it's not something that happens, but the sliver lining is that it's only one weekend out of the year. Yes, on the flip side of that is opening but that's not as time consuming at most places as closing. When you have a significant other having to close a building the best you can do is be patient. Understand that even when they are home they might be call away to deal with something. They will come home completely worn down because they are walking the whole entire building and doing it multiple times depending on where the rooms that still need to be checked are. Also be prepared for what could be horror stories. College students aren't always as clean as you were in college(and if you weren't the cleanest person in your residence hall then you now have a new respect for your hall director). I am sure your significant other will complain about everything from the smell to the state of the bathroom. Unfortunately not everyone will think about cleaning when they are just wanting to get the heck out of dodge. Who you should feel for are the custodians who will have to get all of that cleaned up. If your college hosts conferences or camps most of the buildings will be used throughout the summer so will need to be completely cleaned in a timely manner.
Now is the time of the year that you can actually do most of your couple stuff. Over the summer before training starts there are not that many night and weekend obligations because student organizations don't meet, there are no events going on and unless they are coordinator for a camp or conference they spend all their time in their office and just meetings among other housing staff. For the first time they might come home at a decent hour, not have to go back to work after dinner, won't have to be up early on a Saturday to make an event. That pesky duty phone will barely ring. It will be a wonderful and glorious thing until training starts so take advantage of summer time while you can. It will go by fast and before you know it, your significant other will be knee deep in training and opening and then the regular school year will start and everything will start all over again.
A bit of good news is that it does seem to get easier as the years go on and of course as your significant other gets different jobs at different levels, there will be different obligations when it comes to all those different times of year and that will also make it a bit easier. Now it might never get to the point there they have no obligations at closing, only if they leave housing, but their level of participation will change as they change jobs. Just know that you can handle it. It's honestly only a small blip of time in the course of your life. For me, when my husband works late, it's time for me to watch those chick flicks I know he wouldn't really want to watch with me. I haven't done it yet, but if you have a lot of girlfriends, or are friends with other housing wives, then take this opportunity to have a girls night so you all don't feel alone. Heck go to bed early just so you can have the whole bed to yourself for a while. Just remember they are doing what they love and are passionate about and your love and support is all they need to get through the long days.
Hope everyone experienced a smooth closing and will enjoy their summer.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Diversity
I have been thinking long and hard about if I wanted to post on this subject or not. I mean who am I really to talk about diversity. I am a middle aged, white female. There isn't much diversity in me but, it's all around me. It's all around everyone and with this day and age of social media it's getting more and more attention and people need to pay attention to it.
Working in a college or university setting you are probably exposed to the most diverse population. A university is made up of all types of people. All different races, genders, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic status, social status, emotional state, make up a university. As a member of housing you are probably exposed to it the most because you interact with all those students on a daily basis and are charged with making sure each and every student is housed and feels safe in the environment you are providing them. All of those different people are mixed together and honestly some are not use to such diversity and they need to be helped to understand the world around them.
As professionals it's up to you to set the example of tolerance and acceptance of all people. Especially this year being a presidential voting year there is a lot being said about all different kinds of people and the best you can do is the best to keep the negative out of both your work environment as well as the general student environment that you are charged with looking after. I am not discouraging not talking politics but I am encouraging that you do it smartly and carefully as to not offend anyone, especially those you interact with on a daily basis.
I honestly believe that the university system is the most diverse population in the world, no other place will have a blending of so many different kind of people. Just think about it, at any given American university there are obviously natural born US citizens, students who have come over from other countries in order to get the best education that they can get(especially those from countries who have limited higher education opportunities). You have whites, African Americans, Latinos, Hispanics, Europeans, Asians, Native Americans, people whose family has been living in this country for centuries, people whose family immigrated not that long ago. You have people of varying genders, you have obviously males and females, but you also have those who are transgender and going through major changes in their lives. You have all different sexual orientations, those who are homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, questioning their sexuality and all their supporters. You have people of various economic statuses, those who are lucky enough to come from wealthy families that might be able to afford to pay for college, those who have to take out loans in order to attend, those who are able to get scholarships to pay for all or help pay for college, those who have worked for as long as they can remember and continue to work in order to pay because they don't want to take out loans. You also have people coming in from different social status, those that were super popular in the last school they were in and expect it to be that way again. Those that were considered the outcast and will find it hard to fit in to such a large population. Those that are somewhere in the middle and are trying to find the right place. Everyone trying to decide where they will fit in to the dynamic of the college setting. Even people of all different emotional states come to college. Those that are always happy and constantly see the sliver lining and the best of everything. Those that struggle with depression and have a hard time finding the good in life, those that have anxiety that will only be magnified in the high pressure situation of doing well in class and getting that degree. I know I am missing groups of people, but those are all I can think of off the top of my head.
As people who work in Res Ed, you are probably exposed to every single one of those people at some point throughout at least the college year. You talk to students on a daily basis and you probably know more about the population of students living on campus then those individuals actually living there. You have to help those students get along with one another. Most students will not have been exposed to all those types of people before and they will not completely understand or know how to interact with certain types of people. It's your responsibility to help them. Encourage them and guide them through their years of living on campus and hopefully teach them a thing or two about what is going on around them.
Best thing I think anyone working in Res Ed can do for themselves and for the students living on campus is to educate yourself and your students. Education yourself and your students on all the different groups of people that may inhabit within the residence halls. You might not be able to cover them all but you can do as much as you can. Best way to educate students is through programs. Programs that help students learn about the various groups of people I honestly believe will help those students become more well rounded and accepting adults. You are usually scared of the unknown, and so if you educate yourself and others about things that they might not know hopefully they won't be as scared and can have a better understanding of life and be more accepting. By educating on the various groups of people you are teaching tolerance and acceptance, not only of other people but of yourself. You honestly don't know who is struggling with what. If you teach students it's OK to be who you are and to be accepting of those who are different then them, then you are honestly creating a better living place for everyone. Will everyone be moved to change how they behave towards others, of course not. But if a program educating the students on a certain group of people even helps one person be more accepting of another then I would call it a success. With the way society is being divided, it's up to us to help bring people together and understand and accept people who are different then us. What better way to bring people of different backgrounds together then on a college campus where diversity runs through it all.
On a different note, I know it's spring break season, so safe travels to all who are going on adventures for spring break!
Working in a college or university setting you are probably exposed to the most diverse population. A university is made up of all types of people. All different races, genders, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic status, social status, emotional state, make up a university. As a member of housing you are probably exposed to it the most because you interact with all those students on a daily basis and are charged with making sure each and every student is housed and feels safe in the environment you are providing them. All of those different people are mixed together and honestly some are not use to such diversity and they need to be helped to understand the world around them.
As professionals it's up to you to set the example of tolerance and acceptance of all people. Especially this year being a presidential voting year there is a lot being said about all different kinds of people and the best you can do is the best to keep the negative out of both your work environment as well as the general student environment that you are charged with looking after. I am not discouraging not talking politics but I am encouraging that you do it smartly and carefully as to not offend anyone, especially those you interact with on a daily basis.
I honestly believe that the university system is the most diverse population in the world, no other place will have a blending of so many different kind of people. Just think about it, at any given American university there are obviously natural born US citizens, students who have come over from other countries in order to get the best education that they can get(especially those from countries who have limited higher education opportunities). You have whites, African Americans, Latinos, Hispanics, Europeans, Asians, Native Americans, people whose family has been living in this country for centuries, people whose family immigrated not that long ago. You have people of varying genders, you have obviously males and females, but you also have those who are transgender and going through major changes in their lives. You have all different sexual orientations, those who are homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, questioning their sexuality and all their supporters. You have people of various economic statuses, those who are lucky enough to come from wealthy families that might be able to afford to pay for college, those who have to take out loans in order to attend, those who are able to get scholarships to pay for all or help pay for college, those who have worked for as long as they can remember and continue to work in order to pay because they don't want to take out loans. You also have people coming in from different social status, those that were super popular in the last school they were in and expect it to be that way again. Those that were considered the outcast and will find it hard to fit in to such a large population. Those that are somewhere in the middle and are trying to find the right place. Everyone trying to decide where they will fit in to the dynamic of the college setting. Even people of all different emotional states come to college. Those that are always happy and constantly see the sliver lining and the best of everything. Those that struggle with depression and have a hard time finding the good in life, those that have anxiety that will only be magnified in the high pressure situation of doing well in class and getting that degree. I know I am missing groups of people, but those are all I can think of off the top of my head.
As people who work in Res Ed, you are probably exposed to every single one of those people at some point throughout at least the college year. You talk to students on a daily basis and you probably know more about the population of students living on campus then those individuals actually living there. You have to help those students get along with one another. Most students will not have been exposed to all those types of people before and they will not completely understand or know how to interact with certain types of people. It's your responsibility to help them. Encourage them and guide them through their years of living on campus and hopefully teach them a thing or two about what is going on around them.
Best thing I think anyone working in Res Ed can do for themselves and for the students living on campus is to educate yourself and your students. Education yourself and your students on all the different groups of people that may inhabit within the residence halls. You might not be able to cover them all but you can do as much as you can. Best way to educate students is through programs. Programs that help students learn about the various groups of people I honestly believe will help those students become more well rounded and accepting adults. You are usually scared of the unknown, and so if you educate yourself and others about things that they might not know hopefully they won't be as scared and can have a better understanding of life and be more accepting. By educating on the various groups of people you are teaching tolerance and acceptance, not only of other people but of yourself. You honestly don't know who is struggling with what. If you teach students it's OK to be who you are and to be accepting of those who are different then them, then you are honestly creating a better living place for everyone. Will everyone be moved to change how they behave towards others, of course not. But if a program educating the students on a certain group of people even helps one person be more accepting of another then I would call it a success. With the way society is being divided, it's up to us to help bring people together and understand and accept people who are different then us. What better way to bring people of different backgrounds together then on a college campus where diversity runs through it all.
On a different note, I know it's spring break season, so safe travels to all who are going on adventures for spring break!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Back at it
Well, I went on a long hiatus from this then I anticipated. Once again I will try and be more vigilant about updating the blog. Trying to adjust to a new area took a lot of time. Especially when we finally found a house and moved in. Casey survived his first summer, fall training and fall move in for the university. I guess the biggest news is that I have now entered into the university system. At the end of August I accepted a position as a dispatcher for the Office of Public Safety. I work over night so I know what happens when everyone goes to bed. Some nights it's thrilling other nights you are begging for a car to get pulled over just so you have something to do.
