1. Community
Although I had a great understanding of the sense of community on campus due to attending Nazareth during undergrad, I believe the experience got even better once I began graduate school. At the beginning of the year, our small group of 12 higher education and student affairs administration (HESAA) students barely knew one another, but by the end of our first semester we had become great friends. We all had at least 2 classes together which lead us to spending a lot of time together. Not only were fellow classmates an amazing part of my first semester in graduate school, the friendly and helpful professors were another aspect adding to the great sense of community on campus.
2. Graduate assistantships
This part of graduate school is not required, but I highly recommend looking into graduate assistantships. There are a variety of assistantships in different offices or working with professors, you just have to ask. The assistantships can be on campus or at another college. I knew the area I was most interested in was student activities, so I picked up a position in intramurals and recreation. I am the coordinator and supervisor of the intramurals and recreation activities on campus. With my graduate assistantship at the Intramurals and Recreation office, in Student Activities, I work 10 hours a week planning and organizing events, such as planning fitness classes, organizing tournaments and other recreational “special events.” This opportunity gives a more hands-on experience in higher education and student affairs while also allowing me to network with faculty, staff, and students on campus.
3. Networking
Networking is very important. When opportunities arise to meet new people, take them. You can network among other graduate students as well as faculty and staff on campus. I have met many people in student affairs roles on campus and at surrounding colleges. Meeting others in higher education work leads to more opportunities.
4. Professors
It is likely that you will have the same professor for multiple classes in grad school. There are many fantastic professors who not only teach you important information such as how to effectively guide college students, but also give advice. 
Our professors help us find internships and graduate assistant positions. They bring in guest speakers to introduce us to professionals from other Rochester-area colleges. Our first class together as a cohort is our student development course with Becky Fahy. Every morning she opens up class with, “Is there anything I can help you with?” By opening class this way, she reassures us that our professors are here to guide us to a successful two years in our master’s program.
5. Training
Nazareth gives so many great opportunities to train for your future in the profession. Next year I have the opportunity to intern at Nazareth or any surrounding college. This gives us the opportunity to expand our training and decide what department we are interested in learning more about.
Internships are required and I think this is highly beneficial to increase our skill sets and become more knowledgeable about areas in student affairs before we graduate. I hope to intern in student activities, and gain
more experience in programming and planning events.
Remember to maximize your experience on campus to learn the ropes for the future. Asking questions is never a bad thing, so contact professionals and other HESAA graduate students to ask any questions you have. We are always open to giving advice and pointing you in the right direction.