Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Quiet end to December
For all of the activity on campus when class is in session, the university is certainly quiet on breaks. People ask a lot on tours if the campus empties out on weekends. The answer to that is no, but breaks are way different from weekends. I hate to be discouraging here, but I would really suggest not coming by when the campus is on break, particularly winter or spring holidays. Summer session is still a fine time to visit; we have classes in session over the summer, so the campus is still active. Winter break, on the other hand, is unusually quiet. It’s honestly unnerving; less than a week ago I had to fight crowds to find study spaces in my favorite buildings (in all honesty, though, I’m kind of picky about where I study), and now it’s quiet in most of the structures. I won’t complain too much about it, the office will close down after tomorrow and won’t open again until January 4, which means a solid week and a half of no major responsibilities for me. I’ve decided that this is a much needed chance to recharge after all of the physical, academic, and social stress of Finals Week 2009.
If a visit these coming weeks is what works for you, though, don’t let me change your mind. I’ve got my own personal opinion, but I also figure that high school is a pretty busy time, so if this is your best chance to drop by, go for it. I’m just surprised every year by how stark the contrast is between finals week and winter break.
Aside from that, I hope everybody has safe and pleasant holidays. I’ll still check back for questions throughout the break, but this will probably be my last Laker Talk post of this decade, so ask away and otherwise I’ll see you in 2010.
-Kyle
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Three down and three to go
The nice thing is that the University recognizes that and caters to it. I’m really starting to appreciate the extended library hours, which will be 24/7 for the rest of the week. The coffee, water, and hot chocolate is also nice, though I’m not one for caffeine. It’s a pretty full week, between studying and working it’s amazing any of us can actually find time to take exams, but after Friday another semester will be over, with three weeks until the next one.
That doesn’t mean that we’re all done with responsibilities until January 11, though; Admissions is open for a large portion of the break. So if you have a chance to swing by and want to see the campus in wintry conditions, give us a call. Speaking of which, I think that our Facilities and other service fields on campus deserve a big tip of the hat. The weather’s been all over the place for the last two weeks, from rain to fog, all the way to a blizzard, and yet the campus has stayed pretty clear (I haven’t hit the ground yet). So if anyone from those departments happens to be reading, thanks for keeping the grounds traversable.
Well, now is as good a time as any to wrap up, I’ve still got a couple of hours to spend here, maybe I’ll swing by the gym, and then the rest of the day will probably be spent studying. Hopefully, at least.
-Kyle
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sports weather and finals
In weather related news, people keep saying that we’re supposed to get blizzard conditions over the next two days. I’m a bit of a skeptic; having lived in Michigan for all of my life has told me that you can’t accurately predict Wednesday’s weather until Thursday morning.
Of course, the big thing on my mind is finals week, which is next week. Every student’s favorite time of year, right? I’ve got four exams next week, and two classes with finals this week. In other words, the semester is winding down, I think I’ve already done three professor evaluations. I’ll be meeting with a couple friends in about 40 minutes for a study session, but between now and then I have to get back to a final project. Holiday Break’s right around th corner, though.
-Kyle
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Another Fall over
Good news for any sports fans out there, both men’s varsity football and ladies’ varsity soccer are in the semifinals of the playoffs right now, which is exciting for both. In non-sports related content, we have our first scholarship competition of the year this Saturday, which I’m excited to be working at. They’re always funny to be at, because the students are a little quiet and nervous about the competition, and the parents have a tendency to ask more questions (since they’re there all morning). If you’re interested in attending one of these competitions, don’t forget to apply soon (the deadline is December 31, but I’m sure that I’ll be repeating that soon anyway).
The semester is starting to wind down at this point, my group and I turned in and presented our case report for my Monday night class before Thanksgiving, I have another final report due next week Wednesday, and most of my other classes are finishing up the course material. Finals are coming up, but I haven’t really started feeling the pressure of exams yet. That’s not to say that I haven’t been thinking about exams, I just haven’t started my reviews just yet. If I’m still saying, “hey, there’s plenty of time” next week, that’ll be a sign that I’m in trouble, but we’ll take it one step at a time.
Ask me if you have any questions,
-Kyle
Friday, November 13, 2009
Nice day for a tour
As for myself, I’ve got more than a few things on my mind. In terms of academics, I’ve got a couple projects yet on my hands, both for classes and student organizations. The biggest one on my mind is a case report, due the Monday the 23rd. It’s a pretty big deal, but the group I’m in is definitely on track.
So in other words, it’s been a busy week, and it isn’t quite over with yet. I have some tours to do on Saturday, some more research, so on and so on and so forth. Rent starts this week for GVSU, opening night is tonight, but I won't see it until closing night on the 21st. Even without a football game, there’s still a lot to do. Speaking of which, playoff season is here, but that’s another story for another day.
