A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Archives for February 2021

Storytime (Spring 2021, Week 7)

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Storytime

Hi Bears, it’s me again. I wanted to try something a little different with this blog post because I’ve experienced a lot as a Missouri State student and it really helps to share. This is my third year of being an MSU student and each semester is different from the last. Being an online student right now has been a huge adjustment after my first two years on campus and I’m still working my way through it. I’ve also had my fair share of joining organizations, studying for hours on end, or just trying to find myself outside of my coursework. I’ve met some great staff and campus organizations and I want to share with you part of my Missouri State story…

The story

Coming to Missouri State I didn’t know much about financial aid or how everything worked so I visited Financial Aid and Financial Services frequently. I found myself in a tough spot during my freshman year trying to pay off my balance and keep myself from charging my own account and accumulating more fees. Through my constant visits to the financial offices, I found Mr. Lamar Curtis, who helped me understand and pointed me in the right directions. I could talk to Mr. Curtis about anything or let him know any of my concerns. Mr. Curtis also introduced me to TRIO, an organization on campus that could help me find scholarships and provide access to other services, like tutoring.

The program

After learning about TRIO, I decided to sign up and see if I could get into the program; as a freshman, I wanted to try something new, but I also wanted to take advantage of some good resources on campus. TRIO is a good program for students because they assist students in attending and graduating from college and they do so by providing tutoring, a supportive environment, and academic advising. Without TRIO, I think I would have been lost during my first year at Missouri State because everything around me was new and campus had so much to offer its students. I am happy that I found a really good program that has kept me on track, given me options, and has allowed me to experience things that I could never imagine doing on my own.

How It’s Going

I’ve continued to be a part of the TRIO program and I don’t regret it one bit. TRIO has kept me on my toes and has helped me to reach my goals.

Missouri State has some great programs, clubs, and groups that not only make college fun to experience but also give students a humongous number of opportunities. I want to challenge you to try different things; you might just find something you weren’t looking for yet.

~Alexandria

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a junior business major at Missouri State University.)

 

 

 

Spring 2021 Week 6 – Rhiannon

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As the only one of the three peer counselors that is graduating this semester, it is only fitting for me to do a blog post on after graduation plans.

As a Marketing Major with an emphasis in Advertising and Promotions, the whole world is at my fingertips. I could easily work for corporate Walmart, Disneyland/Disney World, WWE, the like. However, as of right now, I have no job lined up.

So what does that mean? Well, it means that I am open to anything and everything and I am not picky whatsoever. A job at this point is a job.

I imagine some of you are wondering what types of jobs a Marketing Ad and Promo major can get? Here is a list of some:

  1. Social Media Manager
  2. Marketing Director
  3. Content writer
  4. Project Manager
  5. Public Relations Manager
  6. Brand Marketing Manager
  7. Communications Specialist
  8. Brand Ambassador
  9. Marketing Coordinator
  10. Marketing Manager

Looking for help in your job search?

Missouri State University has a great resource for students looking for a job: the Career Center.

According to the Career Center’s How to search for internships and jobs, developing a clear strategy and staying organized will contribute to your job search success, whether you are searching for an internship, a part-time job or a full-time position.

A few tips when searching for a job for life after Missouri State include:

  • Be persistent and realistic
  • Be positive and remain optimistic
  • Take a proactive approach
  • Remember the job search can be time consuming, hard work and stressful
  • Rely on a good support system

For more job search help, visit theCareer Center’s JOB SEARCH TOOLKIT — it has some great information on resumes, salaries, how to create a portfolio, networking, your personal brand and interviewing, just to name a few.

The Career Center is a great tool, so why not use it? Go out and spread your wings, fellow Bears, and live your life after Missouri State to the fullest!!

~Rhiannon

(Bio: My name is Rhiannon Casey, a transfer student from Arkansas State University. I am currently a Senior Marketing Major with an emphasis in Advertising and Promotions.)

Spring 2021 Week 5 – Michael

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A Blast to the Past?

Hello everyone! I hope your semester has been going well so far! For me personally, I have found this semester to be an interesting change. It has been almost a year since we went into this crazy COVID-19 lockdown system for college. What I find funny is that some of us have already gotten used to it! Since last April, many of us have made it our routine to wake up five minutes before class, open up our laptops in our pajamas and tune into a lecture. If you are hungry, you can carry your laptop to your kitchen to grab some food and go right back to learning. If you have to use the bathroom, you could get up and go without distracting the class. Initially, this was difficult for sure, but after some time, it almost felt comfortable.

