A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Archives for October 2022

How to Declare or Change Your Major (Fall 2022, Week 11)

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Hi again, Bears! I’m back to write the blog post for this week. If you read my all-about-me post from a few weeks ago, you may remember that I’ve changed my major and minor a couple of times—and that is definitely not an experience unique to me. Most college students change their major at least once throughout their undergraduate years, and some come to school without a declared major at all. Since I consider myself to be an expert, I thought this week I would discuss how to declare or change your major.

How to Declare or Change Your Major

Know what you’re getting yourself into.

This step might sound a little daunting, but it’s the first step for a reason! It’s important to know what classes you’ll be required to take as your potential major. Reviewing program requirements for your major will help you determine when to plan to take certain classes, and it’s also a good way to make sure that the major you’re thinking about declaring is really for you. It’s okay to not like the idea of a couple of classes you’re required to take, but if a majority of them sound entirely unappealing to you, you may want to reconsider your decision. Keep in mind that you deserve to study something that you enjoy, and while it may be challenging, your studies should never be absolutely unbearable. The Missouri State website has the admissions requirements, program requirements, course catalog, and more information for every major offered on campus, and you can access any of that information by typing the name of your desired major into the white rectangular search bar located in the top right-hand corner of the webpage.

A blue arrow points to the search bar on the Missouri State Webpage

See an advisor.

Some departments prefer or require that you meet with an advisor from your desired major before you’re able to declare it. Either way, meeting with an advisor to discuss your potential major can help you plan out future semesters as well as make you aware of any admission requirements the program may have before you’re able to declare. It’s also another good way to make sure that you’re fully aware of all of the requirements that you will need to fulfill in order to graduate. Typically, you can schedule an advising appointment for your potential major by contacting the head of the department. Other times, a program may have a specific advising center or advisor that you’ll need to contact.

Do it!

If you’ve seen an advisor and reviewed the requirements, it’s time to declare your new major! There are multiple ways that you can do it. First, you could visit the Academic Advising & Transfer Center in University Hall 109. They’ll have someone there that will change your degree in the system for you. If you’re unable to visit them in person, you can also contact them via email, but be sure to include your BearPass number and be specific about what program you would like to add to or remove from your degree. Another way, and probably the easiest, is to use the online request form that you can access from the Missouri State website. If you type “declare or change a major” in the white rectangular search bar located in the top right-hand corner of the webpage, a link will pop up to a page called “Steps to Declare or Change a Major”. If you click on that link, you’ll have the option of accessing the online form, or reviewing more information about the options that I’ve listed above.

Takeaways

Changing your major or admitting yourself into a new degree program can be really intimidating, but it’s important to remember, like I said before, that you deserve to study something that you enjoy. Keep in mind that even if your new major (or minor or certificate) turns out not to be a good fit for you, you can always go back and change it again. I’ve visited that online request form countless times! There is absolutely nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do. But, when you do, hopefully this information will be of service to you. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you again in a future blog post!

~Hallie

(Bio: I’m a sophomore out-of-state student studying Philosophy with a minor in Geology Creative Writing.)

Effective Study Tactics (Fall 2022, Week 10)

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Welcome Back Bears

Everything is starting to get back into a routine after Fall Break weekend but that means that classes are back in session. I don’t know about you but for me, midterms and class assignments are still rolling in hot. This is my fifth year at Missouri State and believe it or not exams, quizzes, or anything standardized really make me nervous but I’ve learned quite a few things to help myself out. Things like finals, quizzes, and exams are all a part of the college experience but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t appreciate some good tactics. For my blog post this week I wanted to give you some effective study tactics to survive midterms or any exam for that matter.  

Effective Study Tactics: Surviving Midterms   

Check-in with yourself  

Studying while you’re trying to maintain your other classes and your personal well-being can be hard, so check in with yourself. That means that you are taking time to assess how you’re doing emotionally and physically. Carve out time to eat, take care of your personal hygiene or do the things you like to keep yourself moving forward.  

Plan effective times to study 

College courses really differ from each other so you’re constantly altering how to study for each of your classes. It definitely works to plan out when you study in preparation for an exam, especially if there is a lot of material to cover. Cramming doesn’t work for everyone, and you want to be able to alleviate some of that stress early on. Planning effective study times also keeps you prepared and ready for the questions you’ll be answering

Teach an imaginary lecture  

While you’re studying it’s important to remember that there is a mixture of memorization and repetition going on. It helps to imagine that you are teaching someone else or a group of people the material that you are studying. During an exam, you could recall your imaginary lecture when you are stuck figuring out the answer to specific questions.  

