Pieces of BGSU

To make the most of your college experience, you should get involved.

I heard this piece of advice from a lot of staff and students when I was new to BGSU. Eager to meet new people, I took it to heart.

I got my college experience off to a good start when I joined a learning community, where I met a lot of great students.

I started going with new friends to campus organizations like my residence hall council, BGSU Figure Skating Club and Veritas, a club … Continue Reading

You’ve heard of “tunnel vision,” right?  I think I am prone to tunnel vision when I’ve been driving too long.  I’ll pass a highway patrol officer while going just a little bit too fast or nearly miss my exit, and it will suddenly occur to me that I have been staring at the weird vanity plate on the car in front of me for 30 minutes and missing everything else in my surroundings.  Here is a term you haven’t heard of: “senior vision.”

As a student in high school, I had a … Continue Reading

Whether you’re a current student or a junior or senior in high school, you’ve probably heard that Bowling Green State University is a good place to study education.  Maybe you heard through a friend of a friend or you’ve seen our statistics.

If you’re considering a major in education, you might be wondering what this rumor is all about and whether the College of Education and Human Development here really lives up to its reputation.  If you’re a student here and you’re considering a major in education — or, even better, if you’re considering a major in education and you’re wondering … Continue Reading

I was listening to holiday music on the drive home a few days ago when the classic Carpenters song “Home for the Holidays” came on the radio.

I had to laugh because A.) I was on my way home for the holidays and B.) It was 50-something and rainy outside.  Not typical weather for this time of year, but then when is Ohio weather ever predictable?

I had waited for this day for what had felt like forever.  I had tacked Post-it notes across my desk that read “7 days left,” “6 days left,” “5 days left” … finally, I had peeled … Continue Reading

It’s the Sunday before finals week: a bittersweet, slightly chaotic, crisp day.   You’re probably torn between relaxing and cramming, or maybe you’re taking a break from that 10-page paper that is due tomorrow.

If you’re anything like me, you’re a little overwhelmed by the end of the semester, but you’re ecstatic that it’s almost done.   Now, if we can just get through finals with our GPAs intact…hmm.

You’ve probably heard the same study tips and suggestions a thousand times already, so I decided to get creative and offer you a few new, unusual ones.  If you’re tired of the monotony of writing … Continue Reading

Congratulations.  You’ve survived your first month of fall semester.  It’s been an awesome month, filled with events like Campus Fest and Family Weekend.  

As the semester progresses, you might find that you have a lot of homework: chapters to read, projects to complete and maybe even a few midterms looming.  It’s crunch time!  Your to-do list might seem a little overwhelming right now, but don’t freak out.  If you budget your time well, you can stay on task and still maintain your social life, too. 

 Time management is so important in college and staying on track in your classes now will really … Continue Reading

You’ve probably had a chance to look over your syllabi by now, and it has become painfully clear that most of your professors have attendance policies.  One or two might not, but don’t celebrate yet/

Even those rare, lenient professors who leave it up to students to choose whether to attend class will use class time to prepare for exams – and college is expensive.  Why pay to retake a class?  Most commonly, professors will allow two or three absences.  Here’s a piece of advice that I picked up as a freshman: don’t use them all up.  You’re going to want … Continue Reading

College can be time-consuming, and it certainly isn’t cheap!  These are two complaints I think most of us can agree on.  After all, consider the facts.  Third-thirds of students borrow loans to pay for college.  In 2010, the average graduating senior owed around $24,000.

If that doesn’t shock you, consider this common study hour formula. According to experts, you should be studying two hours per credit hour for every easy class, three hours per credit hour for every average class and four hours per credit for every difficult class.  Keep in mind that there are only 168 hours in a week … Continue Reading

The second week of fall semester is in full swing.  Whether you’re new to Bowling Green or you’re a returning student, you’re probably still trying to shake yourself out of “summer mode.”  I know I am.  It is such a shock to my system to wake up at 7 a.m. for 8:30 classes after months of sleeping indulgently (there isn’t enough coffee in the world).   

As you kick off the new week, you might find yourself a little stressed.  Maybe you forgot how to get to East Hall, or you were late to class and then forgot your BG1 card, … Continue Reading

When Classes Are Fun

How often are college classes really fun?  They might be, if they weren’t at 8:30 in the morning or if the professor didn’t lecture so much or (insert excuse here).  I’m not the type to skip classes, but I know plenty of students who do, sometimes for no better reason than that they don’t want to be talked at for an hour and be bored to tears.  I consider myself lucky, because I have had some great classes this year, and not infrequently, they’ve really been fun.  My conception of the typical college course has changed a … Continue Reading