My
college experience...
I am currently
a sophomore at Grand Valley State University. This is my second year
attending the University. Grand Valley was my first choice in colleges
that I wanted to attend. When I was in High School I did a lot of
thinking about which college I wanted to attend. The other University
that I thought about attending was Western State University, which is located
in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The reason that I decided to go to Grand
Valley is because it was closer to home and also because it was a smaller
University. GVSU is not a small University but it is not a large
University either, it is just the right size for me.
I really
enjoy the college life here at GVSU. There are a lot of things to
do and it is very easy to stay involved with the school. One thing
that I have been involved with is a volunteer organization on campus called
Volunteer! GVSU. This is a great organization and it helps me meet
new people and also get some volunteer hours in. To get into the
program to become a teacher you need to volunteer with kids and work so
many hours with them, this organization helps me fulfill those hours.
This year I am working with the Youth program through Volunteer! GVSU.
I have had a lot of fun working with fellow students planning activities
and just getting to know them. Right now we are working on our organization
but next year we hope to have a program running so that we can volunteer
and have other students volunteer with us.
College is
tough but it is like any other thing you do in life, for instance, right
now I'm sure there are things that you are doing in school that you think
are tough. That is the fun of it, things have to be challenging for
you to learn. It is all a learning experience. I have enjoyed
my classes and I can honestly say there has not been a class that I have
really struggled in. There have been some classes that were difficult
and really made me work hard but that is nothing that is too hard to do.
The fun thing about college is there are so many options for classes.
You can take a class in pretty much anything that you want. There
are a lot of different and interesting classes that are offered here at
Grand Valley. For example, if you want an easy class just to allow
you to get some credits and kind of allow you to relax a little, you could
take a class in basketball, weightlifting, dance or even tennis.
These are just examples of some fun classes that I have found at GVSU.
I have not taken any of these but I do plan to take an aerobics class maybe
next year for fun and just to help me stay in shape.
A normal
day for me at Grand Valley consists of the following. Every morning
I have class but the times they start vary, this is because you do not
have the same classes every day. My schedule is different every
day, that makes it difficult to keep track of what you have to do but it
is easy to get used to. Some mornings I have class at 11 o'clock
and other mornings I have class at 10 o'clock. There is one morning
that I have a biology lab at 8 o'clock in the morning and it is very difficult
for me to get up for it, I am not a morning person! On Monday, Wednesday
and Friday I only have one class and then I go to work in the afternoon.
I work down at the Eberhard Center, which is another part of Grand Valley's
campus that is in downtown Grand Rapids. At work I answer the phones
and do some typing and I answer a lot of questions from students, this
is because I work at the front desk or the information desk. I enjoy
my work and my boss is a very nice lady. After I am done with work
for the day I head home and make some dinner and get ready to do homework.
I normally do homework for 2 -3 hours a night. It may sound like
a lot but it really is not that bad. On Tuesday's and Thursday's
I have classes all day. I do have breaks in between them where
I can hang out with my friends or get some extra homework done. I
usually sit around on campus and have lunch or work on assignments in the
computer lab. Overall my week is usually very busy and filled with
stuff to do. When the weekend comes I'm ready do relax and lounge
around.
Another thing
that I do at Grand Valley is use the Recreational Center. This is
a place at Grand Valley that has an indoor running track, basketball and
volleyball courts, weight machines, and also many different types of exercise
machines, such as stationary bikes, treadmills and stair climbers.
I try to go use the Rec. Center at least 2 times a week. This is
a time at the end of the day that I can relax and have fun with my friends.
I usually go with one of my best friends and we run together and then we
usually lift some weights. I think it is important to work out and
stay fit so it helps me to go with a friend so that I can talk to someone
and also there is someone there to help me. The Rec. Center is free
to students so it makes it a nice facility to use.
This year
I live in an apartment that is on campus, it is called Laker Village.
They are very nice apartments but I have to share a room with a roommate.
Last year I lived in a living center which is a lot like a dorm but you
have your own bathroom that you share with 3 other people. If you
live in the dorm you have to share your bathroom with the rest of the floor,
which is 60 other people. These bathrooms are very large and have
a lot of toilets and showers though. I like living in Laker Village,
it is fun! We have our own kitchen and we cook our own meals.
I live with 3 of my friends and it is a good time. Next year I will
be moving off campus but it will be within a mile of the campus.
I will be living in Country Place Apartments, where I will have my own
bedroom. I am very excited to have my own bedroom again, these apartments
are also larger than the one that I am living in now.
As you can
see, college life is very interesting. I have met a lot of new friends
and many of these friends are now my best friends. College is a time
for new experiences and really learning to be on your own. It is
a fun and exciting time in your life. I do miss my family but I talk
to them on the phone a lot and I also go home and visit at least once a
month. I have enjoyed it so far and I am looking forward to the rest
of my years here at Grand Valley.