As many of you realize it's amazing how much housing and public safety interact with each other on a regular basis. In a way we both have the same goals, to keep the kids safe and let them have a great college experience. We are there to provide help when something bad happens, which we always hope nothing bad happens to students. You are there to provide help if they have issues with simple things. Housing also provides fun and interactive things for the students to do.
From moving around to different universities I have always like to see how the University and even housing interacts with the city around them. Mostly when it comes to major events. Most colleges with football teams have homecoming festivities and they do make sure to provide some that are family friendly. Here we were able to watch the homecoming parade and the girls enjoyed a few bounce houses afterwards. At Halloween RHA put on a Hall-o-ween program, they opened on of the halls to the public and had Halloween themed games as well as trick or treating through the residence hall. My kids thoroughly enjoy that, mostly because it means more candy. As a parent it's nice that college students recognize the need to provide a safe environment for kids to have fun and trick or treat without worrying about traffic or other hazards. I know the college students also love seeing the kids all dressed up.
If your University Housing doesn't already have programs like this lined up for holidays, I honestly would highly encourage you try and start setting it up. I know it's greatly appreciated by parents of smaller kids who doesn't necessarily want to take their kids out trick or treating on the streets. Also here they did an easter egg hunt for the kids, and divided them up by ages so it was more fair for the younger kids. This is good for the community too since not every town has places that do egg hunts or egg drops. It's also a great way for your student leaders to get even more creative especially when it comes to expanding to a larger section of the population and not just planning things for college students. It also gives the public a better look at what goes on in University housing being a bunch of college kids living in dorms. (I know that is a bad word in the housing world, but to be honest, everyone outside of university housing still call them dorms). Honestly planning a community involved event will give your student leaders a little bit more of a challenge because they would have to think about how to cater to a wider audience, especially when it involves children, mainly because you want to make sure you don't exclude any age groups. When you plan a hall only event it's easy to pick something the general population of your hall would like, because they are all around the same age and would probably enjoy the same thing. Letting them get their hands wet into planning something more board would be great real world experience and give you a better sense of how they are at tackling bigger projects.
Hopefully now that I work over night and honestly come 4 a.m. I am usually just trying to stay awake I will keep up with this blog more regularly. I ask only one thing of those who read this. Please share among your university housing friends, I would love to building a reader base and hopefully provide some helpful tips to those in housing and those who are the spouses/significant others of those in housing. I know this post was all over the place but I will come back with more solid topics that pertain mostly to surviving as a residence life spouse or significant other. Hope you will come back to reading and enjoy my insights.
As many of you realize it's amazing how much housing and public safety interact with each other on a regular basis. In a way we both have the same goals, to keep the kids safe and let them have a great college experience. We are there to provide help when something bad happens, which we always hope nothing bad happens to students. You are there to provide help if they have issues with simple things. Housing also provides fun and interactive things for the students to do.
From moving around to different universities I have always like to see how the University and even housing interacts with the city around them. Mostly when it comes to major events. Most colleges with football teams have homecoming festivities and they do make sure to provide some that are family friendly. Here we were able to watch the homecoming parade and the girls enjoyed a few bounce houses afterwards. At Halloween RHA put on a Hall-o-ween program, they opened on of the halls to the public and had Halloween themed games as well as trick or treating through the residence hall. My kids thoroughly enjoy that, mostly because it means more candy. As a parent it's nice that college students recognize the need to provide a safe environment for kids to have fun and trick or treat without worrying about traffic or other hazards. I know the college students also love seeing the kids all dressed up.
If your University Housing doesn't already have programs like this lined up for holidays, I honestly would highly encourage you try and start setting it up. I know it's greatly appreciated by parents of smaller kids who doesn't necessarily want to take their kids out trick or treating on the streets. Also here they did an easter egg hunt for the kids, and divided them up by ages so it was more fair for the younger kids. This is good for the community too since not every town has places that do egg hunts or egg drops. It's also a great way for your student leaders to get even more creative especially when it comes to expanding to a larger section of the population and not just planning things for college students. It also gives the public a better look at what goes on in University housing being a bunch of college kids living in dorms. (I know that is a bad word in the housing world, but to be honest, everyone outside of university housing still call them dorms). Honestly planning a community involved event will give your student leaders a little bit more of a challenge because they would have to think about how to cater to a wider audience, especially when it involves children, mainly because you want to make sure you don't exclude any age groups. When you plan a hall only event it's easy to pick something the general population of your hall would like, because they are all around the same age and would probably enjoy the same thing. Letting them get their hands wet into planning something more board would be great real world experience and give you a better sense of how they are at tackling bigger projects.
Hopefully now that I work over night and honestly come 4 a.m. I am usually just trying to stay awake I will keep up with this blog more regularly. I ask only one thing of those who read this. Please share among your university housing friends, I would love to building a reader base and hopefully provide some helpful tips to those in housing and those who are the spouses/significant others of those in housing. I know this post was all over the place but I will come back with more solid topics that pertain mostly to surviving as a residence life spouse or significant other. Hope you will come back to reading and enjoy my insights.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Recognition
As my husband is off attending a conference and bunches of now holders of master degrees move into new positions at new institutions I figured I would finally sit now and write a new post. With out recent move(s) I have been trying to find the time and the right nows to write this one.
Most people like instant gratification on a job well done. Usually that's not always the case, and it's no different with people working within Residential Life at any college/university. You deal with so much stuff from students to parents and most of the time you do not get a thank you. I am here to tell you that even though you don't get recognized for all that you do and the wonderful job each and every one of you do in your job people do notice and do appreciate it.
I can imagine that leaving one institution for another is hard, and maybe even harder when you leave wondering if anything you did there was noticed or even made a difference. Sometimes you leave wondering all of that and then one day you get your answer. It may take a while but somewhere down the line a person who you made a difference to will give you that recognition. Even if you don't hear from the people whose lives you touched(some people aren't good at saying things) know that everything you do is for a great reason. Without everyone within Res Life college/universities would be lost when it comes to housing their students. Even though more and more students choose to live off campus it's still a rite of passage for some to live on campus and get the full college experience and it's part of your job to make sure they have a safe and fulfilling experience. With so many students don't expect a thank you note from every single one of them. But know that you made a difference to some of them.
So thank you for all that you do and know that you make a difference and your job is important and that people do understand and appreciate all your hard work.
Also good luck to all recent grads starting their first 'real' jobs and to anyone who may have found new jobs and all who have changed colleges/universities. Settle in and show your new place what you are made of, you will make a difference wherever you go.
Most people like instant gratification on a job well done. Usually that's not always the case, and it's no different with people working within Residential Life at any college/university. You deal with so much stuff from students to parents and most of the time you do not get a thank you. I am here to tell you that even though you don't get recognized for all that you do and the wonderful job each and every one of you do in your job people do notice and do appreciate it.
I can imagine that leaving one institution for another is hard, and maybe even harder when you leave wondering if anything you did there was noticed or even made a difference. Sometimes you leave wondering all of that and then one day you get your answer. It may take a while but somewhere down the line a person who you made a difference to will give you that recognition. Even if you don't hear from the people whose lives you touched(some people aren't good at saying things) know that everything you do is for a great reason. Without everyone within Res Life college/universities would be lost when it comes to housing their students. Even though more and more students choose to live off campus it's still a rite of passage for some to live on campus and get the full college experience and it's part of your job to make sure they have a safe and fulfilling experience. With so many students don't expect a thank you note from every single one of them. But know that you made a difference to some of them.
So thank you for all that you do and know that you make a difference and your job is important and that people do understand and appreciate all your hard work.
Also good luck to all recent grads starting their first 'real' jobs and to anyone who may have found new jobs and all who have changed colleges/universities. Settle in and show your new place what you are made of, you will make a difference wherever you go.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Being There
I know it's been a while again. Still trying to settle down in Georgia. Hoping once we finally move into our house I will keep up with the blog more.
This post is about being there for work stuff. It's the end of the school year and for most housing staffs you have one if not more banquets to attend. I usually attend as many as I can. I will even request off work to do so. It did become more difficult once we started having kids. Sometimes brining kids is ok, usually everyone loves to see your kids and know how you and the kids are doing. If I know it's going to be a long banquet I will try and find a babysitter. You will find out what works best for you and your family when it comes time to be involved with staff stuff.
You might be wondering why as the significant other you should show up to staff events. It's just like for any job it always looks good to have your significant other show up to things. You want to show your significant other and their colleagues that you support them and their career. Usually most events are fun and you will end up having a great time. The banquets are always nice because it's usually a free meal.(LOL). Even if you can only show up for a minute, that can make a huge difference. You really want to let your partner know that you support them and their job. That is why I try and show up to all the events I can. Of course I am not saying you should put your job second like I do mine sometimes, but you have to put forth the effort. It will be a two way street. If you are willing to show up to work events for your partner, they will be more then willing to show up to work events for you.
I work part time so showing up to events are a little bit easier for me. Banquets are usually the easiest to attend especially if you also have a full time job because they are in the evening. Banquets are usually celebrating the RAs and any student group that is a part of housing. So there will be a lot of talking and speeches but it's a great way for you to learn about the people your partner works closely with every day.
Other events throughout the year are usually hall programs that are a little more relaxed and most of the time have food as well.(LOL). All programs are usually geared toward something educational mixed in with fun and entertainment. These kind of programs are usually the best to take the kids to as well because the kids will be more then welcoming and willing to let your kids participate. We haven't had many opportunities to attend programs here being only here a semester but one that we did go to had a pie your CL(community leader) to raise money. Someone paid the money but let our oldest do the actually pie throwing.
Weather it is a formal get together, an informational program and a just for fun program it's good that you try and be there to show your support for you partner, their job and their school. You will have a better understanding of what they do, and of the people they are working with. I usually become friends with many of Casey's co-workers and I first get to know them by attending programs and work related events.
As an end and different note I want to say congratulations to all grads who will be getting their Masters in Higher ed sometime within the next month. Also congrats to those who have found jobs and urge patients to those who haven't yet.