Like I said before, I had a couple of good tours today, a lot of questions were asked by the visitors. Some of the students in particular were pretty interested in the honors program, which is great, because (as I’ve said to almost all of my tours) the program is amazing. Swing by their website, or drop in for a visit of the building, if you don’t believe me. On that note, though, I think I’m signing off here. Feel free to ask any questions,
-Kyle
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Not much to say
That’s not to say that I don’t have the end of this semester in mind, it’s just not in the way that people traditionally think students think about the end of classes. I’ve been trying to rework my schedule for second semester, and the good news is that I’ve finally had a little success and (hopefully) set down my classes (not that you should wait until I did to fix scheduling errors, I just got lucky). My next step is to get an appointment with an advisor and go through a degree analysis, mostly just to see if I’ve missed any bases. But degree analysis isn’t just a tool for when you’re worried about graduation, it’s also a great way to keep track of your Gen Ed. classes. It’s probably most useful, though, if you’re thinking about changing a major, since the analysis essentially shows all that you’ve completed and all you still have to do for any given program.
But I’m drawing a blank on anything else to say right now, I guess this qualifies as just an update on my activities. Feel free to let me know what’s going on with you guys, though; I’m really curious to know what you readers have on your minds.
-Kyle
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Free candy, anyone?
So what else is new? For those of you following, I didn’t do half bad on any of the big assignments/tests that I had last week. I’m going to have a chance to present the paper I wrote tomorrow in class, and I forgot to mention that most of the research (almost all of the 14 sources) for that paper came out of our library’s databases. I’ve been making sure to let my tours in on that whenever they ask about the catalog of resources we have. In admissions related news, the end of October is kind of our rule of thumb time for a good point to take care of all of your college applications. Now if you haven’t done so, don’t panic, it’s just a suggestion. All the same, it never hurts to be early with your applications, especially here at GV. I would just really encourage students to get a move on that within the next month. And don’t think that you have to visit the campus first, either. An application isn’t a commitment to us, it just gives us a chance to admit you. Taking care of that early will provide you with more time to make a decision on colleges. No pressure, eh?
Anyway, as far as questions go, ask them if you’ve got them.
-Kyle
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Busy times
In all honesty, it’s not something that I particularly enjoy. That might be because I was spoiled from three years of living on campus, but who’s counting, right? Having seen it from both sides now, I’ve got to say that the difference is like night and day. Not to discourage students from considering to commute, but I’ve started to feel really removed from the campus, mostly just because every night I’ve got to pack up and go back home. It’s not that that makes it impossible to be a part of the community, just more difficult. Not that I’m implying that things only happen at night up here, but being a commuter means that I always have to keep a 45 minute drive in mind. Plus, that’s 45 minutes less sleep, and seriously, who wants to give that up?
Again, I’m not saying that commuting is a terrible experience. I just know what I’m missing out on since I’ve had three years as a resident of the Allendale campus. If I were to go back as a freshman again, I would definitely choose to live on campus.
-Kyle
Monday, October 12, 2009
Honors program
One of the first big concerns is “how do I get into the program?” Why thank you for asking, reader. The honors college does require a secondary application, and if I recall correctly it does include a short essay as well as a submission of a previous work from High School. Your admission is also decided in part by your ACT and GPA in High School, but don’t think that these are the only factors, or that there is a minimum GPA. However, if they do have a 28 ACT and a 3.6 GPA, students are invited to apply (transfer or current students have different admissions requirements).
After being admitted, a big concern is in the particulars of the program; advantages and disadvantages, continuance requirements, etc. And believe me when I say this, there are a lot of advantages. But first we should probably talk about the requirements. Aside from needing to maintain a GPA, honors students are required to take three distinct courses. First, they have to take a civilization sequence (usually their freshman or sophomore year). This is a year long, 12 credit pair of classes that can cover a variety of subjects, such as Greek and Roman Civilization, the Making of America, European Civilization, or the Middle Eastern World. After this comes a Junior Seminar, or an intensive course of study in any one field of the student’s choice. The curriculum is capped off with a Senior Project, in which the student conducts a research project on a field within their major, with the approval of honors faculty, in an essentially “independent study” environment.
By now you’re probably ready to hear the advantages, and they greatly outweigh the costs. Honors courses require a lot of reading outside of class, and as a result, the courses themselves are extremely engaging. There’s less busy work and far more focus on significant projects or papers. Many of the courses are team taught, which means that for a single class you will have two different professors teaching from two different areas, giving you an array of perspectives on the subject. One other big advantage is a simple matter of saving time: honors students do not have to take a three course theme to graduate, as their theme is “Honors.” That of course isn’t even bringing up the fact that these students have access to some of the newest facilities on campus. And of course the most obvious reason may be that a degree that alludes to an individual’s completion of a rigorous course of study tends to look quite impressive.
Having talked myself dry and probably bored you to death, I’ll stop here. If you’ve got concerns on the honors program, feel free to ask, as a lot of the admissions students are part of the curriculum.
-Kyle
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Art on campus
Most of the fuss lately has been over Art Prize, which, for those not in the know, is in downtown Grand Rapids for the most part. Surprise surprise, that’s next door to GVSU’s Pew Campus. Registration for voting on Art Prize has been on campus for a couple of weeks, and some of the works are even featured on the campus. But that’s just a once-in-a-while thing, right? So what about art on campus at other times? The downtown campus has some great art hanging on the walls or in the courtyards, but I personally think that the best is in the Allendale Campus. Anyone visiting should be sure to check out Transformational Links and the Heaven and Earth sculptures, or the art gallery found in the Performing Arts Center.
