20 Things You Should Know As A WCU Grad Student

1. Any questions regarding the admissions process can be handled in the Office of Graduate Studies. 

2. GSA offers conference reimbursements up to $500 for students 

3. GSA stands for the Graduate Student Association and it is the governing body of all the graduate students 

4. The Graduate Business Center (GBC) is home to students studying MPA, Counselor Education and Student Affairs, and MBA

5. South campus is for graduate students studying health disciplines 

6. You are able to use the recreation center as a graduate student. You are also able to utilize a free personal trainer. Simply email HSFC@wcupa.edu for the form.

7. We have a graduate student lounge provided by the GSA on the 5^th floor of the library. Simply go to the front desk of the library with your student ID for the code.

8. If you have classes on main campus or if you have to go to main campus for anything before 4pm PLEASE allow yourself a substantial amount of time for parking. It is very limited on main campus.

9. Any questions regarding graduation can be directed to Rachel Kehl Rkehl@wcupa.edu

10. The Office of Graduate Studies is no longer able to provide parking passes for students or faculty who visit main campus before 4pm.

11. You can eat anywhere on campus.

12. Wcupa.edu/grad has a Graduate Studies Forms section on the site that has all the materials to drop a class, change your major, leave the university, etc.

13. Conference reimbursement papers should be handed in at the GSA office in Sykes Student Union (they have a mailbox if nobody is inside)

14. When you attend orientation it is a great opportunity to meet other graduate students, gain a multitude of information, and get your student ID for free!

15. We have a brand new graduate student branch of the Alumni Association. All graduate student alumni are encouraged to join. For more information contact Robert Marco at Rmarco@wcupa.edu and check them out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/WCU-Graduate-School-Alumni-Chapter-GSAC/1482198698711396

16. Please make sure you stay on top of deadlines for things such as drop/add period or when to apply for graduation. They are very important!

17. Most professors I’ve encountered are super helpful and as long as you ask for help, they are willing to assist.

18. GSA hosts 2 socials (1 in the fall and 1 in the spring) they are great ways to meet other graduate students, especially in other departments. They are also great fun and free food!

19. We now have a Philadelphia campus that offers programs in Criminal Justice, Special Education, Social Work, Grad Certification in Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology, and Graduate Business Certificate Program. To learn more, visit the website http://www.wcupa.edu/philly/

20. Our Facebook page is a great place to stay up to date with “What’s Going On” at WCU http://www.facebook.com/wcugrad

Ifest

Good morning students! This will be a short and sweet post. It is hard to believe that September has come and almost gone already. It will be October in a couple of days and the end of the semester will be here before you know it. How has the semester been treating you thus far? I feel like it has started off slow but is quickly picking up.

There is a really cool event that starts today and begins all week. I encourage you to check it out!

Today from 3pm-4pm The Office of Sponsored Research and the Center for International Programs is hosting a Fulbright Scholar Information Session. WCU faculty will provide insights on the application process and requirements for receiving this distinguished research, administrative, and teaching award. The event will be held in Philips Autograph Library and refreshments will be provided.

I believe the event is the kickoff for Ifest. What is Ifest you ask? It is a week long international festival with various programs happening all week around campus. For a list of what is going on please click on the link below. http://www.wcupa.edu/international/documents/IfestCalendar2014.pdf

Welcome Back Recap!

Hello! Hello! Welcome back to all of the returning graduate students and welcome home to everyone new. I hope you had an absolutely AMAZING summer break. I took a class this summer but was able to put my toes in the sand a few times so I am grateful. I am having a difficult time getting back into the swing of things this semester. It is probably because IT IS MY LAST ONE! I apologize for my obnoxious excitement in the previous statement. I am anticipating the bittersweet goodbye come December.

I did want to take a moment and recap the end of the spring semester. It was time for the GSA board to host elections so GSA now has a brand new board which is exciting! I’m happy for them and anticipating a wonderful year. We hosted Graduate Student Appreciation week in April. That was great because we were able to give dinner, cupcakes, and great prizes to both main campus and the Philly campus. The students seemed to really enjoy the week. Check out some photos below.

May Graduate Commencement 2014 was great of course! I will post photos in a separate post for people to see.

Some pretty exciting things have been happening at WCU. For starters, the Masters of Public Administration program has earned international accreditation from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration. Our program is one of only four programs to have earned this accreditation. That is an awesome accomplishment for that department! If you would like to read more about it I will post the link below.

http://wcupa.edu/pr/2014/08.21masterpublichealth.asp

There is now Exton Shuttle Services which were available for the Spring 2014 semester and will be available again beginning this Monday, August 25^th. 

·         There will be 3 shuttles coming from Exton Station to WCU Monday through Friday.

·         You will not need to use the reservation system to reserve a seat.

·         Shuttle service will now be available from the Church Street Station to Exton Station in the morning and the afternoon.

Should you have additional questions, please contact the Transportation Services Office at 610-436-1053 or 610-436-2442 between the hours of 8:00 am – 3:00 pm or check out the website at www.wcupa.edu/shuttlebus.  Questions after 3:00 pm should be directed to the Office for External Operations at 610-436-2577.