This post is about being there for work stuff. It's the end of the school year and for most housing staffs you have one if not more banquets to attend. I usually attend as many as I can. I will even request off work to do so. It did become more difficult once we started having kids. Sometimes brining kids is ok, usually everyone loves to see your kids and know how you and the kids are doing. If I know it's going to be a long banquet I will try and find a babysitter. You will find out what works best for you and your family when it comes time to be involved with staff stuff.
You might be wondering why as the significant other you should show up to staff events. It's just like for any job it always looks good to have your significant other show up to things. You want to show your significant other and their colleagues that you support them and their career. Usually most events are fun and you will end up having a great time. The banquets are always nice because it's usually a free meal.(LOL). Even if you can only show up for a minute, that can make a huge difference. You really want to let your partner know that you support them and their job. That is why I try and show up to all the events I can. Of course I am not saying you should put your job second like I do mine sometimes, but you have to put forth the effort. It will be a two way street. If you are willing to show up to work events for your partner, they will be more then willing to show up to work events for you.
I work part time so showing up to events are a little bit easier for me. Banquets are usually the easiest to attend especially if you also have a full time job because they are in the evening. Banquets are usually celebrating the RAs and any student group that is a part of housing. So there will be a lot of talking and speeches but it's a great way for you to learn about the people your partner works closely with every day.
Other events throughout the year are usually hall programs that are a little more relaxed and most of the time have food as well.(LOL). All programs are usually geared toward something educational mixed in with fun and entertainment. These kind of programs are usually the best to take the kids to as well because the kids will be more then welcoming and willing to let your kids participate. We haven't had many opportunities to attend programs here being only here a semester but one that we did go to had a pie your CL(community leader) to raise money. Someone paid the money but let our oldest do the actually pie throwing.
Weather it is a formal get together, an informational program and a just for fun program it's good that you try and be there to show your support for you partner, their job and their school. You will have a better understanding of what they do, and of the people they are working with. I usually become friends with many of Casey's co-workers and I first get to know them by attending programs and work related events.
As an end and different note I want to say congratulations to all grads who will be getting their Masters in Higher ed sometime within the next month. Also congrats to those who have found jobs and urge patients to those who haven't yet.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Going on a HUNT
A Job Hunt!
I know in my last post I said I would be doing my next post on duty calls, but with hiring conferences going on, I figured I would do a post about job searching. I have experienced job searching first hand from the first job hunt while still in grad school to job hunting for a different, possibly bigger and better position. I have picked up some tidbits on the way.
First time searchers might feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities and all the interviews. The best thing to do is make sure you have an open mind. Don't expect that your dream job at your dream school will be there waiting for you to apply. If it is there waiting for you, expect that you won't be the only one applying. Have back up plans. First off you need to have an open mind about where you are looking for a job. If you have a specific place you want to move to realize that there might be limited options so have alternative locations you wouldn't mind moving too. If you were like Casey and didn't really have a preference of where you want to move, know what kind of position you are looking for and perhaps even narrow it down to the size of school. Do you want to be a little fish in a big pond, or maybe a smaller school where the department you are working in will be smaller? Like I said make sure you know what you are looking for in a position and in a school in order to know what positions you would like to apply for.
Also what can be overwhelming to a first time searcher is the amount of interviews you will probably engage in while you are searching. When you attend a hiring conference it's very easy to stack your day full of interviews. Casey went to a hiring conference and his interview card was full. Make sure you apply and try and get interviews for the schools and positions that are on the top of your list if they are in attendance. Wouldn't hurt to have a few back up interviews. Don't stretch yourself too thin that you are over stressed and that you cannot function from one interview to another. Make sure you leave time to prep for each interview because if you don't have time to review each school you might go into an interview feeling overwhelmed and under prepared. Also you don't have to thin out your interviews so much that you leave the conference not feeling like you had a productive time. This same goes for doing traditional phone interviews outside of a conference. Don't stack them all in one day or back to back. It's very easy to get carried away with interviews, especially if you worry about not finding a job. In the same turn it's also easy to feel very confident about getting a position that you won't have enough options just in case the one you really want falls through.
Expect to spend some money. Job searching doesn't come free. Depending on your school you might have to foot some of the bill for attending conferences. Also depending on the school you will be interviewing at you may need to foot the bill for on campus interviews. Yes, you will most likely have to go on at least one campus interview. Especially in the field of higher ed they will expect to bring the top two or three candidates to campus for in person interviews. Depending on what position and how high it is in the department will depend on the amount of compensation given for campus interviews. So that is one thing you will have to take into consideration when accepting a campus interview. If you weren't impressed or feel like that job is right for you based on a phone interview then consider if your money would be well spent going on a campus interview. Depending on how you do your taxes you might be able to claim some of it on there, but like I said that depends on how the taxes are done. I know moving expenses for a job can be claimed on taxes if the new place doesn't cover it, but that's a whole other story. If you are gonna fly make sure you price out airlines and several airports especially if you live within a reasonable distance to more then one airport. Flying out of the closest airport might not be the cheapest option, so do your research on flights before accepting a campus interview if you have the time before accepting the interview.
Research is another important to do with interview. Researching the job, the department you will be entering into, the school you would be at, the town you will be living in, the surrounding area. If something doesn't jive with you about any of that, that might be a red flag and maybe pass. You have to like the job, like the school and like the area. There will always be both pro and cons to every position, department, school and town, so don't feel like you have to search for the perfect of everything, because honestly there isn't a perfect of everything. Just so about your researching the area this way. Could you see yourself spending a few years in that same place. If the answer is yes, it's probably a good idea to apply. If you cannot see yourself in the position for more then one year maybe pass on it. Take your time to learn as much as you can about the place. It will also help you in the interview if you research the school. Interviewers will ask if you have any questions and that would be a good time to ask questions you have about the department that you may have stubbled across while you were looking into their department and school.
You may also need to take into consideration other people. When Casey first started his job search we were living together and wanted to continue to do so, so on his list of things a school needed to have was a domestic partner policy. We were lucky that he was able to find a place that allowed couples to live together without being married. Obviously we did end up getting married, but having a place that allowed us to live together before being married was really nice. Then once we were married and started our family our moves had to take into consideration our growing family. The place not only had to work for us but also for our children. Now obviously most first time searchers will not have family to move with them, but maybe that is something down the road you will have to consider. As you get further and further along in your career the more and more things you will have to take into account when it comes to job searching.
For all of you out there searching right now, especially those who are on their first job search, relax and know that you will find a great place for you and a great place to help get you on the career path you hope to be on. I hope some of what I wrote was helpful and feel free to post comments if you have any questions. I wouldn't mind sharing some more insights from my role in the res ed job hunting. So to all of you job hunting right now, take a deep breath, relax, research and don't get discouraged you will find a job that is good for you.
Good Luck going on a job hunt!
I know in my last post I said I would be doing my next post on duty calls, but with hiring conferences going on, I figured I would do a post about job searching. I have experienced job searching first hand from the first job hunt while still in grad school to job hunting for a different, possibly bigger and better position. I have picked up some tidbits on the way.
First time searchers might feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities and all the interviews. The best thing to do is make sure you have an open mind. Don't expect that your dream job at your dream school will be there waiting for you to apply. If it is there waiting for you, expect that you won't be the only one applying. Have back up plans. First off you need to have an open mind about where you are looking for a job. If you have a specific place you want to move to realize that there might be limited options so have alternative locations you wouldn't mind moving too. If you were like Casey and didn't really have a preference of where you want to move, know what kind of position you are looking for and perhaps even narrow it down to the size of school. Do you want to be a little fish in a big pond, or maybe a smaller school where the department you are working in will be smaller? Like I said make sure you know what you are looking for in a position and in a school in order to know what positions you would like to apply for.
Also what can be overwhelming to a first time searcher is the amount of interviews you will probably engage in while you are searching. When you attend a hiring conference it's very easy to stack your day full of interviews. Casey went to a hiring conference and his interview card was full. Make sure you apply and try and get interviews for the schools and positions that are on the top of your list if they are in attendance. Wouldn't hurt to have a few back up interviews. Don't stretch yourself too thin that you are over stressed and that you cannot function from one interview to another. Make sure you leave time to prep for each interview because if you don't have time to review each school you might go into an interview feeling overwhelmed and under prepared. Also you don't have to thin out your interviews so much that you leave the conference not feeling like you had a productive time. This same goes for doing traditional phone interviews outside of a conference. Don't stack them all in one day or back to back. It's very easy to get carried away with interviews, especially if you worry about not finding a job. In the same turn it's also easy to feel very confident about getting a position that you won't have enough options just in case the one you really want falls through.
Expect to spend some money. Job searching doesn't come free. Depending on your school you might have to foot some of the bill for attending conferences. Also depending on the school you will be interviewing at you may need to foot the bill for on campus interviews. Yes, you will most likely have to go on at least one campus interview. Especially in the field of higher ed they will expect to bring the top two or three candidates to campus for in person interviews. Depending on what position and how high it is in the department will depend on the amount of compensation given for campus interviews. So that is one thing you will have to take into consideration when accepting a campus interview. If you weren't impressed or feel like that job is right for you based on a phone interview then consider if your money would be well spent going on a campus interview. Depending on how you do your taxes you might be able to claim some of it on there, but like I said that depends on how the taxes are done. I know moving expenses for a job can be claimed on taxes if the new place doesn't cover it, but that's a whole other story. If you are gonna fly make sure you price out airlines and several airports especially if you live within a reasonable distance to more then one airport. Flying out of the closest airport might not be the cheapest option, so do your research on flights before accepting a campus interview if you have the time before accepting the interview.
Research is another important to do with interview. Researching the job, the department you will be entering into, the school you would be at, the town you will be living in, the surrounding area. If something doesn't jive with you about any of that, that might be a red flag and maybe pass. You have to like the job, like the school and like the area. There will always be both pro and cons to every position, department, school and town, so don't feel like you have to search for the perfect of everything, because honestly there isn't a perfect of everything. Just so about your researching the area this way. Could you see yourself spending a few years in that same place. If the answer is yes, it's probably a good idea to apply. If you cannot see yourself in the position for more then one year maybe pass on it. Take your time to learn as much as you can about the place. It will also help you in the interview if you research the school. Interviewers will ask if you have any questions and that would be a good time to ask questions you have about the department that you may have stubbled across while you were looking into their department and school.
