April 11, 2014

Written by Mark Keller, director of college advancement
Featured in"On Campus" in the Medicine Hat News

I noticed in the last few days that a pair of stern-looking geese has found a home on the roof of the library building at Medicine Hat College. They perch there for hours, gazing out over the campus like some fathered sentries.

The geese, which happen to make fine additions to the campus as long as you don’t get too close, are a sure sign that spring is here with all the change and opportunity the season brings. It is an interesting and sometimes stressful time on campus.

Some of the stress comes from final exams and papers. These are an ongoing feature of college life, but those held this time of year seem to bring an extra crackle of tension. 

That’s because for many students, spring marks a major life transition. They’ve spent the last one to four years preparing for the future, now they are about to reach out and begin their working careers. It’s natural for students to feel more pressure as they concurrently prep for exams and search for the opening they need to enter the workforce.

Perhaps echoing the principle of equal and opposite reactions, exam time also brings additional stress to faculty. There are exams to prepare, essays to grade and students to help. And I know that many feel a sense of joy at seeing students succeed while also experiencing a sense of loss as people they’ve come to know move on to new challenges.

Some of the intriguing signs of a campus spring include the annual Visual Communications grad show. Held this year from April 12 to 23 at the Medicine Hat campus, the show features design, fine art and multimedia and is always worth a visit. I’m enough of a font geek to appreciate the tag line, “You’re more perfect than helvetica.”

Another fine spring college tradition is the Connecting Students to Business dinner. The event, which is hosted jointly by students and the college, helps bring students in contact with employers for the oh-so-important purpose of networking.

This year’s was the tenth, and I was deeply impressed by the capacity and competence of the students I met. If you missed the opportunity to meet future employees, I’d be happy to help link you to students, or you can post job openings via the college website. We’d be happy to welcome you to next year’s Connecting event, too.

The life cycle of a college does change with the seasons. Feel free to drop by and see what’s growing at your college.

Visit www.mhc.ab.ca to learn more about your college, contact Mark Keller with your questions at mkeller@mhc.ab.ca or follow him on Twitter @mark_mhc.

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