Bet! And I'll Raise You a Thin Mint: How Personal Passions Can Ante Up Your Advising
I want to encourage advisors to think about how our personal interests and activities outside of work can support our advising. So often, advisors feel like they have to start from scratch when trying to engage students. But the truth is, we already have a lot of skills and tools from our everyday lives that can make a big difference.
For example, this summer I brought a game to New Student Orientation that I usually play with my Girl Scout troop to get them ready for cookie season. It worked wonderfully with our new students! That experience reminded me that what we do outside of higher ed—whether it’s hobbies, coaching, volunteering, or other commitments—can often be applied in ways that help students and make our jobs easier.
Too often, we don’t see those outside activities as connected to our work. But they can be powerful resources. My hope is that this session will spark a new way of thinking: instead of reinventing the wheel, let’s draw from who we already are and what we already do. By weaving our outside experiences into our advising, we can better support student success and also take some of the pressure off ourselves.
