Post by ENGAGE administrator on Nov 2, 2012 11:17:37 GMT -5
Dr. Claudia Janssen, Assistant Professor at Eastern Illinois University and Deutsche Universität für Weiterbildung, Berlin. Thanks, Claudia, danke for joining the "Our alumni, our friends series." Contact Claudia on ENGAGE at claudiajanssen www.duw-berlin.de/de/universitaet/departments/kommunikation/team/forschungsprofil-claudia-janssen.html Here is Claudia's message for you:
"As an international student, I initially arrived at Purdue to study as a non-degree student for just one year. A few weeks into the fall term, however, I was convinced that I could simply not leave a place that provided such amazing and inspiring opportunities for intellectual growth, discussions, and exchange. The journey that followed turned out to be fun, yet also incredibly challenging and tough. I got to find amazing friends from almost every corner of this planet, to work with and learn from inspiring scholars, and to grow as a scholar and teacher in ways I could not have imagined when I arrived in Indiana. At the same time, as for every international graduate student, mastering a foreign language, learning how to teach at an American university, designing and completing research projects, meeting the high expectations of my professors, dealing with low financial resources and being far away from home, etcetera were also sources of a lot of stress and anxiety.
In 2011, after my dissertation defense, I opened a way too expensive bottle of ice wine that I had kept just for this moment for four years. A few months earlier I had already started an assistant professorship. Life as an assistant professor obviously brings its own challenges and pressures, but from day one I felt like a fish swimming in water. The rigorous program had prepared me on point for the responsibilities of an academic career. There are many days where I feel like having the best job in the world, and I would never have been prepared for it, if it wasn’t for the fun and challenging times at Purdue. So, while you will likely experience many highs and lows, I hope you will be able to tackle every challenge as an opportunity for growth. Enjoy the ride
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"As an international student, I initially arrived at Purdue to study as a non-degree student for just one year. A few weeks into the fall term, however, I was convinced that I could simply not leave a place that provided such amazing and inspiring opportunities for intellectual growth, discussions, and exchange. The journey that followed turned out to be fun, yet also incredibly challenging and tough. I got to find amazing friends from almost every corner of this planet, to work with and learn from inspiring scholars, and to grow as a scholar and teacher in ways I could not have imagined when I arrived in Indiana. At the same time, as for every international graduate student, mastering a foreign language, learning how to teach at an American university, designing and completing research projects, meeting the high expectations of my professors, dealing with low financial resources and being far away from home, etcetera were also sources of a lot of stress and anxiety.
In 2011, after my dissertation defense, I opened a way too expensive bottle of ice wine that I had kept just for this moment for four years. A few months earlier I had already started an assistant professorship. Life as an assistant professor obviously brings its own challenges and pressures, but from day one I felt like a fish swimming in water. The rigorous program had prepared me on point for the responsibilities of an academic career. There are many days where I feel like having the best job in the world, and I would never have been prepared for it, if it wasn’t for the fun and challenging times at Purdue. So, while you will likely experience many highs and lows, I hope you will be able to tackle every challenge as an opportunity for growth. Enjoy the ride
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