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♪ [music playing throughout] ♪♪
From the moment that a student either comes into my office
or I get to meet them in an open session,
is to make them feel comfortable with me.
As a chair, or just as a scientist students can
become intimidated by that, thinking that they're
not going to be able to succeed, and so the goal is to
make them realize that they're no different
than I was when I was 18 or 20 years old.
I didn't get into this business for any other reason than
to make, or help students develop a passion for
science like the passion that I have for science.
So it's easy.
I love to sit down with students, I love to see them
take the time to figure out what their goals are
and set them on a path that I think, with a little bit
of encouragement, they'll be able to realize those goals.
The point of all this is to enjoy yourself.
The point of your career is to get up everyday
and want to go to work.
And if you're getting stressed out about it,
then something's not right.
On the flip side is, a lot of times I get students that
are not very confident, they don't even really know if
they want to major in a science because they're intimidated
just by the word, math and science.
So, to sit down with that student and in one case to say,
"Okay, well what are your goals here?
What do you want to be?"
And this person wanted to be a wildlife biologist.
"Okay, then let's look at the courses you have to take."
And instead of it being, "Oh my goodness it's chemistry.
Oh my goodness it's biology.
Now let's talk about what's going to be in
those courses and how it's going to relate to
what you're doing in the future."
And when you can break that down so that they understand how all
those courses integrate, those individuals
and the student I'm thinking of, felt a lot better about
where they were going to go and less intimidated by
the whole prospect of being a biological science major.
So without that appreciative advising, without pulling down
those barriers, most of those students will never make contact
with faculty because they're going to be intimidated.
And so when they can start feeling more comfortable
with me, meet their advisor on the first day,
they're just going to feel better
and feel more integrated into the department.
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