Living in the Promise: Scenes from the Office...because not every post can be mind-blowingly awesome

Friday, August 15, 2014

Scenes from the Office...because not every post can be mind-blowingly awesome

Having a functional workspace can be so important,

and it's extremely important to me!

I need my surroundings to be not only practical,

but I also want them to create a sense of calm.

Working with college students can sometimes be an emotionally-charged job!

This is especially true when you're telling someone

they aren't going to graduate on time or they may have to sit out for a year due to a low GPA.

I also meet with students who are feeling overwhelmed and stressed just from the very nature of being a college student.

Having a space where these students can feel comfortable and welcomed is essential to my job.

And I need to feel that way, too!

Work can be overwhelming for any number of reasons.

Plus, I spend approximately 40 hours a week in this room.

I should probably make it as pleasant as possible!

I wouldn't say that my office is inherently nice.

It's very small.

It's old.

It doesn't have windows.

It's tucked away in the back of a very old, drafty, slightly mildewy building.

When I first starting moving into my office,

my coworkers and my husband were all very sympathetic.

They felt bad that I was being sentenced to this work space.

But I was determined to make this space my own and to make it nice!

So, I've added lamps (that no one else in my department wanted. They aren't the cutest, but they provide the desired effect of soft lighting and I can do away with the harsh florescence!,

I've hung various things on the wall that speak to my identity and serve as a source of encouragement for both me and my students.

And I just kind of love it here. :)

So, here it is...

my not-all-that-impressive-simple-yet-sweet office space!

(sorry...they are mostly blurry! Soft lighting and iPhones don't really mix!)

Bulletin board/white board

I periodically put up new quotations from the book 1001 Things Every College Student Should Know, along with corresponding quotations from historical or literary figures.

This piece of paper has clearly seen some loving! I used to pull it out during my counseling appointments while doing my Practicum in grad school. Now it's hanging out in my office. I don't reference it much, but sometimes it's fun to ask students to identity how they're feeling. I think students actually respond to it more now due to the current craze of emojis.