Archive for May, 2012

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What I wish I had known: Develop a mentoring relationship with a prof


2012
05.31

Posted in Lizzi | No Comments »

When I was a freshman I wish I would have known that your college experience is what you make of it. Having a great attitude and looking for ways to be involved will make your college career worth so much more!

It can be a challenging time filled with lots of stress and struggles, but it is also a time to learn about yourself and to have tons of fun. Classes and grades are important and should be taken seriously, but there are also other important aspects like building relationships with friends and faculty.

When I started at BGSU four years ago, I was unsure about what I wanted to study. I really enjoyed my art history class and the professor who taught it. I built a strong relationship with her and other faculty members in the department who gave me career advice and helped me through college.

I highly advise developing a mentoring relationship with a faculty member in whatever department you choose to study. As professionals in the field, they know a great deal about different career paths and will help with applications and reference letters for whatever you choose to do after college.

The second word of advice I have is to take your freshman year seriously! The transition can be difficult with changes in how classes are structured and time management is an important skill to learn. If your grades plummet as a freshman, you will be digging yourself into a hole that will be hard to get out of, and classes only get harder as the years go on. I don’t want to scare you, but it is truly worth it to not slack off your first year.

There are so many tools on campus to help you maintain your grades. The Learning Commons tutoring center and meeting with professors are all things I have done and suggest even if you don’t think you need help. What harm is there in having someone take a second look at a paper you wrote?

The last word of advice I have is to get involved! There are so many campus organizations to choose from and it is a great way to meet friends and may open doors for the future. I became a member of the Art History Association as a freshman and later became the president. This position brought challenges and allowed me to gain skills outside of the classroom.

With my involvement in many campus activities, studying abroad and the support from my advisers, I landed my dream internship at the Museum of Modern Art after graduation! If you would have told me when I was a freshman that I would be moving to New York for this position in four years, I probably would have laughed at you in disbelief. Through my experiences and relationships at BGSU I gained the skills and knowledge to be accepted to the program and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I truly hope you have an excellent experience at BGSU and make the most of your time hear. Roll Along!

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What I wish I had known: Be more careful about what I did on weekends


2012
05.24

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As a senior who just graduated from Bowling Green State University, the most important thing I wish I had known is to take in every waking moment of your four years.

There are so many important aspects of college, and BG really has the potential to give a great college experience. Coming into your freshman year, remember that all of the other freshman are in your shoes as well. It is completely normal to feel nervous, to feel homesick, to have questions and to second-guess things.

Always use your resources. The faculty and staff of this campus are extremely genuine and are always there to talk. With that, embrace your feelings and thoughts and do your best to get involved. You will find your bubble in BG – join clubs, meet people in classes, become a member of Greek life. There are endless opportunities and there are many places you will fit in.

As much as you may want to go home and spend weekends with your family or high school friends, this is the time to embrace change. You will learn to love the people here and your new home with time. Before you know it, you won’t want to go home for breaks.

I did not have the slightest desire to join a sorority, and only went through recruitment to be a buddy to my roommate. In the end, we joined two different sororities, doubled our group of friends and completely changed our college careers for the better. Don’t be afraid to try.

Along with adjusting to your new life at Bowling Green, remember your studies will be different from high school. As hard as it may be, learn to manage your time so you do not become overwhelmed at one given point. Manage time so you can get your work done, study and be prepared for class and exams. The least amount of stress, the more you will enjoy your time.

If you are having trouble with assignments or the material being taught, there are many places to seek help here at BG, which I wish I would have used more. Depending on the class, you can always ask your professor who can either directly help you or direct you where to get help. It is better to get help right away then to get in too deep.

Make sure you pay close attention to what classes you take, and try not to take classes that will not benefit you in the future. It is easy to take classes that you enjoy and it may seem ideal, but you might end up with too many required classes for specific semesters in the future.

Meet with your advisor whenever you are questioning what to schedule and monitor it yourself as well. Take any opportunity to volunteer, intern or work in field experiences associated with your major. It’s hard to believe, but senior year will come before you know it and you will be fishing for items to write on that extremely important resume. Work on it and add to it along the way.

Something very important that I wish I was warned about is how easy it can be to lose sight of your true purpose of being in Bowling Green during your freshman year. School comes first! With that, I ask you to be extremely careful on the weekends and choosing the decisions you make.

I will admit that I learned that the hard way as a freshman, so take my advice now. Have fun, but be smart. Taking all of this into consideration, live every moment like it is your last. Enjoy your college years here at Bowling Green State University.

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What I wish I had known: ‘You’re going to be nervous and afraid’


2012
05.22

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Some people say, “Don’t be afraid! You’re going to have so much fun and be so successful!”

That’s terrible advice.  It’s terrible because it’s not realistic.  I’m going to edit it and say, “You’re going to be nervous and afraid, but you will have fun and you will be successful!”

I was super outgoing in high school and highly involved in band, so naturally I assumed everything would be easy when I got to college.  But then I showed up and suddenly lost all of my confidence.  It had nothing to do with BGSU.  There was an enormous welcome crew to help me park and find my way around campus.  I liked my roommate.  My professors were cool and helpful, but I was nervous anyway.  I think it happened because I was in a new place with new people and new experiences.  I wasn’t just nervous…I was totally, absolutely, weird-stomach-feeling nervous.  And somebody telling me not to be afraid would have been annoying.

So accept this now: you will be nervous.  You’ll be nervous when you go to your first class.  You’ll be apprehensive about meeting people and anxious about what there is to do.  But take those moments of nervousness and fight through them.  Here’s how I did it.

I heard a knock on my door and went to answer it.  It was Heather, a girl I carpooled with to tutor for my education class.  I kind of knew her, but it was October or some early month, so I didn’t know her that well.  She wanted me to go to dinner with her.  The catch: She was with two other people I had never met.  Not only that, but she was friends with both of them!

