The Beginning of My New Journey - My Graduate Assistantship Training

        My long anticipated graduate program at Penn GSE finally started with my graduate assistantship (GA) training on Aug.31st, 2012. I was finally able to meet the Associate Director Emily and my work buddy Alexis after our multiple email exchanges over the summer. Both of them were super easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor, which eased my anxiety to jump into this new phase in life. I knew that I was off to a good start here because of this natural establishment of a great support system that GSE had put in place.

        Our primary goal for the training was to get familiar with our job responsibilities for the year. Alexis and I were each given a heavy GA legacy binder carefully prepared by the previous two GAs right off the bat. We were instructed to read through all the materials and ask questions, which is a very typical way of learning as a graduate student here at Penn. That was also our first taste of readings as part of our graduate program. If you are considering starting graduate school next year, I would highly recommend getting into a habit of active reading now if you haven't already done so.

        Just to give you a sneak peak of some of our responsibilities, here are some of the things we have been working on during the past two and a half weeks. They may also be of interest to you as you continue your search of a graduate program that best fits your background and interest. As a graduate assistant for the GSE Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, we have been working on:

 
*      Planning for the Virtual Information Session for All GSE Programs for this Thursday
        (If you are interested, please RSVP here.)

*      Coordinating on-going individualized campus visits for prospective students
        (If you would like to visit in person, please send in your request here.)

*      Organizing our October On Campus Information Session
        (We would love to have you join us at this event as well.)

*      Getting ready for our Web Chat for prospective students to connect with
        current students and GSE alumni

*      Maintaining a weekly student blog (which we just started!)

        I am really grateful for having this assistantship during my one-year master's program at GSE. Their focus on teaching of the fundamental knowledge of education and simultaneously preparing students professionally was a big draw to me when I was checking out different programs.

        At the end of my training that day, I felt the heavy weight placed on my shoulder for this year as a student and a graduate assistant, but I was ready to welcome any growing opportunities whether they appear in the form of exciting learning experiences or seemingly scary challenges. After all, this is part of a life experience, right?

        In my next few blogs, I will share some of my first impressions on Penn and GSE, my courses, and what I have learned so far about academic preparedness... Good night for now! :)

University of Pennsylvania - America's First University
(Photo taken by Adam Morrow, Higher Ed. Student @ Penn GSE)

Penn GSE - 3700 Walnut Street
(My Second Home in Philly, or Perhaps My First?)