Batman and the Open Work Environment

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YY0du When I was in college there was a blissful place in the library called the quiet area. I could go to this place and something magical would happen – no one would talk to me or around me. It was my own productivity cave. Then, I got to the real world and I was introduced to the open work environment – also know as a fashion show of headphones.

The open work environment – an airy creative space to give you room to think. To allow you to collaborate with your colleagues and to really get some “innovative” work done. But what if collaboration isn’t for every minute of every day? At first I thought, I was a broken millennial. I am terrible at ping-pong and other games that frequent the open work environment, and I prefer not to drink beer at work. For the record, I like my cave. I want to be alone.

Someone who prefers to work alone? An endangered species. But then it hit me – Batman (no he didn’t actually hit me, that would suck and I would probably be dead). Batman liked his space and he did a pretty good job juggling a double life as a super hero and millionaire. Not only that, but he knew when to work with a team and when he was the only man for the job.  If he ever did yoga, his balance would be a sight to behold.

Working styles differ and finding the best one for you is important.  Realizing the space and environment I thrive in boost my productivity and creativity. Some prefer the active and energizing open work space, other prefer a coffee shop buzz or working at midnight.  Whatever you prefer, finding the right fit will be a great improvement on your work life.

If anyone needs me, use the signal. I’ll be in my cave.

Bethany’s background includes working for startups, corporations, and ad agencies. Her area of expertise is digital communication and marketing strategy. She works as the Marketing Director for CordiaGrad and graduated from University of Kentucky (Go Cats!) with her B.B.A in Marketing.

Bethany has lived in 6 different states and enjoys taking spontaneous weekend trips to explore new cities. She is a Memphis native and volunteers with St. Jude Research Hospital.  She follows Kentucky Basketball when they are winning which, according to her, is always. Connect with her on Twitter to keep the conversation going.

The Secret to Helping Your Students Find Themselves

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Get-Lost-And-Find-Yourself

* This post was edited from one originally posted on The Student Affairs Hub.

I wasn't the most adventurous person when I was growing up. I only ever really went to the places I knew and ate the foods I knew I liked. While this tendency will always be a part of who I am, I've started to make intentional attempts to travel more, try more, and just get out of my comfort zone more.

You know that line about where the magic happens? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about here.

I have gone to more cities in our great country, started blogging, and have put myself out into the professional world meeting colleagues and forming connections, which as a proud introvert, is hard for me at times. I might mumble and grumble going against my nature, but afterwards, I'm always glad I made the effort to get out of my shell. I'm even planning my first trip outside of the country with my partner! I never would have thought I'd want to do a lot of these things or even have the opportunity to do them. I'm grateful for the growth these different opportunities in my life have given me and I know that students have the potential to experience the same learning.

As a student at college (or someone who works with them), there are ample opportunities to find ways to get out and experience more new things. That could be because someone is just in a new area while you're at college, it could be joining a new club or organization, applying for a job (on-campus or off), it could mean going on an alternative break trip to do service, or going away to study for a semester abroad. All of these hold value for engaging in an experience that, even if it is not exactly what was hoped for, students will get out of their comfort zone and learning new things about themselves, and the world around them.

So, making someone take risks, face fears, and embrace discomfort is easier said than done but the importance and value of the experience far outweigh whatever reticence a student might have. What we have to do as student affairs professionals is nudge our students to the zone of proximal development as it applies here, or in other words, where challenge and support are primed for growth and learning for students. They don't feel too safe or too challenged, but the discomfort is enough to allow for them to learn something new. For example, a student could learn a lot by traveling to a new city in the US with a group of fellow students, but it could be too much for them at once to perhaps travel alone to a new country.

Students will also simply listen to their trusted mentors on taking risks and finding their identity outside of their comfort zones. Our faith in them and our knowledge of the benefits of the aforementioned experiences help urge a student to go for it. I know when I was an undergraduate student, I never would have thought to apply to be an RA (which was far out of my comfort zone) but a few recommendations to do so from professional staff members helped send me other the edge and give it a shot. Five years later, here I am having found a career I love and I owe it all to the encouragement of others.

I urge you to urge your students to get out and experience new things. I'm sure they'll thank you for it.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 05/08/15

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Geek-and-proud

Good day to you!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

We got some more details about the first Phase 3 movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently, as production began on Captain America: Civil War. We found out some of the notable folks who would be in it (some expected, others not) and got the synopsis of the film as well. I look forward to seeing this movie next year, as this ideological struggle is one of my favorite storylines in the comics. Check the link above for more details.