You may also need to take into consideration other people. When Casey first started his job search we were living together and wanted to continue to do so, so on his list of things a school needed to have was a domestic partner policy. We were lucky that he was able to find a place that allowed couples to live together without being married. Obviously we did end up getting married, but having a place that allowed us to live together before being married was really nice. Then once we were married and started our family our moves had to take into consideration our growing family. The place not only had to work for us but also for our children. Now obviously most first time searchers will not have family to move with them, but maybe that is something down the road you will have to consider. As you get further and further along in your career the more and more things you will have to take into account when it comes to job searching.
For all of you out there searching right now, especially those who are on their first job search, relax and know that you will find a great place for you and a great place to help get you on the career path you hope to be on. I hope some of what I wrote was helpful and feel free to post comments if you have any questions. I wouldn't mind sharing some more insights from my role in the res ed job hunting. So to all of you job hunting right now, take a deep breath, relax, research and don't get discouraged you will find a job that is good for you.
Good Luck going on a job hunt!
Monday, February 23, 2015
Been a long time
Sorry to anyone who had started reading this blog and then I suddenly stopped posting. Things got crazy and a lot has changed.
First of all I would like to say that we have moved down to Georgia. Casey accepted a position at Georgia Southern University and the holidays for us were spent packing up the house, listing it on the market and then making the trek down here. The worst part was probably packing and trying to get a moving company at a good price. We were able to get a good deal and loaded up the truck, our cars and the kids. We left three days after christmas and took about four days to get down here. All and all it was an uneventful trip and for a drive with two small kids an uneventful trip is the best kind of all.
Casey's job is very similar to the one at UND. He will help advise the Association of Residence halls as well as take on call rotation and supervise the hall directors for some of the residence halls. He also gets to attend professional conferences as well as student conferences. He has settled into his job really nicely.
We have sort of started to settle into life here. What I mean by sort of is that we are still in temporary housing while we look for a permanent place to live. We have started looking at houses now that the sale on our house in Grand Forks is pending. It's actually been kind of fun looking at houses trying to find the best one for our family. Hoping by sometime in April we will be in our new one. All of our stuff is in storage and I know all of us are starting to miss our things and just the feeling of home when we have our stuff.
I cannot complain about the weather down here as I sit inside on a a rainy day. I know that up in Grand Forks the temps are below zero up there. It's kind of been a perk of the move down south, their winter isn't nearly as bad as we had up there. We are still getting use to the area and figuring out things for the girls to do but we are getting to know the place and are getting into a routine.
Now that we are somewhat settled I am gonna start this blog up again. Tonight I will be posting about duty calls with maybe a few stories about things I have been witness to over the last 8 years that I have been with casey and he has been in Housing.
First of all I would like to say that we have moved down to Georgia. Casey accepted a position at Georgia Southern University and the holidays for us were spent packing up the house, listing it on the market and then making the trek down here. The worst part was probably packing and trying to get a moving company at a good price. We were able to get a good deal and loaded up the truck, our cars and the kids. We left three days after christmas and took about four days to get down here. All and all it was an uneventful trip and for a drive with two small kids an uneventful trip is the best kind of all.
Casey's job is very similar to the one at UND. He will help advise the Association of Residence halls as well as take on call rotation and supervise the hall directors for some of the residence halls. He also gets to attend professional conferences as well as student conferences. He has settled into his job really nicely.
We have sort of started to settle into life here. What I mean by sort of is that we are still in temporary housing while we look for a permanent place to live. We have started looking at houses now that the sale on our house in Grand Forks is pending. It's actually been kind of fun looking at houses trying to find the best one for our family. Hoping by sometime in April we will be in our new one. All of our stuff is in storage and I know all of us are starting to miss our things and just the feeling of home when we have our stuff.
I cannot complain about the weather down here as I sit inside on a a rainy day. I know that up in Grand Forks the temps are below zero up there. It's kind of been a perk of the move down south, their winter isn't nearly as bad as we had up there. We are still getting use to the area and figuring out things for the girls to do but we are getting to know the place and are getting into a routine.
Now that we are somewhat settled I am gonna start this blog up again. Tonight I will be posting about duty calls with maybe a few stories about things I have been witness to over the last 8 years that I have been with casey and he has been in Housing.
Monday, November 3, 2014
When the cat is away....
The mouse misses him but takes over the whole bed. Everyone in student affairs will hopefully get an opportunity to go on a conference or two and depending on what your job is they will get to attend multiple conferences throughout the year.
There are several kinds of conferences. Professional development, recruiting/hiring and student conferences. My husband has had the opportunity to attend all three. With his current job because he is the advisor of a student group, three times a year for the last four going on five years he has been able to attend student conferences with a group of amazing students. One takes place in the fall, one in the late winter and one usually beginning of summer(end of the school year). The nice thing about his attendance at these conferences is that the student group and university cover all travel and registration expenses. Most universities will offer some kind of stipend to help cover costs. Not all universities do this and if you are unsure if your university offers this, don't hesitate to ask.
The hardest part of conferences is the time away from the family. Usually for a conference you or your significant other will be gone for probably at least four days, you have to figure in travel as two of those days. If they are going on their very first conference it will be a different experience for you both. Depending on your situation this might be the first time you have spend significant time apart and if you have a family the first time the kids have experienced a parent leaving for a length of time.
There are up and downs to having them go away for a length of time. I usually take over the whole bed when Casey is gone. Well I try and take over the whole bed but I find myself usually staying over on my side most of the time. It's also a time I get to watch all the tv shows and movies that I know he wouldn't want to watch with me. It seems dumb that it's a highlight of the time away, but I like certain movies that I know he wouldn't sit down and watch with me so I don't mind waiting until he is gone to watch them myself.
Since we have kids that's the hard part about conferences. When the kids are young, honestly they might not understand and really know that their mom/dad is gone. For the most part our one year old didn't even notice this past weekend that Casey was gone. She was happy to see him when he came home, but for the most part was unaware of this absence. As horrible as it sounds, it makes that time easier. You don't have to explain where daddy went, try and give a time frame of return. Now with our five year old she understands when daddy has to leave town for work. That was is a little harder because several times a day I have to listen to how much she misses daddy and the constant question of when will he be home. The best thing to do with kids is distract them and keep them as busy as possible so the time goes by really fast. Thankfully this last conference was over Halloween so distraction was built right in. Our town does a ton of things for Halloween so it was a matter of planning things out and finding as many of those activities to go to as we can.
Conferences over the winter are the hardest, especially with kids because it's not as easy to take them to the park or out of the house to keep them distracted. My suggestion would be to line up play dates with friends, find things that are going on in your town over that time that are family friendly that you can easily take the kids to.
Your first conference experience can be a little difficult especially if you have more then one kid because you need to makes sure that the whole time you are giving enough attention to both. For me I have found bedtime to be the hardest. While I do but the girls to bed myself through the year, it's the multiple days in a row that starts to get a little hectic, especially when the older one starts missing daddy and I think she just gets tired of mommy putting her to bed. Thankfully she can understand the concept of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow so it's easy for me to explain when daddy is coming home in terms of days.
For us going on a conference is just another time of the year because Casey has been going on conferences our whole relationship so we have gotten use to it. Although you never really get use to them leaving for any length of time and you always miss them, but it does get easier as you get into a routine of what you do while they are away. Obviously if they are going during the week you probably have your own routine of work, school and other obligations set, but if they are gone over a weekend that might take a little more planning to establish what you will do to occupy your time as well as your kids time.
One nice thing Casey has done for the girls, is every conference he attends he tries to bring back a shirt for each of the girls from the school the conference was at. We decided early on that it should be a tradition for him to bring them back a shirt and then when they turn 18, or whenever he stops attending conferences we will take of the shirts and cut them into quilt pieces and make each of the girls a quilt for them to have. It will be a great memento of all the conferences he went on and something the girls can keep forever. You don't have to do something like that, but honestly having something like that gives your significant other something to so special for your kids and gives your kids something to look forward to when they get back. Obviously if you don't have kids you could always bring back something for your significant other to have. Casey usually always tries to bring me back something as well. My hoodie collection has grew pretty nicely, as well as my collection of sweatpants.
Conferences are great for professional development and is a great experience for anyone in residence life and housing. You will make connections with people at other schools that could come in handy later in your career as well as make friendships with people. You will also learn the latest things in your field and ways to improve your career. Even though the idea of leaving for several days can be daunting, that shouldn't stop you from going. There will always be time to use the phone, and maybe depending on your level of technology you brought with, use Skype or FaceTime to communicate with your family, especially if you have kids.
Embrace the opportunities to go on conferences for both you career and your family. It's honestly good to get away and miss people for a little bit. Doing things to help your career will in turn help your family because you will be able to use those experiences to gain connections and job tools that could help you get a new job in the future. So don't get scared to go because you don't want to be away, embrace the opportunity as a good opportunity for you and your whole family.
There are several kinds of conferences. Professional development, recruiting/hiring and student conferences. My husband has had the opportunity to attend all three. With his current job because he is the advisor of a student group, three times a year for the last four going on five years he has been able to attend student conferences with a group of amazing students. One takes place in the fall, one in the late winter and one usually beginning of summer(end of the school year). The nice thing about his attendance at these conferences is that the student group and university cover all travel and registration expenses. Most universities will offer some kind of stipend to help cover costs. Not all universities do this and if you are unsure if your university offers this, don't hesitate to ask.
The hardest part of conferences is the time away from the family. Usually for a conference you or your significant other will be gone for probably at least four days, you have to figure in travel as two of those days. If they are going on their very first conference it will be a different experience for you both. Depending on your situation this might be the first time you have spend significant time apart and if you have a family the first time the kids have experienced a parent leaving for a length of time.
There are up and downs to having them go away for a length of time. I usually take over the whole bed when Casey is gone. Well I try and take over the whole bed but I find myself usually staying over on my side most of the time. It's also a time I get to watch all the tv shows and movies that I know he wouldn't want to watch with me. It seems dumb that it's a highlight of the time away, but I like certain movies that I know he wouldn't sit down and watch with me so I don't mind waiting until he is gone to watch them myself.
