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Dr. Get-Your-Life-Together says: “We Do the Most!”

As the semester continues to ramp up, I encourage you to reflect on your multiple, intersecting identities and how they may impact your success as a student.

If I had to describe this week in two words, I’d say, “THE MOST!” Okay, I need three words, “THE ABSOLUTE MOST!” This week I’ve fired off several “Urgent Response Needed” emails, missed a couple of meetings because I was double booked and not paying close attention to my calendar, cashed in several “I need a favor” points with key partners across campus to resolve pressing student issues, counseled students through “life after academic termination,” wrote appeal decisions, prepared annual performance evaluations for my staff, and on and on and on. At one point, I found myself saying, “For my next trick, I’m going to need a volunteer…”

At times, life, work, and play can feel magical, especially in the Student Affairs profession, as we explore every possible avenue to get to a “yes” answer for students when they are distressed, need an exception, or have simply messed up and don’t know how to fix it. We put on our capes and pull rabbits out of hats. We go just that hard for YOU, although it may not always show. But this week I was also reminded of the words expressed by actor, humanitarian, and super woke activist, Jesse Williams, during the 2016 BET Awards, (albeit in a different context) yet still relevant here, “Just because we’re magic, doesn’t mean we are not real.” Real as in, just like you, we have these multiple intersecting identities that at times may appear compatible or at conflict at any given moment. We, too, identify as working professionals, students, caregivers, siblings, partners, sons and daughters, engaged citizens, and friends. Although we privilege our “working professional” identity in the workplace, it doesn’t mean those other identities suddenly disappear, and sometimes we, too, have to be honest with ourselves and give ourselves permission, guilt free, to attend to some of those other identities, because as much as we like to think of ourselves as magical, it doesn’t mean that we are not real. We feel. We love. We hurt. 

As the semester continues to ramp up, I encourage you to reflect on your multiple, intersecting identities and how they may impact your success as a student. Are you privileging your student identity? Are some of your other identities currently in conflict with your student identity? How are you managing these identities?  

Mason strives to be a model well-being university, in which members of the university community are “thriving across a range of domains (physical, career, social, community, psychological and financial) and being satisfied with one’s life while experiencing curiosity, hope, meaning and joy.” I invite you to explore the Well-Being University Initiative and reflect on how you’re promoting well-being, while managing your multiple, intersecting identities and check out some of the well-being resources and services offered at the university. 

Challenge yourself to simply BE, and BE the BEST at it. That’s all for now.

Dr. Ivory Berry, also known as “Dr. Get-Your-Life-Together,” is the Assistant Dean for Student Success for the College of Education and Human Development. He shares his no-nonsense wisdom every day in the Office of Student and Academic Affairs, and occasionally, here on the Student Success Blog.

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Dr. Get-Your-Life-Together says: “We Got Y’all!”

We are now in the third week of the fall 2017 semester, and if things weren’t already getting “real” for you before, they definitely should be now! Catch this. By now you should be settled with your fall class schedule. Know when the classes are held. Know where they are located. Know which (unassigned) seats are “yours”. Know what times the classes start. Know the instructors’ names. Have reviewed the syllabi. And have connected with at least two classmates in each class who are going to hold you down all semester. But, based on the high volume of inquiries, late schedule adjustments, requests for late registration fee waivers, and “I didn’t know I was still registered for that class” and “nobody told me…” statements we’ve received in the CEHD Office of Student and Academic Affairs over the past few days, perhaps some of you are not quite settled just yet. And as Issa Rae from the HBO series Insecure would say, “We Got Y’all!” 

We understand navigating a large campus system (read: maze) like Mason can be difficult, especially for our first-time freshmen, new graduate students, and transfer students. If you haven’t noticed, we do things a bit differently (sometimes difficult) around these parts. Therefore, we find it necessary to peep you to game. Here are three things that you may or may not have known about being a student at Mason: 1) Although the last day to add a fall 2017 class was September 5, you can technically still request permission from an instructor to be added to their class or arrange an independent study. But, here’s the catch. The instructor does not have to let you in (like, it is the third week of the semester, right?!), and if they do, you will be assessed a late fee and be required to pre-pay for the class before it can be officially added to your class schedule by the Registrar’s office. 2) Your classes will not be automatically or administratively dropped by your Dean, instructor, advisor, or auntie, just because you haven’t paid your semester bill. If you have no intentions on being a student this semester, but previously registered for fall classes, you must go into Patriot Web and drop your classes before the final drop date with tuition penalty (September 19). Otherwise, your student account will become delinquent, and a hold will be placed on your account to prevent future registrations or make any schedule modifications until you give us our money. We want our coins! 3) Check your email daily. And, I’m not necessarily referring to your sexybrowneyes@hotmail.com or jumpman23@yahoo.com accounts. I’m specifically referring to your masonlive.gmu.edu email account, the official communication mechanism for Mason students, faculty, and staff. Notices from financial aid, student accounts, instructors, and other university personnel and offices are sent to your Mason live account. Go check it out! You never know; you may already have some mail in your inbox waiting for a timely response. Okay, I lied. I actually have a fourth piece of advice that you need dropped in your spirit right now. 4) There’s a saying that goes, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” And, that may be true, but around here, just know that even what you don’t know, you are still responsible for knowing it! Being a student at Mason comes with great expectations and responsibilities. The University catalog is your friend (although it’s not very student friend-ly!). But, just remember, “We Got Y’all!” We’ll help you unpack the catalog and understand how things work around here. As my late grandmother would say, “closed mouths don’t get fed.” I told y’all, “We Got Y’all!”

Okay, That’s all for now. I’ll be back soon with some more advice to help in your transition to and/or through Mason.