Welcome to my blog!

Hello! Thanks for visiting my blog! I am excited to share my new journey at Penn GSE with you! Please feel free to leave a comment. I look forward to connecting with you!

Here's a bit more info. of myself in addition to the profile:

I was born in Xi'an, and grew up in Guangzhou, China. I completed my undergraduate program at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, with a major in Communication and a minor in Spanish.

Prior to coming to Penn, I was working as an International Student Advisor and Marketing Representative at Wisconsin ESL Institute where I found my passion for international education. I am most interested in two specializations of the Higher Ed. field: International Admissions and International Student Services.


Sunday, January 27, 2013

School/Work/Life Balance

"Work/Life Balance" has been one of the hot topics that we have been discussing in class and outside of class since the beginning of our program. As many higher ed. professionals have shared with us, there is really no "8-5" job within the field. People are almost always "on board" to serve their students and the institution, dedicated to making a difference on a daily basis. One of the pieces of advice that I have received from Dr. Rudie Altamirano, Director of International Student and Scholar Services at Penn, is that anyone who is looking to step into this field needs to truly "love the job and love the field." 
So far, this program has definitely been giving me plenty of opportunities to get a taste of what it truly means by balancing school/work/life on a daily basis. During this coming week, I have the following MAJOR things to accomplish:
* Three papers due by the end of the week
* Three projects done by the end of the week
* Resumes / Cover letters done by Tuesday
* One 90-minute workshop on Wednesday
* Two jobs to apply for ASAP
* Prep. work with the team for the Ph.D. weekend
* Dance practices for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration
...
All of these need to be completed sometime in between my classes, assistantship, networking, time with my husband and parents (over the phone), and sleep! The two most effective tools for me to keep track of everything are my 8x11-inch planner and the Google Calendar. I have assigned a specific time slot for each task that I have to and would like to get done for the day, and so enjoyed the moments of crossing off a completed task as time goes by. I am definitely feeling more equipped to complete this semester strong after a VERY rigorous semester last year! Also, thankfully, I have my wonderful family, cohort, GA supervisor and staff in the office, as well as some close friends by my side who continue to show their strong support and sweet love.
The classes that I am taking this semester are: 
- Enrollment Management
- Globalization of Higher Education
- Administration of Student Life
- Diversity in Higher Education
- Professional Development

Compared to last semester when most classes are foundational, we have more options to choose from an even bigger range of classes of our own interests. I am very interested in Admissions and International Student Affairs, so I am absolutely loving all the classes that I have this semester! If there is anything specific that you would like to know about my classes, please let me know. I would be very happy to elaborate more. 

By the way, I have been very excited to "meet" those of you who have been accepted and joined our Facebook group! Best to those of you who have applied and are still waiting to hear back from the Admissions, and to the rest of you who have been reading our blogs! 

One last note - I did get to meet Dr. George Kuh at the Penn GSE Exec. Doc. Alumni Leadership Conference last week! He has such a genuine heart for students! No wonder why he is regarded as an "Icon" for Student Affairs in this country.

Until next time, take care! :)



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