And speaking of performing arts, a big congratulations goes out to one of our own admissions employees (he’ll remain unnamed here, but you know who you are), who has a major role in one of this year’s theatrical productions, Rent. The musical’s going to be in November, if I recall correctly, and is just one in a long string of student productions that knock the audiences out of their seats. If anyone gets a chance and wants to see Grand Valley’s students in action, definitely contact GVSU Ticket Sales, and I can assure you that you will not regret it. If theatre isn’t your particular cup of tea, there are so many instrumental and choral ensembles that I lose track of them all before I finish reading an event calendar, so if you’re looking for jazz, men’s ensembles, or an orchestral ensemble, we’ve got it all. And that doesn’t even cover our dance program, which, if I recall correctly, has recitals that are open to the public.
But, having run out of things to say at the moment, it’s probably time for me to sign off. Let me know if you’ve got any questions,
-Kyle
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Going downtown
Devos is where I spend most of my time, and not just because of the dining hall there. There’s a large number of classrooms, as well as the entire Seidman School of Business office, multiple computer labs, and the Steelcase Library. It’s probably the best place to study between classes, since so many resources are available to you. But just next to the river is the Eberhard Center, which I thin is the tallest Grand Valley structure. More classrooms are here, as well as a convention center, and it’s connected to the Kennedy Engineering Hall. I was just in the engineering hall this summer for a friend’s open house for class, and it’s a great building. Finally, the CHS building is further inside Grand Rapids, on the hill. I’ve never actually been inside this structure myself, but I can tell you that it has a great location. The street that it’s on is referred to as the “medical mile,” and it’s a prime spot for students finding internships in the health sciences.
But that’s all for now. If you’ve got a question, don hesitate to ask here or give us a call.
-Kyle
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Recreation facilities on campus
GVSU has a great student gym, with three floors of facilities. The middle floor has a load of cardio machines, probably more than you could ever need. It’s also convenient if you warm up or cool down on aerobics machines, because the middle floor is also where the entrance to the facility is. Beneath that we have weight machines, free weights, a total of five basketball courts, and various medicine balls. A nice additional feature is the elevated track; the third floor has a 1/9 of a mile track with a great view of the three main basketball/volleyball courts. And what might be the best part of all is the fact that students have free access to the rec. center with their id card. The rec. center also hosts a large number of our on campus intramural sports.
But there’s more than one workout facility on campus. Students also have free access to Grand Valley’s pool facility, racquetball courts, and the Laker Turf Center. So if students want to run a few laps on the Turf Center’s 300 meter track, play a game of flag football, or just swim a few laps, all a student needs is a valid GVSU id.
But that’s about it for now, all of this talk about the gyms on campus is making me feel guilty for not working out more often. As always, if you’ve got a question, post it.
-Kyle
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
First week of class
-Kyle
Thursday, August 27, 2009
No more summer
If I recall correctly the picnic by the Carillon Tower is today, there’s a drive in movie this Saturday, and Fresh Foods Company finally has regular hours. And believe me, I’m probably most excited about that last one. There should be a poster sale coming up within the next one or two weeks, and student life night is right around the corner. Plus, it’s funny to watch all of the freshmen realize that things like printing or athletic tickets are free for students. So to make a long story short, we’re back up and running.
I finally got out to buy textbooks, and my advice to anyone reading this is to either buy your books in advance or reserve them ahead of time. Buying them last minute isn’t a terrible experience, but reserving them makes it a lot faster. But with that anecdote I’ll be signing off, so if you’ve got a question, voice it.
-Kyle
Monday, August 17, 2009
Middle of August-- you know what that means
I can argue that I’m asking about what’s going on for the readers because class is nearing, but the truth is that I’m suffering from writers block right now. Never mind that I’m not a professional writer, I’m just failing to come up with a good topic. So let us know what you’re all up to, we’d love to get some info or feedback from our readers.
-Kyle
Monday, August 10, 2009
Additional charges
We’ll take care of the biggest charge up front, and that’s parking. Students who want a GVSU parking pass pay $155 per semester. Keep in mind, this is not a necessary charge, since you can use the busing system to get to and from either the downtown campus or the off campus apartments, which is free. Of course, that $155 doesn’t cover your own cost of gas, insurance, buying a car, etc, etc.
After parking, extra costs practically fall off the map. Use of the climbing center is $3 for a day pass with another $2 for equipment rental, tickets for comedians or special musical guests are generally between $5 and $10, intramural sports have an initial charge (can’t think of it off the top of my head, though), and special fitness or athletic services have charges as well (like massages, personal trainers, or nutrition counseling) Use of dance and fitness classes is charged on a semester basis, $20 for mind/body classes, $25 for land/spinning classes, or $40 for all access. Students don’t have free access to the golf course, but they do get a discount; $12 for 9 holes or $18 for 18 holes (walking).
