Changes: They Are Coming. For You. For Me. (And a Graphical Update on the House Next Door)

I've really missed my regular posting in this space and I hope you've missed it, too.

As a new blogger (my one year anniversary is only a few weeks away), I know that failing to post regularly is blog death. However, never fear, my absence and irregularity is for very good reason. I actually have quite an arsenal of pent up student-professor communication goodness just waiting to emerge for you.

For right now, change is afoot... Exciting changes. I bet you have new changes coming, too, as you move further into this academic year. Maybe you're readying yourself for graduation. Maybe you're finishing your first year. We'll talk about the talk associated with those changes in just a second. First, a little preview on the changes of which I speak:

-Say goodbye to this blog space. The Chatty Professor is moving to a fresh new home thanks to my work with Christian Hollingsworth (http://www.smartboydesigns--have you met him? Followed him? Read his work? Oh my goodness... you have no idea...). Christian is helping me take my social media presence to new and incredible places.

-I recently mentioned some new blog features, which will ramp up the tips I can offer to you each week. Here's a preview:

*Word. Wednesday. Say It Now: Quickie talking tips about your class, college, or other campus-related "stuff" you can use immediately. I'm planning for... guess which day... but you can use the tips any day!

*Let's Talk To: Interviews with experts about how they use communication in their respective fields. It's that "soft skills" training that rarely gets talked about. Well, I'll be talking about it and then you can use those tips to strengthen your abilities!

*Talk About This Today: News to raise your information excellence capital! No more will you want to text before classes. Instead, you'll be 'in the know' when you practice face-to-face communication with these conversation starters. Watch you go! (Okay, I won't be able to see you--that would be weird, but I know you'll write in and tell me about it!).

*And, of course, my regular commentary about all things student-professor comm-related. Don't worry: I'll still add my take on interpersonal communication and, at times, public speaking!

-My book, Say This, NOT That to Your Professor: 36 Talking Tips for College Success is less than 60 days away from release. That's all I'll say about that, but you'll hear more very soon!

-My final change is a little random, but I did promise to update about it in this post called "When the Walls Go Up, How Do You Avoid Getting Down?" 

Remember this picture? I'll bring you up to speed...

The former view standing on my front porch...
Vashon Island in the distance

My house is on the left. Bob the Builder
rolls in to prep the space. My 4-year old delights. My
husband and I cringe. But we knew it could happen.

We get a taste of what's to come.
No more Vashon Island from
the porch.. or from anywhere.

A few short months later, wallah!
A baby Office Max--er, ultra-modern
house is born. Okay, it's a little cute.
(I'll let you know when it sells.)

So, what's the communication lesson here? 

Even positive change can be stressful to talk about! Maybe you're going through some good changes, like that you're really comfortable with your classes, your degree program, your college, in general. Or maybe, you were thinking about leaving your college and now you're going to stay put. Or, you have changed your mind, but you feel very rooted in that decision (remember my tips here?).

Here are some ways I've messaged some of the happy challenges I've been going through lately:

-"There's an end and I know that. Only a few more weeks left and I can make it. I'm going to hold strong!" 

Nothing lasts forever. A college term has an end. So does a book deadline. I have personally decided that I hate the term, "Hang in there!" because it makes me feel like I have a rope tied in a not-good place. So, I'm replacing "Hang in there!" with "Hold strong!" because it just feels more powerful, more assertive, more positive.

(Remember, you can also ask for help if you need it a'la this post).  

-"It's amazing what the mind can adjust to." 

When our friends see the small office building that has emerged next door, they supportively express sadness for our loss (of a view... I know, it's not like we lost a family member or a pet--we do put this in perspective). But, honestly, a couple of weeks ago, as I was carrying laundry from one room to another (an every day occurrence around here), I realized that the lack of view wasn't really bothering me any more. My eyes adjusted to what was. My family isn't sad, though my son misses the diggers and the builders. The known is so much more freeing than the dread of wondering what would come.

-"This is a good problem to have." 

I have had very, very little sleep lately, thinking about book cover text, fonts, proper endorsement placements, edits, etc. And this is in tandem with other work I have happening. You are juggling work too, wonderful student--probably a lot of it, right?  

Let's put this in perspective:  YOU are in school... you have opportunity ahead of you... you may be working, and you're working toward something. There is every possibility in front of you. You are making it happen. 

I have a dream that I've had since I was a teen-ager about to come true. A dream that's eluded me twice already. A dream that one of my parents and two friends did not live to see. I'm in a pretty fantastic place in my career--this is a full-circle moment. 


Yes, we're both losing some sleep for different reasons. Yes, we're a little (okay, a lot) stressed due to our workload and concern over the quality of our work. But, hell, we're in... the... game.

What a great problem to have! So let's message our "stress" accordingly!

I'm going to end here. To leave this on a positive note, a graphical close:

Look to the right of small Office Max--er, ultra modern. More change may be
coming for potential owners... Other walls could go up later!
Small houses don't always stay that way in Seattle.

 

 

Last picture... view from my kitchen window
(back of the ultra modern house). Peek-a-boo view
of Vashon. I'll take it! 

Students, what positive changes are coming your way? I'd love to hear about them! And, of course, I'm always here to talk about those "other" changes, too... Wonderful readers, thanks for your patience with my delay over the past few weeks. See you in the new digs!

Five Communication Strategies for Summer School Success!

Can't you picture yourself reading on this comfy chair?

In my last post, I talked about one of my summer classes at my former community college in Nevada. 

You remember:  I got a "C" and I am at peace with it! (My name is "Ellen"... You:  "Hi, Ellen!" Couldn't resist.)