Since we are on the topic of buses; the bus from main campus to the Graduate Business Center (GBC) will be returning this year! It will be departing from Church St. every half hour beginning at 3:30pm. The last bus will leave the GBC at 10:15pm. If you have any questions, you can email shuttle@wcupa.edu or contact Transportation at 610-436-1053.

The GSA is hosting their first social of the year on September 17^th from 6-10pm at Sidebar on Gay Street. They always throw super fun events so I am excited! 

Lastly, I began internship this week and saw a cool quote in my supervisor's office. I figured it could be applied to yet another semester and pushing ahead regardless of the struggle. 

I will be back shorty to share the commencement photos. 

Long Time No Sun

Long time no see! My apologies for the tiny leave of absence but the way PA is set up right now it is covered in snow! We have had a numerous amount of snow and snow days this semester. It was exciting and fun to have a free day the first couple times but it quickly became a bother. Anyhow, hopefully the snow has subsided and we can get on with the rest of the semester. How has that been for everyone? We have a midterm next week in a class! It is crazy to think that we are midway through the semester already. I feel like we are just getting into the swing of things. GSA is working on some great things to finish the semester strong. We had a social planned in the beginning of the year but with the snow it just wasn't feasible. I believe that the end of the year will make up for the missed opportunities in the beginning.

In other news, I’m at a new internship placement. It is a charter school and completely different from my previous placement but everyone is nice and the students are pretty well behaved. I have one more internship to complete, in an elementary school, and I will graduate in December! December 15, 2014 to be exact! Graduate school has gone so fast. I cannot believe it has been almost 2 years since I began. Anyone who is iffy about beginning grad school, or something new in general, my advice would be to get like Nike and JusDoIt! J The time will pass anyway and before you know it, you’ll be finished. My experience returning to WCU has been an amazing one. I personally did not want to return to my Alma Mater and wanted new experiences yet my experiences in grad school have been completely different than undergrad. 

                I believe that is pretty much everything that is going on right now. I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and may the rest of your week be awesome!

Photo of frozen plants from the ice storm 

Having fun on one of our many snow days!

Impatiently waiting for spring.......... :) 

ONE WEEK LEFT!

   This is our last week before the spring semester begins! It is pretty bitter sweet if you ask me. How was your break spent? Were you able to read some good books? Share some with me! I always tell myself I am going to read a number of books that have been sitting on my shelf for months then I find myself on YouTube or reading blogs. LOL. Talk about enrichment! I'm actually excited for the semester to begin. I get to start my internship working with 7th-12th graders and I am going to be co-facilitating an after school program in Philadelphia! What are some things are are looking forward to this semester?

I hope you enjoy your last week of break! This semester will be everything you make it. Make sure it's a great one :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful few days off. I am taking a winter class so it is back to work AND class for me today.  Has anyone made any resolutions for the New Year? I made a few. I am amazed at the motivation that comes with a New Year. For some reason my mind is programmed to think that the New Year brings new 24 hours. Oh well, I’m not mad. Hopefully that motivation will continue throughout the year.

Some of my resolutions include:

• ·         Exercising at least three times a week for an hour
• ·         Eating less sweets
• ·         Reading at least a half hour daily
• ·         Journal each night
• ·         Include more happiness in my life (less stress)

As a graduate student, my schedule can really limit my opportunity to complete some of these tasks but I need to make time for them. I think if I am able to do the first four I will in turn bring more happiness in my life. There are a couple other things that I’d like to do in 2014 that I wouldn't necessarily call a resolution but goals?

• ·         See somewhere new
• ·         Start a blog of my own (FINALLY)
• ·         Finish graduate school strong
• ·         Find a job

Share some of your New Year resolutions! I would love to hear them.

Enjoy the rest of your break J

Prospective Students

I've received a few emails from prospective Graduate Students and they told me they have visited my blog. How cool is that! I was really excited to hear that people read this thing! LOL Although, I feel as though a lot of my posts have been for current Graduate Students but those emails made me think I should do a few posts for prospective students.

I wonder what prospective students would like to know? I have been thinking and asking around and came up with a few things. There are different kinds of prospective Graduate Students. Students who are coming straight from undergrad and those who have been in the field for sometime. It might be a little confusing as to where to begin.

1.  I would suggest that if you are coming right out of your undergraduate career it would be most beneficial to begin speaking with the Graduate Coordinator in the department of your interest. Graduate Coordinators have a wealth of knowledge and have more insight on the policy and procedures of that specific major.

2. If you are returning to graduate school after taking some time off for various reasons I think it would be best to begin your application process and questions with the Office of Graduate Studies. The office has a great staff with general knowledge of each program and application process information. If you need more specific information in the future, the office could definitely connect you with the correct department.

3. As a Graduate Student, sometimes you want to hear from fellow Graduate Students. If that is the case I would definitely advise you to reach out to me or our recruiter, Jenna. We can both be reached in the Office of Graduate Studies and/or online through WCU's graduate social media networks. We are also available to give tours so you can get a better feel of the campus community. I think that no matter what stage of like you are in, a current Graduate Student would be a great contact to have at any institution.

4. Lastly, there is an Open House on Saturday October 19th from 10am-12pm in Sykes Student Union. There will be a representative from each department as well as the Office of Graduate Studies present. If you have ANY questions about the process or a specific program, that would be the best place to begin. All attendees will also receive an application fee waiver!

What other information would prospective students be interested in learning about?