Hi readers! My name is Nyya Jones, and I’m a first year Master’s student in the College Student Affairs Administration Program (CSAA, and pronounced kuh-SAH) at the University of Georgia. My current assistantship is in Undergraduate Admissions at the University of North Georgia, and my practicum is in the Education Abroad office here at UGA. Before I came to Georgia, I worked full-time for a few years in the nonprofit sector. I’m a New Jersey native. Pittsburgh, PA is my second home, and now Georgia is my third.
I’m assuming if you’re reading this that you’re looking for a bit of insight on what the student experience in CSAA is like. The truth is, it really is different for everyone! But I’d like to share a little bit about my journey here so far, and focus on academic life here. By far, the aspect of CSAA that most intimidated me as I made the decision to commit to Georgia was the academic workload. I had heard during Interview Weekend from faculty and from other applicants about the academic rigor that UGA’s student affairs program provides.
I can now reflect on this as I finish my first year of the program. Don’t get me wrong, CSAA is an academic rigorous program, but it is manageable.
Why?
First and foremost, I’ve re-learned how to read.
I don’t read word-for-word, and I don’t re-read or try to memorize as I go. Everyone learns differently, but personally, I’d be a day late and a dollar short if I read that way for all of my classes! Instead, I’m reading to gain context and establish a base of knowledge if I don’t already have it for that topic. And of course, I always write notes as I go along.
Second, the theory-to-practice format allows us ample opportunities to make sure that we’re grasping the material we learn in class, to really allow it to soak in. Historical or theory-based readings are balanced with articles from the Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed, to bring the material to life. Assistantship and practicum experiences further capitalize on this. We’re able to learn because we’re able to practice. Our classes are interactive and conversation based. Active participation is a big part of the in-class experience. Our professors are real people with a significant amount of experience working with students, and they want to know what we think in the same way that we want to know their thoughts.
Finally, one of the highlights of student affairs is our ability to be as general or as specific as we’d like, as practitioners. This translates a bit into academics too. There are certain fundamentals that we all must learn as students here (proper APA citations being one of them!), but we are given the freedom to tie in the areas that we are most interested in into our academic experience, or take that time and dedicate it to exploring a variety of roles.
The academic experience here at UGA is like none other. It gives us a chance to explore, support, and challenge ourselves and each other while immersing us into the field. As I wrap up my first year, I know that even more learning awaits me in class in the fall!