Don’t be overwhelmed with material 

When you get overwhelmed with everything, you’re attempting to study you can potentially forget things that you know or even want to give up on the entire studying process. Make sure you’re taking breaks and breaking the material up in order not to feel like you’re studying everything at once

Study in comfortable environments  

Personally, I like to study in a quiet environment with a large table where I can spread my study materials. Find study environments where you can comfortably study and not be interrupted by outside factors. You’ll be able to retain more information, be able to interpret information and of course, focus.  

You can check out some of my other tips that can help you during the exam period for relieving stress and studying in my Tips and Tricks for Relieving Stress and Studying post. 

Midterms or any college exam can be really scary because you want to do your best while maintaining your ideal grade. However, it’s always good to remember that it helps to have different strategies. You want to get through midterms and exams unscathed, but you also want to learn your dos and don’ts for studying as time passes. I’m going to be wishing you all luck on your future exams in the hopes that my tactics can help you out in some capacity. This week I’ll leave you with a quote by Colin Powell,  

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure”.  

~Alexandria 

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

 

Introduction – Aubrey (Fall 2022 Week 9)

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Hello Missouri State! My name is Aubrey, and I’m a new Peer Mentor in the CAST office. I’m excited to share my experiences and thoughts throughout the semester! For this week’s post, I wanted to start off by introducing myself.

Who are you?

I am a sophomore from Joplin, Missouri majoring in special needs education. I’m thinking about declaring a minor although this is a thought I need to spend more time on. I absolutely love my major and I’m finally in classes related to it! I’m also involved in several organizations on campus, including Alpha Sigma Alpha, Bear Power, Peer Leading, and Unified Sports.

Why did you choose MSU?

When I toured Missouri State University as a senior I fell in love with the environment on campus. It was my first college tour so I was nervous that I would feel the same way everywhere I toured. When I visited every campus on my list my decision was easy because Missouri State stood out among the rest. I felt included and welcomed my first time on campus and have found that statement to be true since that day.

What is your favorite study spot?

My freshman year was trial and error discovering what spot on campus worked best for me. What I have come to find out is that I study better in different locations for different classes. I love the PSU because it’s a central location on campus and it has dining options if I happen to need a pick-me-up. For my stressful classes, I try to find a study spot outside like the Glass Hall balcony or out by the fountains. I also find it fun to try new locations when I am losing motivation and that is how I discovered the Pummill study location.

What was one thing you worried about before you started at MSU? How did you deal with it once you were here? 

I was worried I was going to never want to leave. I know that sounds awful but I was truly so excited to get started at Missouri State that I feared I would never want to go home. While this made my transition easy it also created issues when breaks would approach. I eventually learned how grateful I was to be in a position where I loved my university and community so much that it was hard to leave instead of complaining that I had to leave. With this changed mindset, I was able to enjoy time with family and appreciate my Springfield community all the more when I returned. I do still struggle with the idea of leaving for long breaks but short breaks have now become an enjoyable “time off” for me.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me! I look forward to writing more blogs and sharing more of my struggles and victories. Until next time, Bear Up!

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, a sophomore studying special needs education. Fun fact: I group up on a farm.)

Introducing Hallie (Fall 2022, Week 8)

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HallieGreetings, Bears! My name is Hallie, and I’m a new Peer Mentor in the CAST office. I’m super excited to contribute to the weekly blog posts! For this week’s post, I wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me.

Who are you?

I am a sophomore from Bentonville, Arkansas majoring in Philosophy with minors in Geology and Creative Writing. I’m also involved in several organizations on campus, including Student Activities Council and University Ambassadors.

Why did you choose MSU?

When I toured the Missouri State campus as a high school senior, I couldn’t help but feel like I was a part of the community. I saw myself living here and building a life for myself here. I know it sounds cheesy, but there’s something so unique about our campus that’s hard to put into words. Now, as a student who has been here for over a year, I definitely feel like I’ve built a life for myself, just like how I saw myself doing back then. MSU also has so many amazing resources for students, and there’s something for everyone to get involved in.

What is your favorite study spot?

There are a lot of places around campus where I like to study! If I had to pick one, though, I would have to say the third floor of Temple Hall. That’s where the department of Geography, Geology, and Planning is housed, so they have all of these cool maps hanging on the walls, as well as some rock and fossil displays. I also like that I get to walk by the turtles that the Biology department has on the second floor on my way up. If I’m not in Temple Hall, though, I’ll most likely be in the library. I love the lobby, the individual study pods on the second floor, and the little window directly under the bell tower that overlooks the fountain.

