Graduate Associate (Resident Advisor) Position

I mentioned in my first post that I am a Graduate Associate (GA), which is essentially a resident advisor (RA) that is a graduate student, in one of the undergraduate college houses on campus. The application process for the GA position is now available for the next academic year! I am really glad I decided to be a GA this year because I have been exposed to other aspects of campus that I may not have known about otherwise. I feel integrated into both the undergraduate and graduate communities on campus. This has perks because I hear about events and services that may not be directly advertised to graduate students, like certain Career Center workshops, performing arts shows, speakers, and informal meetings with Penn faculty. Other benefits of the GA position include free housing that is on campus and close to classes, a meal plan, and a great network of undergraduate and graduate staff! My close friends at Penn include many members of my college house staff. If you are interested, I encourage you to check out the college housing website (link below). Feel free to ask me specific questions about the position as well!

For more information on the GA position and to apply, click on the link provided:
http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/raga/index.asp

-L

Here are some photos of my college house and the staff I work and live with!

Juggling Work, Practicum, and Classes

I have received a few emails from future/prospective students about what it's like juggling multiple commitments in graduate school. It can defiinitely be overwhelming at times but, ultimately, it's completely manageable. Time and stress management is key of course and, conveniently, the Graduate Student Center (http://www.gsc.upenn.edu/) offers plenty of free workshops around those topics (among other useful and fun things :-)) if you feel like you need some tips. I would say I am lucky to be in a program with such understanding and caring professors. If you ever run into a crisis or conundrum, they are always there to talk and support you in whatever way they can. Your peers will become a great resource as well. Because the Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) cohort is relatively small (~30-35), many have grown very close as friends. We consistently have hangouts together throughout the semester to destress. Gym membership, unfortunately, is not free for graduate students but it is offered at a decent price (~$30/month) and all instructional classes (dance, karate, yoga, etc.) are open to us as well for a small fee. I am currently taking a karate class at Penn's Pottruck Health and Fitness Center (http://www.upenn.edu/recreation/facilities/pottruck.html) and am loving it! There are definitely many ways to keep yourself sane during your graduate studies, so don't worry about it too much :)!

-L

Just a reminder:

The opportunity to interview with a Penn GSE alumnus/a ends this month! If you are interested in participating in the alumni interview program, you must submit your application and request form before the end Feb. (Interviews are an optional component of the application to our master’s degree programs. The interviews serve as an opportunity for you to get a better sense of GSE from an alumnus and an opportunity for GSE to get to know you better!) Follow the link provided if you are interested!

http://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/alumni-interview-request


**Please note that GSE may not be able to accommodate all requests for interviews and you are in no way disadvantaged if you do not request or receive an interview.

Winter!...?

As promised, here are some photos of the one night of snowfall we've had this Winter season!

**Pictured are University of Pennsylvania's College Hall (top), Fisher Fine Arts Library (middle), and College Green/Van Pelt Library (bottom).

I hope it snows again soon! It has been in the 40s and 50s since the last snowfall...bizarre weather patterns for Philadelphia, apparently.

On a side note...
I received a comment on last week's post about the admissions interview process for the Counseling and Mental Health Services. The specific request was to "...talk more about what it was like, and maybe what questions they might ask." In my opinion, the interview is an opportunity for applicants to introduce themselves, talk about why they want to get into the field of counseling and what their interests and goals are, and get questions answered. The interview questions, from what I remember, are pretty standard and straight forward, so don't stress :)! Hope that helps!

If anyone has anymore questions, feel free to comment on my posts!

-Lisa