When you go to graduate school there is a chance you may be hired as a graduate assistant or graduate instructor to help you pay for your education. When graduate students work for their departments they are often given office space where they can work. Because space is precious, many departments will have graduate students share offices which can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Why Having Shared Office Space Is Important For Graduate Students

When you are a student, the opportunities to be part of a community of like-minded people can be hard to find. Graduate students seek to be professionals in their field and having a community of peers helps increase learning and overall educational experience. By having a shared office or community space where graduate students can work and socialize, colleges offer upper level students a unique experience. Grad students can feel part of their departmental community and make friendships that can last a lifetime.

Feelings Of Professionalism and Tools For Working

When graduate students have office space within their department it increases feelings of being a professional. Graduate students who teach or work as assistants have tools they need to get their work done. Computers, printers/ink, desks, paper, staples, paperclips, and other office supplies are usually supplied by departments and graduate students can use supplies to get their work done. They have access to scantron grading machines, copy machines, research equipment, computer tools like statistical programs, and more.

For those who teach classes they have office space where they can hold office hours and meet with students. They have file cabinets to store class records like grades and attendance. Special computer programs exist that assist teachers with their classes that can sometimes be accessed only through the use of departmental computers. For students who work for their departments, having space to work within the departments building has numerous benefits.

Access To Professors

When graduate student have office or community space within their department they have the chance to work in the same place as their professors. Professors hold office hours and can visit with graduate students when they aren't too busy. Professors needing help or just wanting to shoot the breeze can interact with their students easily allowing grad students to build relationships with their mentors. When students don't have space to work or hang out within a department it can be a struggle for some to have relationships with professors. Those who don't have assistantships working for their departments may have no need to visit their departmental offices unless they need to have paperwork processed or need to set up meetings with the professors. This means that students miss out on having a social network of their peers and professors.

How Shared Community Space Changed My Life

When I was working on my masters degree there were 10 graduate students in our department. We all shared one large office. There wasn't much room to spare but it was one of the best times of my life. By sharing an office we always had the chance to hang out together. Being in such close quarters we bonded easily. We made the office our own space and we shared ideas and discussed papers we were writing. When we began teaching our own classes we would support one another and give each other advice. We'd co-lecture and come up with activities and games we could use in our classes. Graduate school became a group process where we all helped one another succeed. We were a fun group of graduate students and dedicated ourselves to making the department a better community. There was a community coffee pool where everyone chipped in money for really high quality coffee. We were allowed to sell coffee and snacks from our office. The money made went towards helping the graduate students buy supplies they needed for classes. Our coffee was better than the coffee in the departments break room so our professors could be found hanging out with us while they bought coffee or snacks from us.

For nine years now I still keep in touch with most of my old grad student group. We keep up with one another through social media and share projects we are all working on. We're all in our 30s or older now and a baby boom happened in the past few years so a lot of us have babies. My husband and I were both part of this group and we met in our shared 10 person office. For a simple 2 year masters program, a lot of lifetime friendships were made just because we shared an office and could bond with one another.

Conclusion:

Graduate students are seeking higher education to be professionals in their field of study. Socializing with other members of their programs aids grad students in numerous ways. It is important for colleges to set aside space for upper level students to work within a department to help students have the tools they need to succeed. Social relationships are important for success and friendships can last a lifetime.

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