It really doesn’t feel like that much time has gone by since the start of the semester, but it also feels like there’s a long ways ahead. I guess we’re kind of in a no-man’s land of classes right now. Halloween is coming up, and I’ve decided that I’m going to dress up as an employee of GVSU admissions; that’s right, I’m working on the 31st. Those students that visiting that day are going to bring free candy, right? It should be a pretty fun day, though; meeting some potential students, hanging out with the other personnel, and there’s a football game that night. I haven’t really been keeping tabs on the marching band lately, so I’m curious to see if they do a Halloween themed show this weekend.
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 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Busy times
Seven weeks into the semester, this is one of those times when it pays to be on top of things. A big test was yesterday, there’s a long paper due tomorrow, a project down the road next week, plus getting enough sleep. Actually, come to think of it, that’s a pretty sparse schedule compared to a lot of students right around this time of year. A big reason for that is probably the fact that I’m commuting to campus for the first time this year.
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
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
After a bit of a break, I figure it’s probably time to talk about something significant. A topic some of you readers might be interested in is the honors college. The Frederick Meijer Honors College is a spectacular program, and not just because there is a brand new facility for it. In fact, I figure it’s probably best to just talk about the academic portion of the program for right now, and get back to the facilities later on.
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
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
For the second week in a row, I find myself writing an entry here while waiting for a class or meeting. Which is nice, because I really need something to keep my mind off of the busy weekend ahead. Exams, projects and papers that need to get done, not to mention a home football game. On an unrelated note, today’s topic of discussion is fine arts on campus. Keep in mind, what’s listed below is just the tip of the ice berg.
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
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
I just got off the bus on the Grand Rapids campus, but still have time to spare before my next class. So why not tell you all a little about the Grand Rapids campus, right? Pins and needles, I’m sure. A lot of students worry about the whole split campus set up, but as I’ve said before, you shouldn’t be concerned—the busing system works out great. But a large number of students should still be interested about the downtown campus, since we have several majors that are essentially run from this location. Chief among these are business, nursing and the health sciences, criminal justice, education, engineering, social work, and public and nonprofit administration. There are others, but these seven make up the bulk of the facilities. There are really three structures worth mentioning downtown; the Devos Center (not to be confused with Devos Place), the Eberhard Center, and the Cook-Dewitt Center for Health Sciences.
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
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
First home football game tonight, which means the campus is pumped up. The admissions office, not so much. It’s a little quiet up here on the third floor today, so it’s probably a good chance to get a little writing done. Even though I’m tempted to talk about football, I probably won’t have much to say until after the game. But along the lines of athletics, a good subject to bring up is the campus rec. center.
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
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
Today has been a day that’s given me flashbacks to the summer break; we have today off as part of the Labor Day weekend here at GVSU, and even though there are still students on campus, I think most of them are taking the opportunity to sleep in. But classes did start last week, on the 31st, with all the bells and whistles. Getting used to new professors, meeting new people, actually finding the classrooms, quite a lot happens in quite a short period of time. Having been here for a while, I forget how intimidating it can be to a new student, but it’s not as bad as you would think it is. A lot of the structures have recently been reorganized, so it’s simpler to find different locations. Mackinac Hall, for instance, was given all new office numbers and wings just last year, so it’s pretty easy to navigate now. Plus, Transitions was two weeks ago, so there were groups of freshmen being led around by upper classmen for most of that period. Which I have to laugh at, because it’s probably the most organized that a group of freshmen will be all year long. There was also a poster sale on campus last week, and best of all I had a chance to eat at Fresh Foods earlier (and yes, it was as good as I remember it). And even though it’s quiet at the moment, Student Life Night is tonight (I think), so we should see packs of students returning this evening to sign up for clubs and organizations on campus. But, that’s all I have to say right now, so if you’re wondering about anything, don’t forget to post it.
-Kyle
-Kyle
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