And that’s about it. Pretty much all of our additional charges can be summed up in a paragraph, I can’t think of anything else. I asked around the office, and most other activities on campus are free. Use of the pool, rec-center, turf center, computer labs, printing, guest lecture speakers, busing, internet, advising, counseling, none of these have an extra charge. Some classes in the 300 level or above have extra tuition charges for additional facilities, but these are added to your tuition, so financial aid can cover these, and while they vary from class to class, they’re never more than $20 (also, don’t forget that you have to buy your textbooks, unless you’re best friends with a publishing house). This looks like a good spot to stop, all of the dollar signs in this post are causing me to lament the current economy. If you’ve got any questions, want to know about a particular service, or think you know of a charge that I’ve missed, post it and let me know.
-Kyle
Monday, August 3, 2009
Odd Weather
Truth be told, though, that pretty much sums up Allendale. A lot of people think that lake effect weather means massive precipitation, but I’ve always felt that the lake effect just makes the weather somewhat unpredictable (but last time I checked I’m not an anchor for the Weather Channel). If you know a week in advance how much rain or snow will be falling, you’re a miracle worker. To compensate for that, we’ve got pretty great facilities upkeep staff. I’m not sure if landscaping also takes care of snow removal during winter, but whoever does it probably is the aforementioned miracle workers. Just about all of the sidewalks on campus are always cleared off, and they do an amazing job of salting during wintertime. As far as fall and spring go, I would encourage having a good jacket and reliable umbrella, but after that your guess is as good as mine. 12 inches of rainfall? I could see it happening. A snowstorm in April? Sure, why not. Don’t think of it a rough weather, just… adventurous weather. As always, ask if you’ve got a question.
-Kyle
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sports, clubs, and organizations
We’ve got around 270 student clubs and organizations on campus, and that number keeps climbing (I’m waiting until there are 299 clubs and then making a Gerard Butler appreciation club). If we don’t have the club that you’re looking for, you only need four students and faculty approval to make a club. We don’t have a paper airplane club, you say? Well, find three friends and you’re the president of it. And that’s not to mention student government or intramural sports. If you don’t know about any of the campus clubs, you won’t have to worry about it; the first or second week of class, we have “Campus Life Night,” where all of the clubs cram themselves into the arena of the field house and advertise themselves to students.
If you’re looking for sports, GVSU hosts seventeen Division II varsity sports (counting men’s and women’s), as well as cheerleading. In addition to that we have three seasons on intramurals, with fourteen Fall, thirteen Winter, and four Spring sports. But if you’re like me, and have the hand-eye coordination of a blind sloth, there are great work out facilities for independent exercising, and all of the varsity events at home are free for students to attend.
But don’t think that you absolutely have to be a part of a club or sport on campus. We encourage students to get involved with student life, but if you’re outgoing and independent, you can still meet people and enjoy your time here through your own channels. We just happen to offer a vast array of opportunities.
-Kyle
Monday, July 20, 2009
Visit Choices
You’ve got three main choices for dropping by the campus. You can take a tour of the Allendale Campus, which is what most visitors do. This tour covers dining, housing, academics, the whole nine yards, and normally includes two to four families. When you visit is completely up to you, just realize that there aren’t a lot of students on campus during the summer (despite having summer classes), and a majority of dining is closed down during that period. Summer tours do have one advantage, though, in that they have the opportunity to see more of housing, while school year tours can only see the apartment style dorm. The second option is to have a counselor appointment, which can be done individually or in conjunction with a tour. This is a chance to sit down, more or less “one-on-one” with an admissions counselor to talk about admissions, costs, the application process, etc. Keep in mind that this isn’t the same as an academic advisor; the counselors won’t be able to tell you what classes to schedule. The third option is a Preview, which is a group visit that is similar to an appointment in that the same basic information is covered, but in a much more structured format. Approximately 10 families meet in one of our conference rooms, and an admissions counselor walks through all of the basics of the school. In all of the situations there is the opportunity for the same information, it’s just presented in different formats.
One alternative to all of these is to come on one of our student visitation days, which occur periodically throughout the school year. These are the largest visits that we offer, with the tour groups breaking down to between ten and fifteen families. On the plus side, we have presentations by financial aid, housing, admissions, as well as representation by some of the faculty on campus, so there are lots of opportunities for info on these days.
If you’re interested in any of these options, call us at either (616) 331-2025 or 1-800-748-0246. You can also schedule online, but the available dates on our web site tend to be more restrictive over the phone, just due to the fact that as the online times start to fill up they’re taken off the calendar, but there are still some openings. Don’t forget you can post questions.
-Kyle
One thing I forgot to mention when I published this entry, but it would help if you check out a date about 2 weeks in advance, just for the sake of organization.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Apology for last time
Before getting to any of the styles, just realize that freshmen are allowed to do whatever floats their boat for housing, there really aren’t any restrictions. It’s just more difficult to get some options (such as on campus apartments) than others (such as the living centers). In general, you’re better off applying early for housing, as the freshman living centers are first-come-first-serve.
GVSU offers three styles of freshman living centers. That’s actually a complete lie, we offer four, but just choose to count two of them as the same style. Those styles are traditional, suite, and apartment styles (not to be confused with on campus apartments), all of which house two students per room. The traditional style buildings are some of the oldest structures on campus, and they’re pretty standard as far as dorms go. They’re smaller, and have a public restroom. Anyone who just read that last sentence has probably already decided that they don’t want to live there, but it isn’t what you think. Traditional style is the only housing in which the bathrooms are cleaned for you. So if you don’t want to live there, buy a toilet brush and have fun. The bathrooms are also what we call “semi-private,” meaning that the showers all have doors and locks on them, rather than just curtains or wide open spaces.