Seven months ago, I would’ve said that online school was so difficult for me and I wanted nothing more than to be back in a classroom! But, per human nature, we find our ways to adapt and now I honestly don’t mind taking classes through zoom or blackboard collaborate. What I find interesting is how it has felt transitioning back to being on campus more. In the same way we had to learn how to do online classes, we may have to relearn some stuff about being back on campus. Luckily, most students I have been able to talk to and meet with have had a decent transition back and haven’t faced too many issues getting to class and learning well.

A Historic Moment that We Will Never Forget

In light of it being February, I think back to where we were a year ago. For me, it was the second semester of my sophomore year here, and I had been taking Organic Chemistry 2, Human Anatomy and Human Genetics. Although the coursework was difficult, I had found a rhythm of coming to campus, studying before class and meeting with my friends to get work done. In our cadaver lab, my classmates and I would sometimes go at 1 a.m. just because we enjoyed it so much. Around March, there had been rumors about this thing called the coronavirus. Being a cell and molecular biology major, I had just felt like it would be a new flu situation that would be sorted out early on and easily, especially since there hadn’t really been many cases in the United States. Come spring break time, there was talk about us having an additional couple weeks for spring break for the purposes of discussing what the plan of action would be for Missouri State. At one point, I talked to a couple of my professors about what would happen, and they even seemed unsure.

Over break, it was a weird situation. My mom had been telling me about how I might have to start wearing a mask in public to avoid getting the virus, which I didn’t really understand. Near the end of break I was home with my parents and I finally understood how serious the situation was. I heard from family that their regions had been going into a lockdown, telling residents to stay home and only leave if completely necessary. With a small sense of panic, my mom and I made a quick run to the Walmart to grab as much stuff as we needed; I had to return to my apartment in Springfield and I didn’t really have much.

From there on the rest is history. When all of us get older, we will have this crazy story about how we lived through a massive pandemic, similar to the ways our parents and grandparents faced their own diversity throughout their lives. We have come very far since this all began, and I am proud of how all of us students have done our best to make the situation better and take care of ourselves. Hopefully in the near future we will be able to overcome this whole situation but, until then, keep pushing forward and working hard!

(BIO: My name Is Michael Rexroad, a transfer student from Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. I am a junior currently studying cell and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry.)

New Approaches (Spring 2021, Week 4)

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New Semester, Different Challenges

If we learned anything from last year, it’s that plans change and it’s hard to not “know” what can happen. Last semester was a little hard for me, but I came out of the semester stronger, and I’m happy about that. I’ve struggled with mathematics my entire life so when I took my math class last semester, I was terrified of the outcome and wondered if I could even pass. To be completely honest, I crashed and burned in the course but, through that experience, I learned that not every class structure works for everyone. I took the advice of my advisor in the Business Advisement Center and a specialist over in the Career Center and I made some pretty interesting moves.

Two colleges and only one of me

I had been reminded that different teachers often teach the same material in different ways, so why not try a different school, course structure, and professor. As a result, this semester I decided to branch out from Missouri State and take my math course through St. Louis Community College. Don’t get me wrong…I love MSU. But when you know things aren’t working out, you have to try something else. Both schools are great at what they do for students and their departments work in similar fashions, so knowing how I wanted to do things, and what I was even doing, to begin with, was very helpful.

So far so good

It’s week four and I can say that I’m doing a pretty good job managing my coursework through both schools so that I’m not falling behind or stressing myself out to get everything done. All my classes are online this semester, but the math course is the first class I have had with a scheduled class period for using video conferencing. I know that I have to work hard to get the best results while staying in tune with my four other classes from Missouri State but I have to take on the challenge to get where I need to be.

During the break after the fall semester, I took time to figure out what I wanted and I made the big decision to declare communications as my minor. My classes from MSU are COM-focused for the term while my class from St. Louis Community College is just a math course, so everything at this point is balanced nicely. This is probably best described as dual enrollment from both MSU and St. Louis Community College.

Here’s the lesson I’ve learned the hard way: doing things a little differently can help you out more than sticking with something that doesn’t work for you.

I wanted to share this experience because many students take classes from other places for financial reasons or because it’s more convenient or fits their needs better. It’s okay to try different things or to find help in other places; don’t let a challenge stop you in your tracks for too long.

~Alexandria

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a junior business major at Missouri State University.)