Since we have kids that's the hard part about conferences. When the kids are young, honestly they might not understand and really know that their mom/dad is gone. For the most part our one year old didn't even notice this past weekend that Casey was gone. She was happy to see him when he came home, but for the most part was unaware of this absence. As horrible as it sounds, it makes that time easier. You don't have to explain where daddy went, try and give a time frame of return. Now with our five year old she understands when daddy has to leave town for work. That was is a little harder because several times a day I have to listen to how much she misses daddy and the constant question of when will he be home. The best thing to do with kids is distract them and keep them as busy as possible so the time goes by really fast. Thankfully this last conference was over Halloween so distraction was built right in. Our town does a ton of things for Halloween so it was a matter of planning things out and finding as many of those activities to go to as we can.
Conferences over the winter are the hardest, especially with kids because it's not as easy to take them to the park or out of the house to keep them distracted. My suggestion would be to line up play dates with friends, find things that are going on in your town over that time that are family friendly that you can easily take the kids to.
Your first conference experience can be a little difficult especially if you have more then one kid because you need to makes sure that the whole time you are giving enough attention to both. For me I have found bedtime to be the hardest. While I do but the girls to bed myself through the year, it's the multiple days in a row that starts to get a little hectic, especially when the older one starts missing daddy and I think she just gets tired of mommy putting her to bed. Thankfully she can understand the concept of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow so it's easy for me to explain when daddy is coming home in terms of days.
For us going on a conference is just another time of the year because Casey has been going on conferences our whole relationship so we have gotten use to it. Although you never really get use to them leaving for any length of time and you always miss them, but it does get easier as you get into a routine of what you do while they are away. Obviously if they are going during the week you probably have your own routine of work, school and other obligations set, but if they are gone over a weekend that might take a little more planning to establish what you will do to occupy your time as well as your kids time.
One nice thing Casey has done for the girls, is every conference he attends he tries to bring back a shirt for each of the girls from the school the conference was at. We decided early on that it should be a tradition for him to bring them back a shirt and then when they turn 18, or whenever he stops attending conferences we will take of the shirts and cut them into quilt pieces and make each of the girls a quilt for them to have. It will be a great memento of all the conferences he went on and something the girls can keep forever. You don't have to do something like that, but honestly having something like that gives your significant other something to so special for your kids and gives your kids something to look forward to when they get back. Obviously if you don't have kids you could always bring back something for your significant other to have. Casey usually always tries to bring me back something as well. My hoodie collection has grew pretty nicely, as well as my collection of sweatpants.
Conferences are great for professional development and is a great experience for anyone in residence life and housing. You will make connections with people at other schools that could come in handy later in your career as well as make friendships with people. You will also learn the latest things in your field and ways to improve your career. Even though the idea of leaving for several days can be daunting, that shouldn't stop you from going. There will always be time to use the phone, and maybe depending on your level of technology you brought with, use Skype or FaceTime to communicate with your family, especially if you have kids.
Embrace the opportunities to go on conferences for both you career and your family. It's honestly good to get away and miss people for a little bit. Doing things to help your career will in turn help your family because you will be able to use those experiences to gain connections and job tools that could help you get a new job in the future. So don't get scared to go because you don't want to be away, embrace the opportunity as a good opportunity for you and your whole family.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Some Nights and Weekends
As I sit here listening to my youngest snoring over the baby monitor I realize how much I hate those words added to job descriptions. They kind of sneak it in on the last line of the job description. Honestly it makes you think that it means only when on duty, and then once in a blue moon. Well depending on what the rest of your job description is there is a lot more night and weekend work then just duty and random ones here and there.
Night and weekend work effect every relationship differently. If you both work during the day, having evenings and weekends off, having Res Life take a night or a weekend away from your time as a couple can be difficult. It definitely makes you have to carefully plan date nights, weekends away and any recreational activities you would possibly be engaging in. If your significant other advises a student group usually their meetings are one a week night only because that's usually the only time students can meet when it doesn't interfere with classes. If you are a hall director all your staff meetings, hall government meetings, programs and other like functions happen in the evening for the same reason, you want to have high attendance so you want to have all of those happening not during class hours.
If you are on duty nights and weekend work take on a whole new meaning. It means that phone will interrupt everything. Even those student programs you are organizing. I will not go into a rant about the duty phone. See previous post about duty phones for more thoughts on that subject.
If your significant other is an advisor or a campus wide student group like my husband it will take several nights and weekends away from you as a couple. Like our relationship childcare and my work schedule has to revolve around his schedule. I don't mind that because if I have to request time off it honestly saves us money. Even though I am not working and making money, we are also not spending money on a babysitter. Also with advising a campus wide organizations, weekend work comes around more often because they tend to do more programs and larger programs. Sometimes weekend work will span the course of several days. Sometimes it turns into days away from the house if you attend conferences. I will delve deeper into conferences in my next post because that is a whole subject on it's own.
The key to night and weekend work is to have something for yourself to do. There are shows that I like to watch but he doesn't, so I take nights he works as time to watch those shows, or movies he would rather not watch with me. For weekends it's me and the girls so it's pretty much about keeping them busy so the day passes quickly for all of us. With kids the nights and weekends can be difficult because the kids will question where daddy is want to know when he will be home and honestly the when he will be home part is always difficult to say. When kids are involved it's always best to keep them occupied so they don't notice the absence. Obviously it's great that they miss their father/mother, but it can wear on them so keeping them occupied so they don't notice is actually a good thing for them, as it keeps them moving and just gives them other things to think about.
So when you see some nights and weekends on the job description know that it is more often then you think or will anticipate, but it won't kill your relationship. Honestly sometimes, that time away will be good and just make the next time you see each other a good reunion. Don't get upset about a night here and a weekend there, it's all part of residence life and everyone experiences. Honestly you could be upset about that those night and weekends aren't extra pay. LOL. Take everything with a grain of salt and realize that everything your significant other does extra for his job can help his/her career in the long run when it comes to moving up in positions, getting to be able to collaborate on bigger projects and getting recognition. Show them some love and patients when it comes to their late hours and weekends at work.
Night and weekend work effect every relationship differently. If you both work during the day, having evenings and weekends off, having Res Life take a night or a weekend away from your time as a couple can be difficult. It definitely makes you have to carefully plan date nights, weekends away and any recreational activities you would possibly be engaging in. If your significant other advises a student group usually their meetings are one a week night only because that's usually the only time students can meet when it doesn't interfere with classes. If you are a hall director all your staff meetings, hall government meetings, programs and other like functions happen in the evening for the same reason, you want to have high attendance so you want to have all of those happening not during class hours.
If you are on duty nights and weekend work take on a whole new meaning. It means that phone will interrupt everything. Even those student programs you are organizing. I will not go into a rant about the duty phone. See previous post about duty phones for more thoughts on that subject.
If your significant other is an advisor or a campus wide student group like my husband it will take several nights and weekends away from you as a couple. Like our relationship childcare and my work schedule has to revolve around his schedule. I don't mind that because if I have to request time off it honestly saves us money. Even though I am not working and making money, we are also not spending money on a babysitter. Also with advising a campus wide organizations, weekend work comes around more often because they tend to do more programs and larger programs. Sometimes weekend work will span the course of several days. Sometimes it turns into days away from the house if you attend conferences. I will delve deeper into conferences in my next post because that is a whole subject on it's own.
The key to night and weekend work is to have something for yourself to do. There are shows that I like to watch but he doesn't, so I take nights he works as time to watch those shows, or movies he would rather not watch with me. For weekends it's me and the girls so it's pretty much about keeping them busy so the day passes quickly for all of us. With kids the nights and weekends can be difficult because the kids will question where daddy is want to know when he will be home and honestly the when he will be home part is always difficult to say. When kids are involved it's always best to keep them occupied so they don't notice the absence. Obviously it's great that they miss their father/mother, but it can wear on them so keeping them occupied so they don't notice is actually a good thing for them, as it keeps them moving and just gives them other things to think about.
So when you see some nights and weekends on the job description know that it is more often then you think or will anticipate, but it won't kill your relationship. Honestly sometimes, that time away will be good and just make the next time you see each other a good reunion. Don't get upset about a night here and a weekend there, it's all part of residence life and everyone experiences. Honestly you could be upset about that those night and weekends aren't extra pay. LOL. Take everything with a grain of salt and realize that everything your significant other does extra for his job can help his/her career in the long run when it comes to moving up in positions, getting to be able to collaborate on bigger projects and getting recognition. Show them some love and patients when it comes to their late hours and weekends at work.
Monday, September 15, 2014
The 'leash'
Or at least that's what my husband calls it. I kind of refer to it as the 'mistress'. No matter what you call it EVERYONE in residence life knows what I am talking about. THE DUTY PHONE.
Yup, I am going there. It's that thing that you know exists but you really wish there was a way for it not to be there, or ring as much. Unfortunately it comes around to you every year and depending on the size of your department, the rotation you follow and how high you are on the duty phone chain you get it several times a year. Also depending on how high you are on the duty phone chain it will ring more often then you care to answer. Yes when you have the duty phone it might actually ring more then your regular phone. It will ring in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the middle of the night. It will ring when you are eating dinner, it will ring when you are sitting at your desk getting work done, it will ring when you are in the shower, it will even ring when you are using the bathroom. Yup, that phone doesn't discriminate when it rings.
What some people don't understand is that this phone will interrupt a person's personal life. I was an RA and had to call the Hall Director duty phone a few times. Thankfully never in the middle of the night, but late at night and had to get the police involved and it took a while. It's one of those things that you know you are pulling them away from their time at home, their relaxation, their sleep but unfortunately it's something you have to do. If you are like my family and the duty phone rings, it means pulling Casey away from his family. Sometimes, if I am at work, the kids get to stay up a little later because bedtime gets interrupted by a phone call. Or I get a nice middle of the night wake up. It's not quite, it has to be a little loud to pull you out of a deep sleep. Only ONCE in the 8 years I have been with my husband have I slept through a duty call. I don't even know how I did it. I didn't find out until the next morning that the phone had rang at 1am and Casey not only answered it in our room, left to go downstairs, came back up to find clothes, left the house and came back into bed. That never happens to me. If you are like me and a light sleeper, I am sorry but you are going to get woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call at least once if not more a year. The middle of the night calls all really depend on the structure they have the duty rotation at your institution. Chances are you, or your significant other started at the bottom of the 'food' chain and got woken up a lot, but as you get higher in res life you might not get called as much.
