Updates and changes

With fall classes right around the corner, activity around campus is picking back up to the regular fall schedule. Sports camps are taking place all this week, freshmen will move into the living centers next week, and fall semester begins August 30. So to make a long story short, summertime is at an end. Can’t say I’ll miss the heat, but there’s something to be said about missing the general feeling of a summer break.

Still, I’m excited for classes to start, because, quite frankly, I could use a few changes around here. I still have to buy my textbooks, so I’m hoping that used versions are still available. I usually procrastinate when it comes to my school supplies, so do as I say and not as I do: buy your books and supplies early.

With the freshmen class moving in next week, there’s a lot of last minute cleaning being done. New lights are being put up in the housing area, fresh paint on all of the field house doorframes, and a lot of landscaping. This time of year also means, unfortunately, that tours on campus will no longer have access to all three styles of housing; they’ll only see the apartment style. Today was actually the last day that the tour guides even had keys for all of the living styles. Still don’t feel like you’re missing out if you didn’t physically visit all of the options, just be sure to ask your tour guide to describe the other options, as just about all of them can give pretty vivid accounts of the styles they lived in or what they’ve seen of the other options. Also, be sure to check out the housing website since all of the choices for an incoming student are listed online.

We’re also going to start a slightly different schedule up here on the third floor, beginning with the start of classes. We won’t be offering GVSU previews every day any more, but we still have standard tours five days a week and counselor appointments based on availability. A few weeks into the fall we’ll begin having previews two or three times a week, but we’ll also have Saturday visits available starting on the 11th of September.

At this point, though, I’m pretty much out of info for today, so I think I’ll sign out. Post away if you have any concerns, and be sure to enjoy the rest of the summer.

-Kyle

The cost of higher education

Without too much intro today, I thought it might be smart to mention the cost of attending GVSU, mostly because I’ve been working with our financial aid office a little, taking care of loans for next semester. But before covering anything I should make a quick disclaimer: I am not a financial aid advisor. I’m in no way, shape, or form capable of giving any financial advice, student related or otherwise, and, frankly, wouldn’t want to be responsible for someone else’s choices regarding money. I just thought it would be great to give a student’s eye view of the costs. Seriously, if you’ve got questions, give our financial aid office a call, because I don’t really know any situation other than my own.

All of that aside, cost is something that I should have covered sooner, because if a student acts fast enough, they can reduce it by a lot. The cost of attending Grand Valley is broken into four components; tuition and required fees, room and board, books and supplies, and stuff you don’t actually have to pay. As you may have guessed, the last one is optional.

All of the numbers I’ll mention here are based off of the 2010-2011 school year, and will typically change from year to year. Tuition can seem a little complex at first, but it’s really not. Students pay a per credit amount for zero to twelve credits at $395 per credit, but just a block rate for twelve to sixteen (meaning that taking sixteen costs the same as taking twelve). The block rate is $4544, so a student with 13 credits and a student with 16 credits both pay $4544. If a student takes eighteen credits, they pay the block rate, plus the cost of two extra credit hours (meaning $4544 plus $790).

Room and board and books and supplies are far more variable than tuition, depending on where you live and what classes you take. There are way too many housing options for me to list them here, but if you’d like to see them all, definitely check our housing website or search “tuition and fees” from the GVSU homepage. Typically, though, housing for a freshman will cost between about $3700 and $4200, depending on which living center you choose (that cost includes the 14+ meal plan). We also suggest setting aside about $900 for books and supplies, but again, this depends on what books you’re using and whether or not you got the message about printing on campus (it’s free, don’t bother buying ink).

Which brings us to costs that you don’t have to pay. These are just items that are available to students, but you don’t need them. You don’t even need them to get a totally fulfilling experience here at GVSU. For instance, a parking permit costs $155 per semester, but there’s a free busing system. Fitness classes cost about $20 or $25 per semester, but just using the gym is free. Some club sports have travel costs associated with them, but there are some intramurals with no cost. You get the picture.

In total, an average student for the 2010-2011 school year can expect to pay $17,612 if they take 12-16 credits and live on campus. But bear in mind that this is what you might consider a “sticker price,” or the cost of GVSU before grants, scholarships, and loans, not to mention whatever a student receives after filling out the FAFSA. So even though $17,612, it’s very unlikely that any student will pay that total in any given year.

