Creative Directors: Taylor Weast, Veronica Rahim, & Mia Giron
We have made it to the end of another semester! Hopefully, work is slowing down for many of us and we are finding some time to relax. Still, there are some stressors that are associated with the end of the semester. Therefore, we put together an end of the semester survival guide plus some tips for thriving in the new year – Enjoy!
Share the Love!
We have tough conversations with students at this point in the semester but remember, there’s always room to grow and improve! For example, you may find yourself having the following conversation: “Linda, honey, listen unfortunately, your current GPA isn’t meeting this program’s requirement. Let’s discuss options in moving forward…”
Registration started in October. We’ve reached December. This phrase becomes your mantra…maybe the class has a waitlist??
Remember, no matter how thankless your role may seem at times, many students are apt to share their gratitude with you. Don’t forget to share your gratitude with those in your life that you are thankful for, too!
Now you can really start taking some time for yourself.
Plus, you might even get some sleep over winter break!
So let’s talk about thriving in the new year. Take some of that free time and get organized! No one wants to come back to a desk full of papers and folders and an inbox full of email from last year. As Mary Poppins says, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!”
New year’s resolutions…they always sound so great at the beginning of the year. Never mind that life got busy and exercise took a backseat. Join a walking group, visit the gym, do a Zumba class with friends. The possibilities are endless!
Another great way to start the New Year off right is by joining the PACADA Professional Mentoring Program (shameless plug, we know). Seriously, how great would it be to make a new connection on campus?! More information and the sign up links can be found here: https://www.purdue.edu/pacada/mentoring-program
While we’re shamelessly plugging PACADA activities, have you considered joining a committee? Join this duck on the Research Committee (help them with the IRB approved research project they are working on)! Or perhaps the Communications and Connections Committee (C3) is more your thing? We also have a great Membership Committee (responsible for those cool gifts you get every year), the Campus Affairs Committee (who organized the outstanding Student Affairs update last week!) and last, but certainly not least, the Professional Development Committee (who sponsors the annual PACADA Retreat every year). Are you convinced yet?
Speaking of retreats…have you considered professional development? Conferences can be a great way to rejuvenate yourself and advance your knowledge in your specific functional area, plus they are fun! Consider attending the Regional and National NACADA Conference (or a conference specific to your functional area), on-campus professional development opportunities (such as the Webinar sponsored by Sandy and the folks at Undergraduate Academic Advising on Dec. 14th), or off-campus professional development opportunities.
We wish you all the best through the end of the semester and we hope you thrive in the new year!
*Note: All memes, gifs, and images in this article were captured from Google images searches and TheAwkwardYeti.com. These are not our original creations nor do we take credit for their creation.