What’s one thing you worried about before you started at MSU? How did you deal with it once you were here?

It sounds kind of weird, but I think the biggest thing that I was worried about was that I would get trapped in a field that I didn’t enjoy. I’ve always had a hard time doing things for myself, and I’ve had a tendency, especially back in high school, to do or decide things based off of what others expected of me. I hate the idea of disappointing people that I care about, and I’ve let that affect some of my decisions in the past. I was worried that I would unknowingly make a decision just to fulfill others’ expectations of me, and that I would end up unhappy with no way out. At first, college was really weird for me, because I had the freedom to choose on my own what classes I took, as well as what major or minor I wanted to study. I struggled at first, but I’m lucky enough to have met friends and people here that have taught me that it’s okay to do things for myself. It’s harder than it sounds, but it helps if I remind myself that people who want me to disregard my own happiness for their expectations aren’t worth my effort or time, and that a lot of college students are in the same boat as me in terms of trying to feel at home in their academics. I still have work to do, and I still have to be reminded to take care of myself sometimes, but I can proudly say that I am very happy and I am studying what I love.

Thanks!

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me! You’ll be hearing more from me in some future blog posts. I can’t wait to tell you more about my experiences as a student at MSU. See you soon, and as always, Go Bears!

~Hallie

(Bio: I’m a sophomore out-of-state student studying Philosophy with minors in Geology and Creative Writing.)

Campus Life Tips (Fall 2022, Week 7)

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The semester is really rolling by but I’m excited to enjoy the last of my experiences as a senior. If there is one thing that I’ve learned about being a college student, it’s that you always want to do things that make your life a little easier. To make things fun this week, I wanted to list some of my all-time favorite campus life tips that I utilize throughout the semester. The tips that I’m going to list can save you money or time or just give you more of a sense of what Missouri State offers to its students. 

Campus Life Tips 

Coupon book 

Believe it or not, the MSU Bookstore has a free coupon book usually offered near the entry or exit doors. If you don’t see them there, you can ask the Bookstore staff. The coupon book offers deals for the Bookstore, some fast-food options, and other Springfield area places. You can save money and use those university coupons whenever you stop by the Bookstore to grab some BearWear.  

Dining halls 

If you live in a residence hall, then you would be required to have a meal plan that gives you money for Boomer Meals and access to the dining halls. Due to past circumstances, the campus adapted take-out boxes and cups. I’m usually on the go so I like to grab food at the dining halls using the take-out boxes. If I’m not hungry but will be later, getting takeaway to save to eat later saves me time and money on the fast food that I might have otherwise bought.  

Powder detergent  

In my experience when it comes to detergent, the powder is better in comparison to liquid detergent. With the powder, you get a lot for your money and can make the detergent last for a long time especially if you do your laundry on a schedule. I’ve used both liquid and detergent to wash clothes and personally my clothes get a lot cleaner using powder, especially for stubborn stains.   

Dryer sheets  

This tip is one of my favorites because I didn’t realize until recently that you can make your clothes smell great even with one dryer sheet, split into two pieces. Previously, I used two dryer sheets when drying my clothes because both pieces would get around the clothes in the dryer. I got curious one day and just ripped one dryer sheet into two. From that experience, I quickly learned that my clothes still smell really good and I save money in the long run by using one less dryer sheet.    

Cup scrambled eggs  

I’m living in a residence hall again this semester and using the kitchen every other morning can get really tiring. In order to save time in the mornings, I make scrambled eggs in a coffee mug. I add two eggs, bacon bits, salt, and pepper, just stir everything together, and microwave for about two minutes. You have to make sure to watch the mug in the microwave so you don’t overcook it and the eggs don’t overflow. Everyone’s microwave is different so cook the egg in increments to make it easier to pinpoint when the egg(s) are cooked.  

Takeaways 

I like it when I’m able to make my life easier because I’m always running around and getting things done. Classes take up lots of time and I really like to have my own personal time to do the things that I like to do. The life tips that I’ve listed are things that have been a part of my everyday life for the past five years and have helped me to better manage my money and time. I’m hoping that these tips can help some of you out too or encourage you to create some of your own. 

Be on the lookout for the rest of the semester’s blog posts and some new peer mentors that are ready to take the blog by storm.  

~ Alexandria  

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