In that post, you may recall that I communicated exactly twice during that class:

Time #1: I feebly tried to ask my prof if there was anything I could do to improve my grades.

(The answer was "No." What creative, out-of-the-container thinking was I expecting when my prof's teaching method of choice was lecturing from a legal pad for three hours?);

and

Time #2:  I passed notes.

(Not my finest hour of student behavior).

We can safely say that I made some mistakes in that class. Now, after spending years in school and now as a prof, I know better. After I published that post, I remembered that I was talking about summer school, and taking summer classes can pose special opportunities and challenges.

The good about summer school?
-You get to pick up some extra credits in a shorter period of time.
-The classes run for fewer weeks.
-The workload is typically distributed differently than in a regular-term class. By the way, it's a false sense of security to believe that you will have far less work in a summer term or that the work is way easier.

The challenges with summer school?
-You may be a little burnt from the rest of the academic year and need a break, but can't take one.
-The classes run for fewer weeks.  
-The learning requirement/workload feels way faster than a regular term... because it is.

Whether you're new to this blog or a two-month veteran of it (as in, when I started), you know that I believe communication skills up your success capital in college. Summer school is no different. Here are five talking strategies to do your best while you're there:

-Talk to your professor on the first day!
This is a two-parter:  If you've read my previous blog posts, you know my ongoing theme is "early" when it comes to talking to your profs about goals or getting help. The pace of summer school means that you have no time to waste. If you "need an 'A'", or any other grade, in that summer school class, see the prof before the first class, after the first class, or walk with him/her out to the parking lot if you have to (but no stalking!).

Say, "I am looking to earn at least a B in this class, and hopefully an A. Do you have some advice? Will you review work early?"

You simply don't have the time to find out in week 6 that you are not getting the grade you want. So, hatch your plan on the first day of summer school!

then, part two...

-Talk to your professor every day, if necessary!
Have I mentioned in this post that summer school moves at a quicker pace? That you may feel like you have to learn at lightning speed? (I believe I have!). If you struggle in the shorter timeline, there aren't as many days to pick up the pieces. So, ask for help as often as you need it and be extremely proactive with your professor!

In fact, don't just rely on your prof for help: A summer term is a great time to familiarize yourself with other on-campus resources. Ask your prof, "Can you tell me what tutoring, resource centers, or other campus help might be available?" Then go to those areas and check on the summer hours.

It might be tempting to drop your summer class, and the only way I'd even consider recommending this is if you and the prof collaboratively determine that you are far in over your head (On this note, it's not the wisest decision to take your toughest class in the summer unless you can devote every waking hour to it, and to getting help for it). Otherwise, this accelerated schedule is a great time to pump up your work ethic, become brilliant about locating help for yourself, and get to know on-campus services that you may not have needed or had time to investigate.

-Ask about your prof's office hours or e-mail availability, if this is not abundantly clear in the syllabus.
Most profs feel just like students do:  It's a long year; we want to hook up some summer! Profs do not usually have committee work or regular meetings over the summer, which means that they are not available on campus as much. This could be a disadvantage for you if you need a good deal of help. If your syllabus doesn't tell when your prof is available, either in-office, on the phone, or on e-mail, then make sure you ask. This way, you can schedule yourself around the times that your prof is there for you.

-Chat up classmates--quickly! 
In your summer classes, you are likely to have both students who have been at your college a while, and you might have others who are just there to pick up a class or two. These "others" could be folks from the business world, or, they might be students who are home from other colleges and picking up a few summer credits.

Meeting these new classmates offers great opportunities for you to:

a) make new connections that you can bridge into the fall term--can't have too many fresh study partners or friends, right?;
b) find out about an actual student's experience at a college you may consider attending;
or
c) meet a new professional contact, if the person is out in the workforce already.

But don't wait until mid-summer-term to start chatting with someone of interest! Summer is shorter and nurturing new friendships and networks takes time. Try making some small talk, such as:

"I see that you have U of X logo on your backpack. Was last year your first year?"
"I remember that A & P book. Do you have Professor Jones?"
"You said on the first day of class that you work for the city. How long have you worked there?"
"Didn't you and I have Environmental Science together last semester?"

-Get to know profs-to-be.
It's hard not to count down the seconds before summer class ends so you can sprint to your car, get to work, or hit the pool or beach. However, if you will remain at the same institution for your fall term, sticking around campus after class, or getting on campus an hour or so early, can give you a head start for later. Here's why:

Many students know their fall schedule when taking summer classes. This gives you a golden opportunity to meet your profs well before the term starts, if they are on campus during the summer.

Why not go visit a prof or two, say hello, see if you can grab a syllabus, and even check out the textbook? If you have a special issue with a course, or have particular goals, even more reason to see the prof early and say,

"Hello, I'm Ellen. I'm looking forward to taking your class, but have an intense fear of public speaking. Have any early suggestions I can use?" (Saying, "I just wanted to let you know" is also fine)

or...

"Hello, I'm Ellen. I know this is really early, but I'm in your class this fall. I'd love to see a syllabus if you have one so I can learn about the class and prepare myself."

The personal connection will make you feel more comfortable when you walk into a prof's class on the first day.

And, if your feelings aren't warm and fuzzy about the prof or the class, guess what? You have plenty of time to get out of that class and change your schedule.

Prof off for the summer? The department secretary might have access to a syllabus from the previous term.

I sincerely hope that you have an incredible summer that is full of barbecues, lots of (safe!) sunning, outdoor movies, vacations... and the college credits that you seek.

Communicate--not by passing notes like I did--and make it so!


For students who are summer school veterans, what are your tips for success? Colleagues? What would you tell students about summer school?