Hey everyone!
I hope you’ve all been enjoying the process of interview weekends at various institutions! Interview weekend season is one of my most favorite times of the year. I love having the opportunity to meet exciting candidates for the CSAA program and learn about the amazing perspective they hope to bring to the field of student affairs. While I do love meeting all of the candidates and taking part in the interview weekend activities, being social with such a large amount of people really tires me out.
As a second year graduate student in the CSAA program, I have been part of multiple CSAA interview weekends as a current student and have also participated in multiple interview weekends as a candidate for graduate programs. As an introvert, I’ve learned to perfect the craft of creating “me time” throughout interview weekends and within the CSAA program. I use the verb create instead of find intentionally. I believe it’s about creating “me time” because taking out time for self-care or to process looks differently for everyone. I also believe creating implies a physical action completed by a person, which shows the importance of what is being created. In this instance, I’m specifically speaking about creating time for you.
Creating “me time” looks differently for everyone. Below, I will do my best to provide you some insight into tips I used for figuring out how to best support myself during times of high social and academic interaction. Taking time out to process or just do whatever you need to do to boost your energy is very important. If I would have never figured out what I needed to aid my introversion, I don’t know if I would have made it through interview weekends or enjoyed my time in CSAA as much as I have been. Remember that these tips are not the only way to go about being successful in interview weekends or in graduate programs and that they are unspecific to allow for room for your own interpretation.
(Shout out to David Boyer for the blog post framework haha)
Brandon’s Tips for Creating “Me Time”
Figure out why you’re creating “me time”- Before you even think about what “me time” will look like for you, be sure to figure out why you need it. This approach should help you in figuring out what you feel like you need.
Don’t let the things you’ve always enjoyed doing wither away- Times may get hectic in interview weekends or graduate programs, but remember to do the things you love. These things are what make us human and are easy ways to bring happiness into our lives.
Learn how to say no- Learning how to say no has been an integral part of my development into becoming a practitioner. It’s actually something I still struggle with! Learning how to say no has helped me keep the things I enjoy in my life and has helped me create “me time.” While there is large merit in being the first person to take on a task or role, always remember your internal needs while making decisions. A no to a voluntary task or role from somebody else can mean a yes to you.
Prepare for dissonance- There are going to be times when you won’t be able to create the “me time” you think you need. Understand that you will make it through the busy times and just prepare for those in your schedule.
Y.D.Y. (You Do You)- In the end, always make sure that YDY (You Do You). If a large amount of social interaction is your thing, then be sure to continually seek that out. If you know you need time for yourself to process and be alone, then create that time for your happiness and well-being. Always remember that you’re in control of your experience and that you can frame it however you would like.
My name is Brandon Newell and I am a second year graduate student in College Student Affairs Administration program at the University of Georgia (UGA). I have a graduate assistantship in UGA’s Office of Multicultural Services & Programs and am looking forward to graduating this May. I am originally from New York and am enjoying the SEC football, warm weather, and nice people that come along with life in Athens.