And with that, I’m going to wrap things up here. Post any questions you have, but don’t hesitate to give GVSU’s financial aid office a call, as well.

-Kyle

Technology, computers, and labs

Getting right down to business today, I thought I should discuss technology across campus (mostly because I’m sitting in a computer lab at the moment). I may or may not have covered this topic previously, but at this moment I’m not feeling the urge to sift through a year and a half of posts to find out for sure. As far as access to technology on campus goes, GVSU is certainly not lacking. There are multiple computer labs across campus, with two large facilities in Henry Hall and Manitou Hall, as well as a facility in Lake Ontario Hall that houses both Mac and PC labs, and a myriad of other, smaller locations. For example, there is an entire row of classrooms on the second floor of Mackinac Hall devoted to small computer labs, and, in the same building, we have the Modern Language Center, a large, three room lab for students with foreign language classes. There are also labs on the downtown campus, with at least six rooms of computers, and a mixture of operating systems. The hours aren’t half bad, either; Henry Hall, for instance, is open until 1:00 AM weekdays during the fall/winter semester, and while the other labs still have great hours, they’re not quite as convenient as Henry is.

All that being said, though, I do kind of encourage a student to buy their own computer. It is most definitely not a necessity here at Grand Valley; any student could easily survive off of GVSU resources. But I would definitely call it a convenience, and while it’s not required of students at GVSU, I would say that (in my opinion) it is becoming a norm for Americans to own a personal computer beyond college. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, you are not required to purchase your own computer to attend class at Grand Valley State University, I just think that it’s helpful to have one. But I do really discourage most incoming student from buying a printer right away, because printing is free for students on campus. No lab fee, no charge for paper or ink, no page limit, all you need is your GVSU login.

If you do buy a computer, understand that we have no requirement in terms of operating system. So whichever side you identify with on those “I’m a PC, I’m a Mac” commercials, just choose whatever you’re most comfortable with. Laptops are helpful, since all of the classroom structures are wireless, but they aren’t a requirement, and each instructor can choose to or choose not to allow laptops in class at their own discretion. But all of the academic centers have wireless internet, so it is possible to access the internet from any given classroom. A majority of housing has wireless internet, but not 100%. All of the living centers, however, do have Ethernet outlets, so every room has internet access, it’s just not always wireless.


Well, that's about it for today, but as usual, post any questions you have.

-Kyle

Bonus pictures

At this point we're returning to your regularly scheduled blog, but I'v got a handfull of images that weren't included in previous entries. They aren't really connected in any way, shape or form, but I took them, so I figure it's worth using them.



Here's a nice view of the Kirkhoff Center, Carillon Tower, and Student Service Center. It probably wouldn't look bad on a post card.



I'm not sure why, but I love the stained-glass paper airplanes. These are in Kirkhoff, right in the middle of the building.



There's also a small fountain on the inside of Padnos Hall of Science, right next to the lecture halls.



Here's a quick look at the great room in Neimeyer Living Center. All of the housing units have these commons areas, but each one is slightly different.



I'm not sure why, but there's an obelisk right in the middle of the campus. It's next to Fresh Foods company, which is geographically pretty close to the center of the campus.



And here's the last photo I took. It has nothing to do with Grand Valley in any way, shape, or form, and for the life of me I can't remember why I asked to have it approved, but it's a photo that was taken by me on campus, so here it is.

-Kyle

Pictures part 2

As promised, here's day two of photos. And yeah, it's sort of "facilities on campus," but it's also mostly "more pictures, yay." So here we go.



It's probably worth it to start with a familiar sight. Coincidentally, this angle of the Carillon Tower is also a really popular view for GVSU brochures.



The University Book Store can be found inside the Kirkhoff Center, where you can pick up textbooks, campus apparel, study supplies, etc.



The largest classrooms on campus can be found in Loutit Lecture halls, part of Padnos Hall of Science. The max occupancy of these rooms is right around 200, but the largest class I've ever seen listed was around 160 or 170 students, and those will break into discussion groups once a week. We don't usually get to show these lecture halls on the tour, just because classes are typically taking place here, but at least here's one view of it.



Here's another view of Mackinac Hall, our largest classroom structure. Among other things, Mac houses the math department, statistics, history, and modern languages.