If you are a hall director, living on campus actually could make duty a little easier. You don't have to travel too far(depending on how big the campus is) so if you need to leave it shouldn't take you that long. If you are like us and live off campus and you have to go to campus it makes that duty call just a little bit longer. But like I said the higher up you are the less you might get called and asked to come to campus.
Also if you have a family like us, it might mean keeping dinner warm until they can get home because they got a call just as they were walking out of the office. If you work in the evenings like I do and have kids, you might have to drive to them to drop the kids off so you aren't late for work.
It's really a juggling act to have a life while you are on duty. You cannot leave the city in which the school is in, you obviously can't have alcoholic drinks. Honestly would you want to go to the movies, because you might be interrupted and have to leave and miss the middle and/or end of the movie. I wouldn't know how you would explain leaving someone while you are on a date to answer a call, unless this person knows your profession and understands. I would say probably safe NOT to do on a first day with someone while you are on duty, unless you want to use that as your 'get out' phone call. ;)
Thankfully, depending on the duty structure of your school, you will only have it for a few nights, and probably at most a week at a time. Then hopefully you have a nice long break where you are down to just one phone. Although those duty weeks sneak up on you. My heart always drops a little when i see that second phone come out of his pocket. I just pray that it never rings in the middle of the night, or that he has to wake the kids to go to campus while I am still at work.
Hope all your duties are uneventful and pass quickly.
Yup, I am going there. It's that thing that you know exists but you really wish there was a way for it not to be there, or ring as much. Unfortunately it comes around to you every year and depending on the size of your department, the rotation you follow and how high you are on the duty phone chain you get it several times a year. Also depending on how high you are on the duty phone chain it will ring more often then you care to answer. Yes when you have the duty phone it might actually ring more then your regular phone. It will ring in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the middle of the night. It will ring when you are eating dinner, it will ring when you are sitting at your desk getting work done, it will ring when you are in the shower, it will even ring when you are using the bathroom. Yup, that phone doesn't discriminate when it rings.
What some people don't understand is that this phone will interrupt a person's personal life. I was an RA and had to call the Hall Director duty phone a few times. Thankfully never in the middle of the night, but late at night and had to get the police involved and it took a while. It's one of those things that you know you are pulling them away from their time at home, their relaxation, their sleep but unfortunately it's something you have to do. If you are like my family and the duty phone rings, it means pulling Casey away from his family. Sometimes, if I am at work, the kids get to stay up a little later because bedtime gets interrupted by a phone call. Or I get a nice middle of the night wake up. It's not quite, it has to be a little loud to pull you out of a deep sleep. Only ONCE in the 8 years I have been with my husband have I slept through a duty call. I don't even know how I did it. I didn't find out until the next morning that the phone had rang at 1am and Casey not only answered it in our room, left to go downstairs, came back up to find clothes, left the house and came back into bed. That never happens to me. If you are like me and a light sleeper, I am sorry but you are going to get woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call at least once if not more a year. The middle of the night calls all really depend on the structure they have the duty rotation at your institution. Chances are you, or your significant other started at the bottom of the 'food' chain and got woken up a lot, but as you get higher in res life you might not get called as much.
If you are a hall director, living on campus actually could make duty a little easier. You don't have to travel too far(depending on how big the campus is) so if you need to leave it shouldn't take you that long. If you are like us and live off campus and you have to go to campus it makes that duty call just a little bit longer. But like I said the higher up you are the less you might get called and asked to come to campus.
Also if you have a family like us, it might mean keeping dinner warm until they can get home because they got a call just as they were walking out of the office. If you work in the evenings like I do and have kids, you might have to drive to them to drop the kids off so you aren't late for work.
It's really a juggling act to have a life while you are on duty. You cannot leave the city in which the school is in, you obviously can't have alcoholic drinks. Honestly would you want to go to the movies, because you might be interrupted and have to leave and miss the middle and/or end of the movie. I wouldn't know how you would explain leaving someone while you are on a date to answer a call, unless this person knows your profession and understands. I would say probably safe NOT to do on a first day with someone while you are on duty, unless you want to use that as your 'get out' phone call. ;)
Thankfully, depending on the duty structure of your school, you will only have it for a few nights, and probably at most a week at a time. Then hopefully you have a nice long break where you are down to just one phone. Although those duty weeks sneak up on you. My heart always drops a little when i see that second phone come out of his pocket. I just pray that it never rings in the middle of the night, or that he has to wake the kids to go to campus while I am still at work.
Hope all your duties are uneventful and pass quickly.
Monday, August 11, 2014
It's that time
It's the most (insert your own adjective here) time of the year. Everyone in Housing and Residence Life flinches when you say just one word. AUGUST. Not only does it mean summer is coming to an end but it also means that colleges/universities around the country and preparing to welcome students back. It means that the days are longer(even though the sun is setting sooner and sooner). It means those 'also includes some weekends' statements in their job descriptions come to life. It also means for the significant other a lot less time with your partner.
There is hall director training that usually lasts at least two weeks, then of course there is RA training that lasts at least a week and then of course there is opening weekend. So basically it's crazy schedule followed by a little bit more of a crazy schedule then ending with the most insane weekend of the whole year. We as significant others have to understand that we may not see them as much, they may bring work home with them, they may come home late, they may even have to return to work after dinner. It's something that only happens once a year so cut them a little slack if when they get home late, maybe in a bad mood and will probably have to do work instead of spend time with you.
Just remind yourself that it's only a month and it is part of their job. They go through this every year. Just remember back to when you were in college and you moved to campus. If you lived on campus at all, everything that happened move in weekend, all the people, all your RAs and all the hall directors all got to where they were from the training that happened in August.
If you are like me training doesn't just happen in August. Casey coordinates the schedules so he is working on training practically year round. If your significant other does that you understand that training takes a lot more then a month. The planning involved in making the training that they go through is pretty massive. They don't do training for the fun of it. Realize that training is a way to teach the new people the ways of the university, it's also a way for the returning staff to learn up on new techniques get insight from others, find out any changes that may be occurring through out the year. Honestly it is actually a great way for the staff to bond as well. It's very important that the staff members get to know each other and feel comfortable with each other. Having a staff that knows each other and is comfortable with each other is very important to make the year go by smoothly. So training is the best time for that to happen. They do everything together during the month of August.
As much as you want August to be the last hurrah of summer, as much as you want to try and squeeze in one more weekend away, as much as you want to have one last cookout, one last bonfire it might not happen. It is a busy month and you just need to be patient and understand it's only a month out of the year and it only happens once a year. Be willing to listen if they come home and need to vent about something, because even though it's all planned out things don't always go as planned. Be willing to support their late nights, their trips back to work, their weekends at work.
I know this time of year has tested my strength and even at points tested my marriage. It's hard to not see my husband, it's hard on the kids not to see their dad, but we know that September is not to far away. What we usually do, if possible, is get out of the city during opening. You cannot get anywhere near campus to try and see anyone, you really can't go shopping.(so many college students picking up last minute things they may have forgotten). You really cannot even go out to eat, parents wanting to have one last night out with their kids, or wanting to eat before they hit the road. If you can, take opening weekend as a time for yourself. You will hardly see your better half and honestly it might do you some good after a long August to just recharge that way when September comes you are both ready for the new school year and ready to get back to 'normal' life. Well if there is anything 'normal' about housing and residence life.
There is hall director training that usually lasts at least two weeks, then of course there is RA training that lasts at least a week and then of course there is opening weekend. So basically it's crazy schedule followed by a little bit more of a crazy schedule then ending with the most insane weekend of the whole year. We as significant others have to understand that we may not see them as much, they may bring work home with them, they may come home late, they may even have to return to work after dinner. It's something that only happens once a year so cut them a little slack if when they get home late, maybe in a bad mood and will probably have to do work instead of spend time with you.
Just remind yourself that it's only a month and it is part of their job. They go through this every year. Just remember back to when you were in college and you moved to campus. If you lived on campus at all, everything that happened move in weekend, all the people, all your RAs and all the hall directors all got to where they were from the training that happened in August.
If you are like me training doesn't just happen in August. Casey coordinates the schedules so he is working on training practically year round. If your significant other does that you understand that training takes a lot more then a month. The planning involved in making the training that they go through is pretty massive. They don't do training for the fun of it. Realize that training is a way to teach the new people the ways of the university, it's also a way for the returning staff to learn up on new techniques get insight from others, find out any changes that may be occurring through out the year. Honestly it is actually a great way for the staff to bond as well. It's very important that the staff members get to know each other and feel comfortable with each other. Having a staff that knows each other and is comfortable with each other is very important to make the year go by smoothly. So training is the best time for that to happen. They do everything together during the month of August.
As much as you want August to be the last hurrah of summer, as much as you want to try and squeeze in one more weekend away, as much as you want to have one last cookout, one last bonfire it might not happen. It is a busy month and you just need to be patient and understand it's only a month out of the year and it only happens once a year. Be willing to listen if they come home and need to vent about something, because even though it's all planned out things don't always go as planned. Be willing to support their late nights, their trips back to work, their weekends at work.
I know this time of year has tested my strength and even at points tested my marriage. It's hard to not see my husband, it's hard on the kids not to see their dad, but we know that September is not to far away. What we usually do, if possible, is get out of the city during opening. You cannot get anywhere near campus to try and see anyone, you really can't go shopping.(so many college students picking up last minute things they may have forgotten). You really cannot even go out to eat, parents wanting to have one last night out with their kids, or wanting to eat before they hit the road. If you can, take opening weekend as a time for yourself. You will hardly see your better half and honestly it might do you some good after a long August to just recharge that way when September comes you are both ready for the new school year and ready to get back to 'normal' life. Well if there is anything 'normal' about housing and residence life.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Saw this so I will share it.
Someone on my Facebook shared this link and I wanted to share it on here. Anyone in res life will understand every single one.
http://paulgordonbrown.com/2014/08/07/residence-life-explained-in-emoji/
Will be posting about the 'wonderful' month of August in the next couple of days!
http://paulgordonbrown.com/2014/08/07/residence-life-explained-in-emoji/
Will be posting about the 'wonderful' month of August in the next couple of days!