Suite style is a step up from traditional style in terms of both space and privacy. In this style, two rooms share a single, adjoining bathroom. Apartment style is very similar to suite in that it has close to the same volume of space, but has a private bathroom as well as a kitchenette set. Apartment style is the choice that offers two different versions, those being one and two bedroom, but both versions house two students. Everyone kind of assumes that the version with the individual bedrooms is the best, and I’m not really here to make housing suggestions, but you should realize that there are unseen advantages and disadvantages to each style. Two bedroom apartment, for instance, tends to be a very cloistered, secluded community, while traditional is far more social (just as a rule of thumb). That being said, you should pick the style that fits your living habits best.
This post is already way longer than I had wanted it to be, so I’m going to finish here and get to upper classmen apartments some other time. One last note, all of the freshmen dorms come with the same furnishings, all of which are fully loftable, and each has all the pre-requisite outlets for studying/relaxing.
-Kyle
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Holiday weekend coming up
The weather most definitely does not feel like July, but the Fourth is this weekend, and I just realized earlier today that admissions is closed tomorrow, and while I love my job, my lack of sleep this last week makes that fact feel like sailing to India and finding America. Speaking of Independence Day (and I don’t mean movies starring the Fresh Prince), I would plan on sleeping in that day, but I’m pretty sure that a couple of guys and girls that I run with every Wednesday are going to convince me to run a race that morning. Of course if I skip it, I’ll feel guilty for mentioning it.
So I’ve pretty much written a paragraph and a half of nothing, and have no clue what this great subject that I had in mind was, so I guess I’ll just end here. For any High School students thinking about coming up for a visit, remember that we are still open during the summer. Summer visitors don’t get to see very much of campus dining, since it’s mostly closed, but it is the one time of year that we can show all three styles of Freshmen Housing. So let us know if you’re thinking about visiting, and ask any questions you’ve got on your mind.
-Kyle
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Meal Plans
Meal plans always seem to be the most confusing to incoming students, but after you’ve used it for a week, there isn’t much more to learn about it. The only details I haven’t figured out are some of the secret meal exchanges (there’s probably a way to get coffee, a bagel, and some fruit for a meal, I’m just not a morning person). Ultimately the meal plan boils down to two halves: meals and dining debit dollars.
The debit dollars are something everyone is probably pretty familiar with. They act about the same as a gift debit card, or a bank’s ATM card would. If you want to buy something, the cashier just scans the total off of your ID card. And that’s about it. Really, I’m not joking, there isn’t anything else to it. Any dining location on campus will accept your debit dollars, as well as cash.
Meals are I little more complex, but they’re easy to figure out if you have a really good memory. In elementary school, we had meal tickets, and we would hand these in at the cafeteria in exchange for lunch. That’s how the meals off of a meal plan work, depending on where you spend them. At any cafeteria style location, like Kleiner Marketplace, FUEL, or River Landing, spending one meal will let you pick any combination of entrée, side, or drink, with a couple variations. Check the dining website for a list of different meal combos. Your other option is to spend your meals at Fresh Foods Company, which is a buffet style dining hall. So you spend a meal up front and can just go nuts (figuratively speaking).
We offer three different standard meal plans: 7 meals/week with $575 in debit, 14 meals/week with $275 in debit, and 21 meals/week plus $175. We do have a couple other meal plan options available, but these are the usual three. One last note to make, the meals on these three will not roll over from week to week, so if any of you wind up on one of my tours, I might suggest to you that the 14 meal plan is the most flexible, but whatever floats your boat. Say something if you’ve got questions,
-Kyle
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Dining Options
If one word describes GVSU’s dining it’s “variety.” There are a lot of choices on campus, but as of right now, there are three main dining halls: Kleiner Marketplace, River Landing, and the Commons.
River Landing is located in the basement of the Kirkhoff Center (on the south end of campus), and has several university restaurants as well as a Subway. It’s more or less set up like a food court would be, and is a cafeteria style hall, meaning that you pick and choose items. To find out what items mix and match, try checking out the dining web site. Kleiner Marketplace is also cafeteria style and has similar restaurants. As a structure, Kleiner is built around convenience; it’s right in the middle of freshman housing, and not only does it include the Marketplace, but also the C-Store convenience shop and a Java City coffee bar, both of which stay open 24/7. Finally, we have the Commons, which houses Fresh Foods Company and the Lower Commons, (also called FUEL). The Lower Commons is very similar to both River Landing and Kleiner, in that it’s cafeteria style and has a mix of different locations.
Fresh Foods Company is our last main dining hall, and even though it’s probably bad writing structure, I gave it a new paragraph, because it will likely take that much space. It is vastly different from any other dining hall, because it has a dynamic menu and is buffet style dining. Spending a meal up front is your pass through the door and then what you eat is your own business. There are five main locations within Fresh Foods, and each changes its menu every meal period. The hours are also very accommodating, as Fresh Foods is open everyday from 7:30AM to 8:00PM.