I was saddened to hear the news that Fox cancelled this show after three seasons. It was a pretty good network comedy and was one I enjoyed watching with my partner. It grew on me and stuck a bit better than it's spiritual sibling, New Girl. We may have some hope though, as Hulu may pick it up and continue it's run. I hope they do, since Hulu is hurting for a killer show in their streaming lineup.

I've been hearing a lot of random, sporadic rumors about this show, so I'm happy that now it is going to be an actual thing, and that thing is going to be called Legends of Tomorrow. Brandon Routh's ATOM seems to be leading the charge for this super-powered team up show with a time travel (!) element to the proceedings. No premiere or episode order has been set but it will be awesome to further explore the expansive DC universe on television, interestingly way before the movies get anywhere near the same depth. I'm a big fan of this DC TV Universe so I'm hopeful more is better when it comes to this new series.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: April 2015

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Geek-and-proud

Hey there! Here's what was going on in my world last month:

There was so much to geek out about last month, and to help you sift through it all, here's my monthly wrap up of all the stuff that was on my mind in April:

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Movie Musings: Avengers - Age of Ultron

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avengers-age-of-ultron-giant-poster-final This past weekend saw the wide US theatrical release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the much anticipated Marvel team-up film that continued the momentum of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) started all the way back in 2008 and has continued with several awesome movies and television shows.

It's hard to top the unique movie event that was the first Avengers movie, but Age of Ultron (AoU) succeeds at being a ton of fun, just like all of the entries in the MCU. With some amazing action set pieces, cool new characters, and a global scale to the proceedings. Ultron is a suitable villain, but these movies still are struggling to create as good a villain (and as persistent a one) as Loki.

Even with a stuffed cast of characters, a frenetic pace, and some universe building to do, the movie doesn't feel as unfocused as other superhero films were trying to do the same (Amazing Spider-Man 2 comes to mind). We get precursors to future solo movies (most importantly Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther) as well as the Infinity War saga. I appreciated these nods as well as the introductions of Vision, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. They're all cool new characters that fit right into the established MCU.

Ant-Man is the next entry in the MCU (which I am really curious to see) and it will continue to expand the history of the Avengers, SHIELD, and looks to keep the same vibe of action and fun. I'll continue to review all the movies I see this summer, which will (hopefully) include Pitch Perfect 2, Inside Out, and Ant-Man (there are other movies this year I'm looking forward to as well, they just come out way later).

What did you think of Age of Ultron? Did you see it in 2D/3D? IMAX?

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 05/01/15

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Geek-and-proud

Good day to you!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

  • Seinfeld

I love the show Seinfeld. It is a classic television sitcom that stands the test of time. As such, I was pretty excited when it was announced that Hulu will be bringing the complete series to their streaming service beginning in June. I feel like I still haven't seen every episode so I definitely plan to slowly burn through them all to relive my favorite moments and appreciate the series as a whole. If you haven't seen the show before, definitely check it out on Hulu when it's released.

  • Summer!

The end of my first academic year as a full-time professional is drawing close, and as such, I've been thinking about how I want to spend my summer. I'm sure it will be a mixture of work and fun (as I tend to like for my down time) but I want to take in all that I can while I have the opportunity here in Maine. That means trying to venture out to Canada, seeing more of New England, and continuing to appreciate the local offerings here in Maine as well. I hope I can get to it all while also planning and preparing for the next academic year. I have high hopes but I believe I can do it!

  • Sustainability

I've been working with our campus-wide sustainability committee here at my institution, and it made think about how we make change happen at a institutional level. My perspective on it is that it really can be difficult and time intensive, which needs to be acknowledged, but the efforts of committees like ours need to be strongly supported in more than just lip service and pats on the back to make us all feel good. We need broad support and we need financial support to make things happen. We can do a lot with changing behaviors to make a difference, but for sweeping, lasting change, we need to reform a lot of infrastructure, which costs money. While making sustainable changes gives the opportunity for a return on investment, the initial cost needs to be made, and I feel stifled by that concept most times. I also am impatient and have a sense of urgency for fixing the problems that surround us everyday (that I feel may not be shared by others at times). These are just some stream of consciousness thoughts I've had after going to these meetings for a few months.  We have just started this work on our campus, and we feel very far behind already, and then it feels like we can only move at a snail's pace. It's frustrating but I know you have to start somewhere, so I'll do my best to be patient for now.

Thanks for stopping by!