Fresh Foods Company, a buffet style dining hall, is my personal favorite spot to eat on campus, but it's just one of the many locations that a student could spend their meal plan. It's also conveniently next door to Mackinac Hall.



Speaking of Campus Dining, here's a look at the outside of Kleiner Commons. While it's not a buffet style hall, it's very convenient; located in the middle of freshmen housing, and the main cafeteria there is open until midnight (the convenience shop is 24/7)




Here are two of our athletic facilities, with the outside of the rec center on the top and the pool on the bottom. Both of these are free for student use.



Here's a quick look at the inside of the library. We can't show the library on the tour, because it's a quiet structure.



And to finish up, here's a glance at the inisde of the honors college. The main office for the structure is down the left hallway, just past the staircase

But, I'm off, so send a question if you've got it.

-Kyle

Pictures, part 1

If you remember, back in May or so I alluded to doing something new and relatively big. Flash forward to now, and now there are photos on the blog. I figure it's a refreshing change from about a 15 month wall of text, but it's mostly because I'm drawing a blank on a subject worth talking about. I was thinking about starting with landmarks and landscapes on the campus, and then moving on to facilities on campus, but it will probably just turn into "pictures this week" and then "pictures on the next week."




The Student Service Center is where our admissions office is located, and typically one of the first sites incoming students see.




The fountain is one of my favorite spots on campus, but I wouldn't suggest dancing in it with any friends.



The Carillon Tower is another recognizable sight on campus.




Here are two different views of segments of Mackinac Hall, the largect academic structure on campus.



This is a hidden courtyard, somewhere in the middle of the Neimeyer Living Center, part of the Honors College.



Here is the Transformational Links sculpture, as well as a little courtyard in the middle of the Neimeyer Living Center.



And finally, here's a nice view of Zumberge Pond, which lies between Zumberge Library and the Kirkhoff Center, with the tower visible in the background.

Looking back, I'm sure I could have just as easily pulled promotional photos that looked better off of the website and filled them in, rather than taking my own, but hey, where's the fun in that?

-Kyle

Student employment

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Independence Day, preferably without too much Will Smith included. As summer marches along, we might as well mention student employment.

The two things that college students seem to typically have in short supply are time and money. Which works just fine for student employees, because the work load is usually very manageable, but still provides a steady source of cash. During the academic year, GVSU employs between 2500 and 3000 students for on campus jobs. These can range from working in campus dining to monitoring the rec center, from landscaping to tutoring, and even working as a campus tour guide (a position held by yours truly). The pay for all of these positions varies, and while I know a few rates, I don’t know them well enough to post here.

If you’re interested in working on campus, one of the best things you can do is check out the Employment web site. Just head over to www.gvsu.edu/studentjobs or search “student employment” from the home page, and it’s really easy to sign up from there. On the web site is the university’s Job Board, an exclusive posting of GVSU on campus jobs and students looking for jobs (though there are a few instances where off campus employers can also post there). That’s the best first step, but the best second step is to physically walk around campus and ask different employers if there are positions available, and apply in person (which is how I found both of the campus jobs I’ve had). We also encourage students to apply early for on campus jobs, as they will tend to go very quickly in the fall. This seems to set incoming freshmen at a disadvantage, since you guys won’t be here until the Fall Semester, but realize that you can apply for a job during the summer preceding the fall that you would be employed.

Another common question is “can I qualify for work study?” And the answer is “maybe,” but not everyone really understands how work study works at Grand Valley. Here at GVSU, work study is a form of need based financial aid; in so many words, if you qualify for it, the government will subsidize a portion of your wages, meaning that even though you get the same paycheck, GVSU pays for less of it, making you a pretty lucrative employee.

A lot of students are also unsure if they should even take on a job, being a full time student. The best answer here is that you should evaluate your own situation and determine how well you can balance your time, but the employment website also cites studies that show that work and learning go hand in hand. Additionally, on campus employers realize that you are a student first, and your schedule and workload are based around your classes. Finally, don’t think that the only jobs are on campus; between Standale, downtown Grand Rapids, and Rivertown Mall, not to mention everything inbetween, there are plenty of businesses where a student could work during the school year.

But that's about it, so go ahead and post any questions.

-Kyle