CSPA Orientation: Part 1

Today was the official start day of earning my Master's in College Student Personnel Administration at James Madison University located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I had a small get-to-know-each-other orientation with everyone in my year as well as some professors and advisers of the program. When I was back at home and was worried about making friends I said to lots of people, "Hopefully I will like everyone because we all already share the passions and dreams for students in higher education. We have to have some pieces of our personality that click together." And I am so so happy to say now that all of that is true! I loved getting to hear a little bit of every one's stories about their summer and student affairs. I am really really looking forward to making some new friends and sharing this experience with them! Later today I'm going to drive around with some girls in the program to learn the area a little better and then tonight mostly everyone (some people have to work their assistantships later in the evening) are meeting for dinner. With all of these happy, exciting, and positive things happening it makes getting my first parking ticket on campus today seem like an adventure rather than $25 out of my pocket. Haha in a way this is kinda like being a freshman all over again. I have so many things to learn - parking being one of them! (Or maybe I should study up on the public bus system instead!)

Oh yeah, another thing I wanted to mention. The director of the CSPA program said in orientation today, "We can pretty much guarantee that in two years when you are looking for a job no one will ask you what your graduate studies GPA was. They will ask if you have a degree and they will want to know what you learned from the degree but they will not ask for that number." Wow, did this hit home with me or what?! I love getting good grades. I try really really hard for them. I feel that I focus on learning as well but for those of you that know me, grades are important to me! To help me with this adjustment, I would love it if those of you who are reading this will occasionally make sure that I am focusing on the learning experience and am not just after a score. Even if you have to bluntly say "Grades don't matter!!" I'll understand what you mean. Thanks!