Monday, July 21, 2014
Let them have it
Everyone has a thing. You know something that they love to do that helps them escape and just relax and get their minds off of things.
From my experience it's very important for people to have a thing. Especially in res life, sometimes they need to be able to step away and honestly at times it's hard for them because it can be a very demanding 24 hour a day job. So letting your significant other have something that is just something that they do themselves is a really good thing. This gives them a chance to step away from everything and be in their own world, doing something they love.
For my husband it's Golf. He loves to golf and he is good at it. He uses it as a stress relief. He uses it as exercise. He uses it as something fun to do with his friends. He uses it as a way to work through things that may be on his mind. He uses it as a way to bond with his kids. And I let him have it. I don't mind when he goes out in the morning to go golfing and it leaves me to take care of the kids. I don't mind that once a week he goes golfing after work leaving me to get the girls dinner and sometimes ready and off to bed. I let him have it because he does so much for his job and for his family he needs to have something.
I love that he has something that helps his escape the pressures of life. I love that he has something that he loves to do and is passionate about that is not his work or his family. I love that he has something that brings his friends together and that they can do together. I love that he has something that he can bond with his kids over. Alexis has gotten into golfing and Casey loves that about her and I know he hopes that Chloe falls in love with it as well. I love that his passion is something that he can share with his whole family. There are times when we go out on the course as a family. Casey and Alexis play golf and I push Chloe in the stroller. But most of the time I let him have it all to himself.
But just like you should encourage your significant other to have something and you should let them have it, you should have something yourself and they should let you have it. And I am not talking about your family or work but something that is just for you, that you can do without them. Something you can use as an escape from the pressures of life. Something you can use as a stress relief. Something you have that you are passionate about. For me it's photography. I love taking pictures and have turned it into a freelance business. I offer my service to anyone who is interested in having photos taken. I am by no means the worlds best, but I take good photos. I do not do it to make a ton of money. I do it so people can have those memories for the rest of their life. I do it as a way to escape the stresses of life. I love being able to take pictures for people. I love taking pictures in general and that's my thing and I am very grateful that Casey lets me have it as well.
So let them have it and they should let you have it as well. Have something you can do together. Also have something you can do just by yourself and something they can do just by themselves. They will thank you for it, you will thank them for it, you will thank yourself for it. Everyone needs something and let them have it.
From my experience it's very important for people to have a thing. Especially in res life, sometimes they need to be able to step away and honestly at times it's hard for them because it can be a very demanding 24 hour a day job. So letting your significant other have something that is just something that they do themselves is a really good thing. This gives them a chance to step away from everything and be in their own world, doing something they love.
For my husband it's Golf. He loves to golf and he is good at it. He uses it as a stress relief. He uses it as exercise. He uses it as something fun to do with his friends. He uses it as a way to work through things that may be on his mind. He uses it as a way to bond with his kids. And I let him have it. I don't mind when he goes out in the morning to go golfing and it leaves me to take care of the kids. I don't mind that once a week he goes golfing after work leaving me to get the girls dinner and sometimes ready and off to bed. I let him have it because he does so much for his job and for his family he needs to have something.
I love that he has something that helps his escape the pressures of life. I love that he has something that he loves to do and is passionate about that is not his work or his family. I love that he has something that brings his friends together and that they can do together. I love that he has something that he can bond with his kids over. Alexis has gotten into golfing and Casey loves that about her and I know he hopes that Chloe falls in love with it as well. I love that his passion is something that he can share with his whole family. There are times when we go out on the course as a family. Casey and Alexis play golf and I push Chloe in the stroller. But most of the time I let him have it all to himself.
But just like you should encourage your significant other to have something and you should let them have it, you should have something yourself and they should let you have it. And I am not talking about your family or work but something that is just for you, that you can do without them. Something you can use as an escape from the pressures of life. Something you can use as a stress relief. Something you have that you are passionate about. For me it's photography. I love taking pictures and have turned it into a freelance business. I offer my service to anyone who is interested in having photos taken. I am by no means the worlds best, but I take good photos. I do not do it to make a ton of money. I do it so people can have those memories for the rest of their life. I do it as a way to escape the stresses of life. I love being able to take pictures for people. I love taking pictures in general and that's my thing and I am very grateful that Casey lets me have it as well.
So let them have it and they should let you have it as well. Have something you can do together. Also have something you can do just by yourself and something they can do just by themselves. They will thank you for it, you will thank them for it, you will thank yourself for it. Everyone needs something and let them have it.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Very Accurate
So I saw this link pop up on my Facebook feed and of course read it and found it very accurate and had to share.
Now most of us have dealt with a number of these in one way or another, especially through the course of dating and married life. Unfortunately it's something you deal with(especially the one directly related to res life).
Found it funny and wanted to share. I will be posted again soon, just need to find the time.
http://danceswithdissonance.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/24-ways-you-know-you-are-dating-a-student-affairs-professional/
Had to edit in order for you to be able to click on the link.
Now most of us have dealt with a number of these in one way or another, especially through the course of dating and married life. Unfortunately it's something you deal with(especially the one directly related to res life).
Found it funny and wanted to share. I will be posted again soon, just need to find the time.
http://danceswithdissonance.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/24-ways-you-know-you-are-dating-a-student-affairs-professional/
Had to edit in order for you to be able to click on the link.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Support
In the ever changing world of housing and residence life at a college/university it's very important to play a supportive role in your significant other's life. While it's obvious that that a relationship needs support, but sometimes your support will have to change moment to moment.
When I talk about change, there are all kinds of change that may happen an depending on what kind of change it is your support will change as well. Sometimes you will know of a change ahead of time and you will have time to figure out what the change means to your significant other, to you and to your family. Those kinds of changes are the easiest to support because you have time and can really discuss what is going on and come up with a plan of action if one is needed. Knowing you can be prepared for when the change happens is always the best thing, and you can figure out what kind of support to give very easily.
Not all changes will come with a long warning. Sometimes changes will be told with a little time to make the adjustment. Hopefully you and your significant other still have time to discuss what changing might be happening in their jobs and how it will effect them, you and your family.
Then of course there are changes that happen with little to no notice at all. These are the hardest changes to lend support to. Your significant other may not have a choice or a say in the change that has just occurred and you will just have to roll with whatever has been decided. You as the significant other may not understand what just happened, and honestly sometimes the person in the field may be just as confused. If you don't understand what is about to happen it's really hard to give any good words of encouragement or any possible advice.
When your find yourself at odds with how to support something, you always have to remember this is your significant others career and that most of the time they probably have no say in what happens at the office. You always need to let them know that you love them and that no matter what happens you will be there to encourage them, help them through the issues(if it's not something good). You may not like what is going on in their job but it's not for you to complain about because honestly there is nothing you can do about it. Chances are there is nothing your significant other can do about it. You can express your opinions on it but remember that you cannot change situations that happen.
Personally, I support my husband in everything that involves his career. Sometimes it's hard for me to be supportive, especially if it's something that will keep him away from his family. I just have to understand that what he does is good for his career and will help him advance in the field. Are there times I want to tell him to skip doing something because I crave time with him and I know the girls miss him? Yes of course, but I would never make him chose between something that will help him develop more for his job and him family. After being with him for seven and a half years I know there are some battles I will lose. We have been blindsided by changes before and it's hard to swallow sometimes, but the best I can do is tell Casey that I love him and that as long as he is happy I will support any decision he makes, whether that has been to start job hunting, take on extra responsibility, or stick out the changes and see what will happen from there.
When it came time to move to North Dakota, I wasn't the happiest of campers. I knew the climate and knew I wouldn't do well in the sub zero winters. I also knew that the job he would be taking was a great career advancement and that he might not get an opportunity like this again. Even though the winters are long and hard with kids I am very happy with our choice to move out here. Now that we are out here, he has excelled in his job and now has an opportunity to advance even more. I support his choice to try this new opportunity and will be there every step of the way.
Always make sure your significant other knows you love and support them 100%. Even if the only support you can give is a hug and a smile, the smallest support goes a long way.
When I talk about change, there are all kinds of change that may happen an depending on what kind of change it is your support will change as well. Sometimes you will know of a change ahead of time and you will have time to figure out what the change means to your significant other, to you and to your family. Those kinds of changes are the easiest to support because you have time and can really discuss what is going on and come up with a plan of action if one is needed. Knowing you can be prepared for when the change happens is always the best thing, and you can figure out what kind of support to give very easily.
Not all changes will come with a long warning. Sometimes changes will be told with a little time to make the adjustment. Hopefully you and your significant other still have time to discuss what changing might be happening in their jobs and how it will effect them, you and your family.
Then of course there are changes that happen with little to no notice at all. These are the hardest changes to lend support to. Your significant other may not have a choice or a say in the change that has just occurred and you will just have to roll with whatever has been decided. You as the significant other may not understand what just happened, and honestly sometimes the person in the field may be just as confused. If you don't understand what is about to happen it's really hard to give any good words of encouragement or any possible advice.
When your find yourself at odds with how to support something, you always have to remember this is your significant others career and that most of the time they probably have no say in what happens at the office. You always need to let them know that you love them and that no matter what happens you will be there to encourage them, help them through the issues(if it's not something good). You may not like what is going on in their job but it's not for you to complain about because honestly there is nothing you can do about it. Chances are there is nothing your significant other can do about it. You can express your opinions on it but remember that you cannot change situations that happen.
Personally, I support my husband in everything that involves his career. Sometimes it's hard for me to be supportive, especially if it's something that will keep him away from his family. I just have to understand that what he does is good for his career and will help him advance in the field. Are there times I want to tell him to skip doing something because I crave time with him and I know the girls miss him? Yes of course, but I would never make him chose between something that will help him develop more for his job and him family. After being with him for seven and a half years I know there are some battles I will lose. We have been blindsided by changes before and it's hard to swallow sometimes, but the best I can do is tell Casey that I love him and that as long as he is happy I will support any decision he makes, whether that has been to start job hunting, take on extra responsibility, or stick out the changes and see what will happen from there.
When it came time to move to North Dakota, I wasn't the happiest of campers. I knew the climate and knew I wouldn't do well in the sub zero winters. I also knew that the job he would be taking was a great career advancement and that he might not get an opportunity like this again. Even though the winters are long and hard with kids I am very happy with our choice to move out here. Now that we are out here, he has excelled in his job and now has an opportunity to advance even more. I support his choice to try this new opportunity and will be there every step of the way.
