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DSS Meaning-Making for Graduate & Professional Students- July
Thursday, July 11, 2019 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
What is meaning-making? According to Roger Kegan’s theory of meaning-making development, meaning-making “is a conceptualization of how human beings make meaning of themselves, of others, and of their experiences throughout their life-span.” In this 3-week series, you’ll have the opportunity for personal self-reflection through free writing and small group discussion, which will be supported by short articles and readings on meaning-making and purpose of life.
All sessions will be held at the Graduate Student Center at 211A West Cameron Avenue. Because these are offered in a series, you are strongly encouraged to sign up for all 3 weeks which helps in building trust and community with a cohort of grad students. Questions? Please email Maria Erb, Facilitator and Co-Director of Diversity & Student Success, at Maria.Erb@unc.edu.
Lunch will be provided!
Please REGISTER HERE: go.unc.edu/meaning-making-july2019
THEMES
Week 1 (Thursday, July 11): The past– Exploration of my Identity: Who am I and where am I from?
Week 2 (Thursday, July 18): The present– Resiliency and Joy: How does graduate school fit into my life’s purpose?
Week 3 (Thursday, July 25): The future– Hopes and Dreams: What are my plans post-Master’s or post-Doctoral degree?
TESTIMONIES FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS
“I learned to prioritize times for reflection, revisiting on a regular basis the ‘why’ that inspired me to pursue my advanced degree and recalibrating to ensure that it does not get lost in the rigors of academia. I was also reminded of the the power of community and the ability to have honest conversations regarding the challenges/struggles with fellow graduate students. This leads to developing a support network that is an encouragement to all. This workshop modeled out how I might be able to pursue making-meaning conversations with with fellow students and students I may mentor or teach in the future.”
“This workshop series was one of the best workshop series I’ve attended (and I’ve attended several). I like that we could develop a little bit longer term relationships with fellow graduate students and work through some hard questions that a lot of time we feel like we don’t have time to allocate to with the fast pace of teaching and research.”
“It was so valuable to actually have a time and a space to reflect on myself – something I often neglect as a busy graduate student. The workshops were so welcoming and so applicable to my daily life. It might seem cliche, but I can already feel a difference in my motivation and readiness for the upcoming semester – I am calmer and more focused on the bigger picture.”
“When we began the series, I was a little unsure of whether I had made the ‘right’ decision to come to grad school. Now that we have completed the series, I feel more confident in my decision. Having an outlet to honestly discuss life challenges in grad school was essential in gaining this confidence. Though my professors are great, and many openly acknowledge the struggles graduate students experience, it was super helpful to talk with other graduate students in a forum that encouraged reflection and shared community.”
