Posts by Maria Pickl

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Posts by Maria Pickl

Summer Plans: Work and Wedding!

April 25, 2012 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

It is incredible how quickly the winter flew by (the couple of eighty degree days in March didn’t hurt, either!), and now we are into April and the summer is in sight! After the exams are over and the final papers are turned in, I’m sure everyone is looking forward to a relaxing (and warm!) summer break. For me, this summer won’t be quite as relaxing as years past. I recently transitioned into a new position within the Office of University Development, which has proved to be quite a change from my last job. I was looking for a challenge,…

Published in: Student Voices

Why I Chose Michigan: It’s Not All About the Squirrels

February 21, 2012 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

It was during my first tour of campus – and I remember this vividly – that I learned about Squirrel Club. The tour guide, an attractive dark-haired college boy, explained to the group that the squirrels are nearly as much a part of the campus as the students and faculty. One time, he told us as we strolled the Diag, a squirrel jumped out of a garbage can with a whole bagel in his mouth and scared the the living daylights out of him. If we weren’t so easily frightened, we could become members of the Squirrel Club, a student-run…

Published in: Student Voices

Winter in Ann Arbor: An Avoider’s Guide

January 17, 2012 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

I don’t like winter. I don’t like the snow, the ice, the cold – none of it. Give me winter for the last week or so of December and I have had my fill. I’m not sure how I have made it through 26 years living in Michigan with this Antarctic-esque season, but here I remain. If you’re like me and just trying to make it through to the spring, here are some of my suggestions for the best places and things to do while waiting for the snow to melt. Settling in for a nice dinner when it’s nasty…

Published in: Student Voices

Real World Application: Why Group Projects Are a Necessary Evil

December 2, 2011 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

I remember being relieved to hear that group projects were not a focus for my graduate school program. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a great team player – and most group projects during my undergrad career were led by yours truly, and with outstanding results. But having my grade depend on the work of someone else was not something I wanted to deal with during grad school. Imagine my surprise, then, when every single one of my classes has had at least one group project due at some point in the semester! Some people thrive in group settings. On a…

Published in: Student Voices

Faculty Connections: Learning from the Best

November 2, 2011 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

There is one aspect of graduate student life that really sets it apart from undergrad: the people. I am constantly boasting about the cohort of people I am learning with, as well as the amazing faculty I am learning from. They are some of the leaders (and ‘best,’ if you will) of their fields, and some of the most passionate people I have ever met. I only recently discovered a passion for philanthropy and development, which brought me to the Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education just over a year ago. Coming into the program, I thought I had…

Published in: Student Voices

Balance: Tips from a Former Professional Organizer

October 3, 2011 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

Whenever I tell someone about my hectic schedule as a full-time University employee and a part-time master’s student, I get a variety of reactions ranging from impressed to sympathetic to those who wonder how I haven’t lost my mind yet. The most common question I hear is, “How do you balance it all?” Truthfully, work-life balance is not a set formula for me. Instead, I rely on a few methods of organization and stress management to get me through each semester. As a former professional organizer, and a forever type-a personality, I rely on lists, calendars and deadlines to keep…

Published in: Student Voices

Meet the Bloggers: Maria Pickl

September 7, 2011 | By Maria Pickl, Master’s Student, School of Education

Energy. That’s the word I would use to describe September in Ann Arbor. From the students arriving back on campus, to the renewed hope that our football team will triumph, to the freedom of not yet being bogged down by schoolwork and deadlines, there is a definite charge in the air. This is the energy that makes the fall my absolute favorite time of the year. Remembering my first September as a freshman at Michigan brings back feelings of uncertainty and nervous excitement. Will I fit in? Will I be able to find my classes? Why are all these people…

Published in: Student Voices

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