Always make sure your significant other knows you love and support them 100%. Even if the only support you can give is a hug and a smile, the smallest support goes a long way.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
It's June
In the world of Residence Life June is one of the best months. All the students have moved out, things have finally calmed down and you have a month and a half(if you are lucky) before training starts.
For our family June marks the time where vacations are possible. We don't always go on vacations but knowing that it's a possibility sometimes is good enough. The only problem is that everyone wants to use June as vacation time as well so it's very hard for everyone to leave. There always has to be someone on duty. Yes, even when the students aren't here there is still a duty rotation. Orientation kids are here, camps and various other things occupy the residence halls so there always has to be people here to take the phone.
With that being the case sometimes you have to take what you are given. A full week away may not be a possibility, so sometimes you might have to settle for a weekend away or even a day trip. Depending on what school you are at these are very easy to accomplish. Thankfully for us we have several options to take mini trips. My parents live a half days drive away so as long as I get a weekend off of work we can go down to visit my parents. Yes it's usually only for two days but two days away is sometimes all you need. Vacations don't have to be about extravagant adventures. After what probably was a stressful end of the school year and getting everything done for move out, just leaving town is a good idea.
We love going to visit my parents. The girls love seeing their grandparents, Casey and I love getting a little 'break' from being the ones watching them all the time, and Casey loves being able to get out on the golf course with my dad and not having to worry about work. My parents live only a couple hours south of Minneapolis so going up there for a day is always a possibility and there is plenty to do up there. Usually in major cities there is always plenty to do, weather it's just you and your significant other, or if you have a family.
We will be heading down to my parents in two weeks for a quick three day vacation. It will be a wonderful trip. For us just getting away from town makes any trip a success. Sometimes we just need a break from the ordinary. This trip I am hoping to take the girls up to the Minneapolis Zoo for the day. Alexis loves going to zoos and seeing animals and I am sure Chloe would love the hustle and bustle of a zoo because she just loves watching everything. Even if we don't make it up to the zoo spending time at my parents house will be great. My mom got a kiddie pool for the girls, plus they belong to a country club so while my dad and Casey are out golfing we could always take the girls to the pool there. Plus there are plenty of parks in the area. It's never a dull moment when we go visit my parents and we look forward to every minute.
So if you find yourself wanting to get away from your town but don't have the money or means to go on a huge vacation, check out surrounding towns that are within a days drive and see what there is to do. Sometimes all you get is the weekend, especially when training starts getting closer and closer. If you have a family, planning ahead will go along way. Kids don't alway do well with spontaneous trips, especially when you have to pack and plan for every scenario. With the internet though it will be easy for you to check out a town before going and making a plan, even a back up plan for events for the whole family. If you don't have kids or decide to do a trip sans kids, being a little more spontaneous might be easier. Still do your research, especially on places to stay and get reviews on places to eat.
Another thing I always like to do before a trip, especially if I know I am going to try and take the kids some place, I look for coupons. You usually can find some kind of on line discount book, or even on Groupon you can find deals for the places you want to go. Also check the places you are interested in going to see if they offer special rates for certain times and dates. Usually weekends aren't the best times for special rates, because its usually the busiest times for places, but it doesn't hurt to look and inquire about things. If you are going with a family, check to see how many people you need for a special group rate, and if the number is reachable, see if another family you know would be interested in going with and then you can use the special rate.
Happy June to all you Housing people. Please feel free to comment and share your tips on how you use your vacation time to the fullest.
For our family June marks the time where vacations are possible. We don't always go on vacations but knowing that it's a possibility sometimes is good enough. The only problem is that everyone wants to use June as vacation time as well so it's very hard for everyone to leave. There always has to be someone on duty. Yes, even when the students aren't here there is still a duty rotation. Orientation kids are here, camps and various other things occupy the residence halls so there always has to be people here to take the phone.
With that being the case sometimes you have to take what you are given. A full week away may not be a possibility, so sometimes you might have to settle for a weekend away or even a day trip. Depending on what school you are at these are very easy to accomplish. Thankfully for us we have several options to take mini trips. My parents live a half days drive away so as long as I get a weekend off of work we can go down to visit my parents. Yes it's usually only for two days but two days away is sometimes all you need. Vacations don't have to be about extravagant adventures. After what probably was a stressful end of the school year and getting everything done for move out, just leaving town is a good idea.
We love going to visit my parents. The girls love seeing their grandparents, Casey and I love getting a little 'break' from being the ones watching them all the time, and Casey loves being able to get out on the golf course with my dad and not having to worry about work. My parents live only a couple hours south of Minneapolis so going up there for a day is always a possibility and there is plenty to do up there. Usually in major cities there is always plenty to do, weather it's just you and your significant other, or if you have a family.
We will be heading down to my parents in two weeks for a quick three day vacation. It will be a wonderful trip. For us just getting away from town makes any trip a success. Sometimes we just need a break from the ordinary. This trip I am hoping to take the girls up to the Minneapolis Zoo for the day. Alexis loves going to zoos and seeing animals and I am sure Chloe would love the hustle and bustle of a zoo because she just loves watching everything. Even if we don't make it up to the zoo spending time at my parents house will be great. My mom got a kiddie pool for the girls, plus they belong to a country club so while my dad and Casey are out golfing we could always take the girls to the pool there. Plus there are plenty of parks in the area. It's never a dull moment when we go visit my parents and we look forward to every minute.
So if you find yourself wanting to get away from your town but don't have the money or means to go on a huge vacation, check out surrounding towns that are within a days drive and see what there is to do. Sometimes all you get is the weekend, especially when training starts getting closer and closer. If you have a family, planning ahead will go along way. Kids don't alway do well with spontaneous trips, especially when you have to pack and plan for every scenario. With the internet though it will be easy for you to check out a town before going and making a plan, even a back up plan for events for the whole family. If you don't have kids or decide to do a trip sans kids, being a little more spontaneous might be easier. Still do your research, especially on places to stay and get reviews on places to eat.
Another thing I always like to do before a trip, especially if I know I am going to try and take the kids some place, I look for coupons. You usually can find some kind of on line discount book, or even on Groupon you can find deals for the places you want to go. Also check the places you are interested in going to see if they offer special rates for certain times and dates. Usually weekends aren't the best times for special rates, because its usually the busiest times for places, but it doesn't hurt to look and inquire about things. If you are going with a family, check to see how many people you need for a special group rate, and if the number is reachable, see if another family you know would be interested in going with and then you can use the special rate.
Happy June to all you Housing people. Please feel free to comment and share your tips on how you use your vacation time to the fullest.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Intro
First I just want to say that I have started this blog to share my experiences and maybe even lend some advice to those in similar situations as me.
I am the wife of someone who works in Residence Life and Housing at a college/university. At times it can be a very lonely life between some late nights, long weekends and conferences, but its a very rewarding thing as well. I love watching my husband excel in his career and I know he loves what he does. As this blog goes on I will talk about what I do as a wife and a mom to help the lonely times pass with more ease. I will share events, recourses and places I frequent to keep me and the girls busy while my husband is busy.
I have been married to my husband for five and a half years. Been with him for seven and a half. We met while I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and he was finishing up his masters degree. Right away I knew what he was going to school for and what he wanted to do with his career. We have two wonderful daughters and even though it's hard at times when their dad is away, life couldn't be any better.
Since graduating we have moved to several places while Casey(my husband) has expanded his career. The first year after graduating we found ourselves at Illinois State University where he severed as a hall director. After a year there we moved to New York where for two years Casey was a hall director at SUNY Oswego. That is where our oldest daughter, Alexis, was born. When an opportunity came up to move up in the field, we made the decision to move to Grand Forks, ND where Casey got a job as an Assistant Director in the housing office at University of North Dakota(UND). We have been here for four years and just 8 months ago we welcomed out second daughter, Chloe, into the world and our family.
It's here in North Dakota where we have experienced the most and have had our relationship and family tested. Casey travels at least three times a year for his job, each time requiring him to be gone at least three days, sometimes more. It's during those times that I will be sharing how I handle and what I with the girls while Casey is away.
I hope by creating this blog, I will be able to help other wives, maybe even husbands, of those whose significant others are in the same field as my husband. It can be difficult at times, but hopefully my experiences will be able to help some of you get through the tough times and we can share experiences, share helpful tips, and resources.
Stay tuned as I start blogging, sharing my experiences. I will post links to various things that I come across, events, locations and other things that help me and my family.
I am the wife of someone who works in Residence Life and Housing at a college/university. At times it can be a very lonely life between some late nights, long weekends and conferences, but its a very rewarding thing as well. I love watching my husband excel in his career and I know he loves what he does. As this blog goes on I will talk about what I do as a wife and a mom to help the lonely times pass with more ease. I will share events, recourses and places I frequent to keep me and the girls busy while my husband is busy.
I have been married to my husband for five and a half years. Been with him for seven and a half. We met while I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and he was finishing up his masters degree. Right away I knew what he was going to school for and what he wanted to do with his career. We have two wonderful daughters and even though it's hard at times when their dad is away, life couldn't be any better.
Since graduating we have moved to several places while Casey(my husband) has expanded his career. The first year after graduating we found ourselves at Illinois State University where he severed as a hall director. After a year there we moved to New York where for two years Casey was a hall director at SUNY Oswego. That is where our oldest daughter, Alexis, was born. When an opportunity came up to move up in the field, we made the decision to move to Grand Forks, ND where Casey got a job as an Assistant Director in the housing office at University of North Dakota(UND). We have been here for four years and just 8 months ago we welcomed out second daughter, Chloe, into the world and our family.
It's here in North Dakota where we have experienced the most and have had our relationship and family tested. Casey travels at least three times a year for his job, each time requiring him to be gone at least three days, sometimes more. It's during those times that I will be sharing how I handle and what I with the girls while Casey is away.
I hope by creating this blog, I will be able to help other wives, maybe even husbands, of those whose significant others are in the same field as my husband. It can be difficult at times, but hopefully my experiences will be able to help some of you get through the tough times and we can share experiences, share helpful tips, and resources.
Stay tuned as I start blogging, sharing my experiences. I will post links to various things that I come across, events, locations and other things that help me and my family.
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