But these are just the three main dining halls, there’s still quite a number of other locations. A bagel shop, coffee/smoothie bar, and three lobby shops are spread across campus. There are also options downtown, including a hall similar to Kleiner, a Starbuck’s Café, and a smoothie gazebo.
The wild card in all of this is the 2010 additions to campus dining. All I know about is that it will be on the south end of campus, and will include classrooms on the upstairs level. Beyond that, I know next to nothing about it. It could be an Olive Garden for all I know. Not really, but I’m just making a point here. It’s likely to be cafeteria style, and it will be new and shiny. Aside from that, your guess is as good as mine.
Remember that this is a pretty brief overview, if you want more info on dinng, their website is very thorough. So I'll leave most of you now, knowing that if anybody is reading this late at night they will probably walk downstairs and eat a midnight snack.
-Kyle
Friday, June 5, 2009
Watching Grass Grow and Paint Dry
So since I don’t have anything to talk about, and can’t think of any GVSU related topics, I wanted to take this chance to ask all of you guys what you’re doing this Summer. I answered my first blog question earlier, so I’m pretty pumped about being informative on stuff that I'm basically paid to know or find out. Are any of the readers planning on visiting us in the near future, or coming up for orientation? Even if you guys want to fill us in on stuff unrelated to college visits, whether it's vacation plans or news on the job front (although arguably "lack of news" is more appropriate). As always, the floor's pretty much wide open to any questions, it's just that right now I'm really bored and want some insight as to what's going on for all of those who are reading this.
-Kyle
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Academics
Grand Valley has about 200 different fields of study, offering approximately 70 different undergraduate majors and 27 graduate programs (mostly masters, but we do offer two doctorates, in nursing and physical therapy). The latest major to be added to the mix is Chinese, in the modern language department, and those numbers tend to grow over time.
In terms of the undergraduate programs, there’s a myriad of different arrangements. Some courses students can simply apply for and be a part of, while others are secondary admit programs (such as Nursing or the Seidman School of Business). For those not aware, a “secondary admit program” refers to one that has admissions requirements before an individual can call themselves a member of the program, and even those come in multiple forms. Business, for example, has a noncompetitive admission. Students sign up to be a pre-business major, and once they accrue enough credits and maintain a GPA, they are admitted to the school of business. Nursing, on the other hand, is a competitive secondary admit program, meaning that only so many students are accepted into the major each year. This encourages students to strive for success in their early semesters, which really pays off in the long run.
As always, feel free to ask questions of any kind, especially if you're wondering about any individual major.
-Kyle
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Timelines
Stuff to keep in mind when considering an application to Grand Valley.
The smartest thing to do first is probably check us out online. If you’re reading this, the chances are good that you’ve already done that, so the next step is to visit campus. There are lots of options for visiting the campus, but the standard choice is just a tour of the Allendale campus. We give tours at 10:00AM, 12:00PM, and 3:00PM during the week close to year round, and on non-holiday weekends during the school year. We also offer appointments with admissions counselors (not academic advisors), as well as group visits called “previews.” Keep an eye out for our Student Visitation Days during the school year, which are larger group experiences.
If you’ve decided that Grand Valley could be the place for you the next step is to apply for admission. We accept both paper and online applications, with no particular preference for either. There is a $30 nonrefundable application fee, and students have to be finished with their Junior year to apply. If students apply for admission and submit their ACT/SAT and GPA information before December 31 during their Senior year, it is possible that they could qualify for a few scholarships offered through our office. Once students are accepted, we suggest that they apply for housing quickly, because the different styles of living centers are first-come-first-serve. There is also a $150 application fee for housing, but this one is 100% refundable up until May 1, and if students apply for housing before March 1 they’re guaranteed a spot on campus (both dates apply to the student’s Senior year). May 1 is also the deadline for scheduling Freshmen Orientation, which has a $75 fee attached to it (also refundable before May 1) and is essentially the equivalent of a student’s commitment to GVSU (although you can still cancel later).
Personally, I suggest that students visit at the end of their Junior year, over the Summer, or very early in their Senior year, so they have the information they need to meet the deadlines. And always remember that sooner is defiantly better than later for college. If you want to schedule a visit you can call our office at (616) 331-2025 or 1-800-748-0246. If you have any questions about this information feel free to call us at those numbers or post your questions here.
At this point though I wanted to ask any readers what they’re concerned about. I’ve listed quite a lot of things to think about up here, but is any of it unclear, or perhaps do any of the parents or prospective students reading this have questions I haven’t addressed? Don’t hesitate at all to post those.
-Kyle
Friday, May 15, 2009
Buses and the Campus
The best way that I’ve found to save gas, though, is to only actually drive half way, to the downtown campus, and just take the bus up the other half. Over the summer, the campus connector travels between the two campuses about every half hour, and it’s about a half hour ride to and from the downtown campus. During the school year they come and go at least once every ten minutes or faster (when classes are in session). There are also two more routes that run during the school year that head to apartments off campus.
