Life is a series of transitions. Whether we find ourselves transitioning between different schools, different relationships or even something as simple as a new pair of pants, the only thing constant in our day to day lives is change. I have been experiencing quite a bit of transition as I shifted from the roles and responsibilities of an undergraduate student to that of a graduate student this last year. The change has been both subtle and jerking, often at the same time but I feel that they are an important part of my personal, social and academic growth.
When I first came to college in the fall of 2004 the campus life seemed like a never ending party, there was fun, drinks, games and all sorts of entertainment to be had, who ever guessed that there would be classes too? College it seemed was a great place to have fun but as time went on and the years past school started to become more of a place of learning for me than just socializing. I learned that as the work load and intensity of my courses increased that my social life often needed to take a back seat in favor of academic purists. This change has been the most pronounced over this past year as I partially took on some of the duties of a graduate student, namely, research and teaching. It’s humbling to be given this opportunity in this stage of my academic career and I found that the jobs assigned to me where far more rewarding than any of my previous undergraduate responsibilities.
Teaching has always been a joy of mine; I’ve been an instructor throughout almost all of my secondary education. Both The Boy Scouts of America as well as HOSA (The Health Occupation students of America) gave me the opportunity to teach both as a student instructor and also as a teacher. But teaching chemistry I’ve found is an overwhelming joy for me. However, the transition from student to teacher has been perceptually challenging as I find myself transitioning from student to teacher in the arena which I am studying. It’s truly a thrill! I remember when I first took these courses just a few years ago and how the level of professionalism from the teaching staff instilled an almost god like admiration for their knowledge and skill. Now, as I stand before the class as an instructor myself I feel it an obligation to meet those impossible standards I had set forth for myself as a student. All in all teaching has proven to be very rewarding and it reminds me how human professors and teachers really are.
This sense of arrival also extends to how I interact with staff and fellow colleges. The evolution from student to teacher is also a social transition as well. The tone of interaction between myself and staff members has become far less formal and more friendly, not to say that the staff wasn’t open and sociable before, but in some way the feeling of being treated more as an equal on the plane of academics is just as scary as it is humbling . There is this invisible wave of expectation that seamlessly washes over you when you’re placed on that higher pedestal. I’m sure this feeling will take some getting used to.
As I find myself becoming a graduate student in just a few months I see an ocean of new possibilities. The challenges that lie ahead can seem daunting however seeing how I’ve had a year or so hovering in this state of educational flux I feel that it’s given me ample time to “adjust” to this new and wonderful chapter of my life. This transition has been a multitude of emotions and perceptions, both good and bad, but for the sake of all of it I feel it’s made me a better person and I hope, in time I can be successful as successful as a graduate student as my peers.
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