My name is Logan Elliott, and I am a first-year graduate student at Missouri State University, studying Student Affairs in Higher Education. I’m a graduate assistant in the office of Orientation and Transition Programs. Part of being in the SAHE program at MSU is participating in the cohort model. There are 10 students who are participating in the program, and the 10 of us take every class together. We also participate in different co-curricular activities as a group.
At first, I wasn’t so sure that I was going to like this model, being with the same people all the time. I thought it could get stagnant, or frustrating. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I’ve gotten the opportunity to learn and grow along side some of the most amazing peers I’ve ever met. I’ve also gained one of the strongest support systems that I have had in my higher education experience.
After realizing just how integral to my experience this has been, I started to think that all students should try to build these support systems for themselves. Not all students have this built into their programs. They certainly have the ability to build this network on their own outside of the classroom.
I titled this blog post “Finding Your Sleuth” because a Sleuth refers to a group of bears. In my cohort, we do things as a sleuth; play to each other’s strengths and weaknesses, hold each other accountable and provide support when needed.
Encourage your students to get engaged and find their sleuth! I assure you it will make all the difference in their college experience. I know my sleuth of amazing bears will be there whenever I need them, and that is a kind of social security that every student deserves to feel.
~Logan