The truth is, though, that the campus is pretty self-contained. Three main dining halls, several ATMs, lots of venues for entertainment, you don’t really have to leave the campus for very much. But, unfortunately, there are a few things missing, namely grocery stores, banks, and places to dine out. Thankfully, the buses make up for that. The downtown route stops in Standale along the way, about ten minutes from campus. If you need more banking than an ATM, there are several bank branches nearby, if you need more grocery shopping than the on campus convenience shop, the bus drops you off in front of a Meijers. If campus dining isn’t working for you that particular day (and the ten pounds I gained freshman year would beg to differ on that), there are several sit down restaurants right near the bus stop. And that’s not to mention the fact that that bus continues on down towards the second largest city in Michigan.
I don’t really have much more to say, so I suppose this is a good place to stop. Don’t forget to submit any questions you guys have.
-Kyle
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Done with Undergrad... Now What!!!???
The day after graduation, life was back to normal! I didn't feel any different now having a bachelor's degree and all. Now the excitement is wearing off and a lot of my friends that I graduated with are looking for jobs and moving away. I am slowly finding it is quite the bittersweet time. As we are all moving on and starting our careers and lives, we have to leave Grand Valley and everything we have grown to love these past 4 years... I do not want to say goodbye to my friends!
I rest a little easier knowing I will be back to GVSU in the fall as a graduate student. I was accepted into the Occupational Therapy program so I will begin that in September. It is very exciting and still very intimidating! We shall see what the fall brings!
For now, I am working in admissions giving tours this summer while also doing an internship at the American Diabetes Association in Grand Rapids, MI. It has been really busy thus far but I am doing my best to soak up the sun and all of the fun that summer has to offer!
If you have any questions at all or anything you are wondering about - PLEASE do not hesitate to ask!!!
Hope everyone is doing well!!
-Leslie
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Spring Semester
This is probably a decent time to talk about Spring/Summer Semesters, seeing as they’re actually happening. Both periods are accelerated semesters, so the classes take place over a six week period. There are exceptions, but usually the classes are held twice a week for between two and three hours at a time. It’s a great way to take care of just about any class, but students tend to use them to take care of a lot of base requirements. I took “legal environment of business” (BUS 201) last year during spring and it worked out pretty well. I’m not taking any Spring/Summer classes this year, since I wanted to look around for a second summer job, which, by the way, has been pretty successful (if by “successful” you mean “a total failure”). All in all, though, Spring/Summer classes are pretty nice, because it’s generally a more enjoyable and less frostbite ridden experience to go to the beach after class than it is during Winter Semester. As an added bonus, the buses are still up and running, so my gas bill is considerably lower than one would expect.
That’s all I have to say about that. As a quick note to anyone who will be coming by for a tour soon, I thought it might be a good idea to suggest that you remember to ask a lot of questions. I had a great tour today with a family that had a lot of good, relevant questions, which made the tour more fun for me and more informative for them. Or don't, but realize that I won't be singing and dancing to fill the awkward silences.
-Kyle
Thursday, April 30, 2009
First Post and Refresher
Hello everyone, this is my first post to the GVSU blog, my name’s Kyle. Just since it’s been a little while since the last post from anyone, I figured I’d go over how things tend to work as a refresher (mostly, though, it’s just to walk myself through the process).
A couple other admissions employees and I occasionally write here on the day to day life and student activity here at
That being said, we’re in the week between semesters, and nothing’s going on. While the campus is normally pretty active, even when class isn’t in session, this is one of the few times a year when it is a legitimate ghost town. After about a year of almost nonstop activity around here, it's kind of unnerving to see the campus be so quiet. On the bright side, class for the Spring Semester starts on Monday, so activity will bounce back up shortly.
With nothing else to write about today, I figure I’ll just mention to any of our High School readers who are just finishing up Junior year that you can apply for admission to GVSU as soon as you finish Junior year. Bear in mind, though, that the counselors won’t start looking at applications until after Labor Day, so it will be a little while before you get news back.
Well, thanks for reading, and don’t forget to post any questions,
-Kyle
Monday, March 23, 2009
Crunch Time
I am continuing with a group of my classmates to produce Grand Valley's first indoor triathlon like I had stated in an earlier blog. It is less than a month away and all the last minute details are being taken care of these last couple weeks. We are in the process of finding vendors and getting donations and prizes set up for winners. It should be a really cool and rewarding event in the end. It has taken lots of hard work from all of my fellow classmates that are planning it, along with all the participants that have been training for the race. Lots of press has been generated from this being the first thing of the sort at Grand Valley. We are all really excited to see how it turns out.
Classes are still really enjoyable! I am starting to see that things I had learned in past classes are being put to good use in the later, upper level classes I am taking now. But, with the end of the year comes end of the year projects... therefore, this makes my life pretty hectic right now! End of the year group projects, papers, and portfolios are on the 'To-Do' list for the rest of the year.
I am still waiting to see if I get into Occupational Therapy Graduate school at this point. Whether or not I get in will affect a lot in my life including where I live and if I need to find a job!
A lot of big things will be happening these last few weeks of school!! Keep checking up on the blog to find out how everything pans out!!!
-Leslie
Friday, March 20, 2009
March Madness!
