College Experiences That Helped Faculty at Chandler Gilbert Community College Succeed
Robert, a faculty member at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, reflects on their undergraduate experience, acknowledging a heavy workload that prioritized graduate school admission over enjoying the undergraduate years, advising students to "put the book down, go to a party". The most insightful part of their approach involved observing teaching styles and classroom dynamics, a strategy that proved valuable in their career path toward post-secondary teaching.
Higher Education, Teaching, Academic Success, Work-Life Balance, Mentorship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Robert Soza
Faculty
Chandler Gilberty Community College
Arizona State University
UC Berkeley, Dept. of Ethnic Studies, PhD
Humanities, English, Writing & Education
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Enjoy the undergraduate experience. Balance academics with other aspects of life to avoid burnout.
2. Take learning seriously and pay attention to teaching methods. Observe how effective instructors engage students and manage the classroom dynamic.
3. Consider the teaching style and strategies of your professors. Use this as a model to develop your own teaching style in post-secondary settings if you're interested in that career path.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I don't know that my undergraduate experience is a good example. As an undergrad, I was the kind of student taking 18, 21, or even 24 hours a semester. I also had two or three part-time jobs.
I sacrificed almost everything to go to graduate school. I was likely in a different position than UC students watching this. I came from Arizona State, an institution with less reputation than the UCs.
I was sacrificing significantly to get into a better school, and it paid off. I earned a PhD from UC Berkeley, so I was able to make that jump. However, I wish I had spent more time enjoying being an undergrad.
So, perhaps part of my advice is to enjoy your undergraduate years. Put the book down, go to a party, go to the beach. Do things that make life enjoyable because you're only young once.
Apart from that, I think what I did as an undergrad is also a good model, even if I may have done it too much. Because I wanted to teach in a post-secondary setting, I took learning seriously.
I also paid close attention not just to what my teachers taught, but how they taught. You mentioned enjoying spending time with faculty one-on-one. I paid attention to how they worked with me in office hours and with their graduate students.
I really tried to understand the dynamic of the classroom as a structure, not just as a place where information was shared.
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