My worst-case scenario: I was being asked to dinner with three people that knew each other, none of whom I knew.  I was nervous, but I said yes.  I felt awkward for a while.  I think I forgot somebody’s name once.  I probably made a stupid joke.  In the end, though, I met Alissa and she became one of the greatest friends I’ve ever had.

What if I had said no? What if I had used my nervousness as an excuse to say that I had already eaten or that I was busy working on something? I didn’t do that, though.  Yeah, I was nervous, but I didn’t let that stop me from having fun.

So go ahead and be nervous! Just fight through it, have fun, and be successful!

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What I wish I had known my first year: Be open-minded about roommates


2012
05.15

Posted in Cory | No Comments »

There are a number of things I wish I would have known before coming to BGSU as a sophomore transfer student.

Most simply, bring an umbrella. One of my earliest memories was showing up to my second day of classes drenched and sitting in a pool of rung-out rainwater. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience and I definitely wished someone would have reminded me to bring an umbrella!

On a serious note, I would encourage students to be open-minded and flexible with your new roommates. I came to BGSU without knowing anyone besides one of my good friends from high school. Although he certainly provided a good safety net for me, I was still very nervous about meeting new people and being introduced to the four new roommates that were assigned to our suite in Founders.

As a result, I shut them off and wasn’t very open to getting to know them. Not surprisingly the first couple of weeks were incredibly awkward, and they were not nearly as much fun as I had anticipated. I can remember at one point telling my good friend from high school that I may transfer back home at the end of semester. However, after some encouragement from my parents, I finally opened up to my roommates and broke down a lot of those barriers that made the first few weeks uncomfortable.

Soon all of us were great friends and spent a lot of our free time together. Everything seemed to be better and I was truly enjoying my time here. In fact, almost two years later we remain in good contact and find time to hang out.

Besides opening up a vast array of academic opportunities, college also gives you a great chance expand your social networks and meet friends that may last a lifetime. Fortunately I was able to realize that after the first few weeks, but I certainly wish someone would have told me that earlier.

Another practical piece of advice is to consult all necessary sources possible before buying your books. Books are incredibly expensive, but there are a number of ways to save an incredible amount of money. Whether you are paying for college yourself or are getting assistance from your parents, saving money on books allows you to spend it on something much more exciting such as the movies, food, etc.

One of the most useful resources I have utilized is Chegg and Amazon. Both sites make buying and renting books incredibly easy and affordable. For example, last semester my estimated cost of books was around $800 but I only ended up actually spending $350!

In addition to utilizing websites such as Chegg and Amazon, I would also encourage students to check the University library and local Bowling Green library to see if they hold any copies. Although you may not be able to hold the book the entire semester, overdue charges fall far short of the cost of the book.

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Summer is the time to live, feel free and grow as a person


2012
05.15

Posted in Mike | No Comments »

“School’s out for Summer.  Schoooool’s out FOREVER!!”  I wish school was out forever sometimes, especially after a draining finals week; however, I love school.  As much as I complain about lack of sleeping, homework, exams, etc., I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

As you might have known, I was an RA in Offenhauer this spring semester.  It brought up several challenges but made me grow as a leader.  I was busy all week doing checkouts for residents across the entire building.  May 4 was VERY busy with most of our residents checking out that day.  I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off (as my mom says) helping people.  I was sweaty and nasty, and still had packing to do myself.

Friday finally calmed down, and I went to sleep early.  The next morning, I had a long day packed with RA things.  We had to clean and close the building, but we did enjoy a nice cookout together.  I continued to pack my room up Saturday when I had free time.  Saturday was the last night of me being an RA.  It was a strange feeling, but I felt sad to be leaving all the great people I worked with.  Sunday quickly came, and before I knew it, I was dismissed from the building and free to move out.  Moving out took me a few hours, but I successfully moved everything into my apartment.

Even though Friday afternoon was exhausting with RA checkouts, the morning and early afternoon were great! I had a Student Tour Coordinator (STC) retreat for my job as a student manager of the tour guide program.  We did a test called Strengths Finder.  Basically, it is a 30- minute assessment that identifies your top five strengths.  I did this about a year ago, and my top five were:  Responsibility, Includer, Communication, Achiever and Developer.

After a year of school and some life-changing experiences, I have four new strengths!! They are Adaptability, Self-Assurance, Woo and Ideation.  My “Includer” strength was also in my new top five.  After researching each strength, it sums me up almost perfectly.  I am a motivated individual who makes his own decisions.  I live in the moment, respond well to change, like new ideas and I like interacting with all groups of people.

Now that summer is out, most college students will work and be lazy.  I encourage you NOT to do this.  The summer is the time to live, feel free and grow as a person.  Oftentimes, students are not academically, mentally or emotionally prepared for the start of the fall semester.  That is why it’s important to thrive during summer, not survive.  This is the time to read more books, make a goal sheet, cross things off your bucket list.  Whatever it may be, challenge yourself!  Make a difference in yourself and be the change you want to be.

I have already added about 12 National Geographic Documentaries to my Netflix account, typed a list of 10 books I want to read, wrote a list of museums I want to visit, created a workout routine and planned a raw food diet with my roommate.  These are just a few of my summer activities because I want to be ready for the first few weeks of the fall semester.  I want to be academically ready and eager to learn instead of being the student that talks about summer for two months after it ends.

My advice to you is to do something that involves learning.  Do something more than just watching TV and eating lots of ice cream (trust me, I love my ice cream, too).  Get up off the couch and go adventure the woods, creek, or river.  Face your fears.  Thrive through summer not survive.

Until next time BG,

Mike

 

 

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