I can't believe another month has gone by and we are looking at April already! Graduation is just about a month away! My student teaching experience at Kenowa Hills, a local high school, is almost coming to a close, and I am not looking forward to leaving. It has been a fun, stressful, tiring, but ultimately rewarding experience. I guess that is what life as a teacher is all about. I am looking forward to getting my first permanent teacher job as soon as possible. With that said, orienation is kicking into high gear as we approach May. It is certainly bound to be another fun summer! I can't wait.
As far as life at Grand Valley goes, things are going well. Many professors are giving their last exams shortly before they gear up for finals. So it is like that calm before the storm time. Most students are going to be getting busy in the coming weeks! It's a very nice time of year in terms of the weather though! The sun has been out just about every day this week and temperatures are getting back up into the 50's, so that is always welcome!
Thanks again for looking at Grand Valley, and don't hesitate to send us any of your questions.
Until next time,
Eric
Monday, March 9, 2009
Back from Spring Break with 6 weeks to go...
For Spring Break, I went to Arizona with a few friends and got to see the Red Rocks and Grand Canyon... something I have always wanted to do. We hiked and did all the tourist things in each one of the cities. It was a pretty good time!
Now that we are back, I have been talking to my friends and have found that alot of them had pretty good spring breaks as well. Lots of people I had talked to went to the warm, sunny destinations like Florida and California while a good portion decided to do something called Alternative Spring Break. It is where you go with a group of people and do community service in another state for a week. Grand Valley has programs that send students all throughout the United States for Alternative Breaks. I have done two alternative breaks in the past and met some wonderful friends on the trips and had some wonderful experiences too.
Hope this finds everyone in good spirits! Feel free to ask any questions!!!
-Leslie
Monday, February 2, 2009
It's February already?!
As far as paid work goes, freshman orientation is in full swing and although I am not in the office on a daily basis to help out like I would like to be, it is going smoothly, and the new recruits have been hard at work. If you have any questions about freshman orientation, the admissions process, my specialty areas of biology, chemisty, and education, or any other academic programs, or just want to know some random Grand Valley facts and statistics, post away! We are always looking forward to new responses.
Take care,
Eric
Friday, January 30, 2009
Snow Snow Snow
The weeks are flying by - We just got done with our fourth week in the semester. Spring Break is right around the corner...
President's Ball is coming up next week! President's Ball is a formal dance that Grand Valley puts on each year. It has been crazy to see how much it has grown over the years that I have been here. They hold it downtown Grand Rapids and close to 4000 students are expected to attend this year! The theme is " A Roman Triumph..." this year. It should be pretty cool, I am excited. I am going with my roommates and friends and we all usually see plenty of people that we know at the actual dance considering it is a college wide event. It always tends to be a fun night filled with dancing and getting dressed up!
Classes are going along well. My first exams are coming up in the next week. Its always intimidating preparing for the first exam in a class. I never know what the professor's tests are going to be like; how hard they will be, what content will be on them, what the questions will be like. You learn really quickly to just be very very very prepared and know all the material extremely well.
Let us know if you have any questions! We love answering them!
-Leslie
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Winter Semester in Full Swing!
Winter semester is offically in full swing. This means everyone is settled into their schedule and the homework is starting to gradually build...
The first few weeks of the semester are always an adjustment period. You start new classes, have a new work schedule, and have different times of the day to study and get homework done. This semester is my last semester and I have twelve credits. I have a class called 'Behavior Modification' and a class called 'The Sociology of Health Care' along with a class called 'Professionalism in Exercise Science'. All of them are required to complete my degree and I enjoy all of them. My favorite is probably the 'Professionalism...' class because it deals with what we will be dealing with when we get into the work world. We work on interview skills along with our resume and cover letter that we will eventually present to potential employers. Its classes like this that make me realize I will soon be done and going into the 'real world'. Applications were due last week for my Occupational Therapy graduate program. My fingers are crossed! Now we just have to wait and see who makes it to the next part of the application process... the interviews!
I have found this year especially that after four years here, I have made so many great relationships with people that I have met, worked with, and had classes with. Not a day goes by that I dont see someone I know on campus. It is a really great feeling to have. I am really really really going to miss being an undergraduate here.
Shoot us any questions that you have!
-Leslie
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Back at it...
This week is Grand Valley's first week back after the long winter break! I have 12 credits this semester which is not a whole lot but it includes my fieldwork course. I am required to do a fieldwork position for my degree so I will be organizing Grand Valley's first indoor triathlon along with some other people from my program to fulfill this requirement. It will keep me busy... I know that for sure!
This semester marks the last one I will have as an undergraduate. Its pretty surreal. This semester is also really important in determining what I will do after graduation. I applied to GVSU's Occupational Therapy program earlier this year and will be finding out if I got in this semester. A good portion of my friends are also graduating at the end of this semester so it is a bittersweet thing. I don't know who will or will not be staying in the area or what everyone will be doing!
I am pretty much just trying to soak in and enjoy these next few months and keep my eyes on the cap and gown!
-Leslie
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Hello!
If you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you! With the winter semester now in full swing, we will be posting regularly to let you know what we are doing, fun things happening on campus, and to answer any questions you might have.
Enjoy checking out the rest of the website, and thank you for your interest in Grand Valley State University!
All the best,
Eric