Heading Back to College

Earlier this year, after a ridiculous moment involving a group invite to support a student government candidate who wasn't even at my alma mater when I graduated, I put together a quick post about how, through social networks, we never are truly removed from our college social grids. It's an interesting dilemma, especially as my own networks have expanded through moving around or my career.

Let's play a quick history game, if you don't mind:

A co-worker, five years older than me, didn't have her own computer when she started college. She used AOL Instant Messenger occasionally, but only after getting to school. She joined Facebook once it opened up to include everyone, and joined regional and professional networks.

My sister, two years older than me, had her own computer, but didn't have an "always on" connection when she first got to school. She had dabbled in ICQ and AIM before leaving, but she didn't start using IM as a permanent tool until I got to college and was using it all the time. She joined Facebook after college, but with her alumni address and into a college network.

When I went to school, I had my own laptop and was always plugged in and signed-on to AIM. I got an adapter to go wireless that stuck out of my computer my sophomore year (not like we had a wireless network, though - but, trust me, it was classy). I joined Facebook when it launched halfway through my college career, and added other networks - my grad school, and later regional and professional - along the way.

When current college seniors got to school, they were in a position where they were already a part of Facebook. They actually added their college network into their high school ones. They've been a part of the social grid for as long as they have been at the university - that's a pretty distinct change from my co-worker, my sister and me. And that's what makes the next generation of professionals so fascinating.

I'm lucky enough to be able to play in and around social networks all day as part of my job, but I'm certainly not in the majority of the working world when I say that. Students and academics, however, do get that luxury. Just like I was "always on" with away messages and AIM, many of them are probably always on social networks. When they get to the working world - they'll be in the know.

The trick is taking the knowledge of the networks and turning it around to listen to the greater community. Digital tools are powerful to help us connect with people on the same plane as us. For college students, it's folks in and around campus. But, they also bring together like-minded people about issues, common interests, brands, products, and more. As someone with an interest in the audience of those issues - it is vital to know what is going on.

I'm really happy to be joining a bunch of my colleagues this weekend on a field trip to Harrisonburg, VA to get in the weeds with some students at James Madison University about just this. Edelman Digital 101 is a great program created by a few of the people I am lucky enough to work around every day, and I know we are excited to bring the two-day session to another school.

So, with that, I'm heading back to college. I don't think I'll be trading in my Boston College maroon and gold for a Dukes sweatshirt - but I'm open to it. Track the weekend through all the participants on Twitter at the hash tag #digital101atjmu.