A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Farewell (Spring 2023, Week 16)

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Alexandria Posing in her graduation stole
Photo credit: Allyson Ly

It’s surreal really- I don’t think that I truly understood the weight of graduating and trying to determine the next steps of my life like I do right now. I’ve been a college student for five years and a peer mentor for three years, nine months, and twenty-nine days. Time definitely went by slowly but the fewer courses that I needed to complete the more time seemed to speed up. This particular blog post is being written because my time as an undergraduate student and peer mentor is coming to a close. As one of the first peer mentors that Missouri State has had, I will be handing over the reins to my present and future colleagues.  

How it started  

I came to Missouri State because I wanted to both experience college for myself and obtain my business degree. I had no clue what college life was going to be like, but I was excited to be in a new place and meet people. I struggled with my responsibilities as a student and as an individual, being away from home for the first time. There were times when I wanted to go home, or I really just missed being around my family, but I worked hard to get through my first year. As a sophomore, I took the advice of a campus staff member and decided to try out an on-campus job because I wanted to pay off my tuition and have money to spend when I needed it. After reading the job description for what was initially called a “peer counselor” I decided to apply for the job and was later hired. Being a peer mentor was my first ever job and I got a chance to experience things that I wouldn’t have otherwise.  

Thank you  

I don’t think anyone really goes into college expecting to leave exactly how they came in. I definitely won’t leave Missouri State the same and I am grateful for that. I learned so much about the campus and just how many resources MSU has to offer its students. I was able to take what I was learning from being a part of the Center for Academic Success and Transitions (CAST) family and help other students around me. I want to thank my bosses, Kelly Wood and Tracey Glaessgen, for taking a chance on me while allowing me to not only grow but help other students in their pursuit of success. Suzanne Mwengi, the CAST secretary, is also someone that I would like to thank because without her guidance and welcoming demeanor I wouldn’t have been able to fulfill my role as a peer mentor. Every person that has been a part of CAST presently and in the past has helped me out in some capacity whether it’s answering my questions, listening to me talk, or just giving me the motivation to keep going. I can sit around and thank every single person that I have encountered but a better use of your time and mine is just saying thank you. Thank you to my CAST family, peer mentors, graduate assistants, and anyone that I was fortunate enough to meet during my time at Missouri State.  

Thoughts  

I realize that life does go on but I’m definitely going to be sad from time to time about closing this chapter of my life. I experienced so much in college from the pandemic to just attempting to become friends with strangers. I’m excited to see where life is going to go after college, including how I’m going to feel about not having morning classes or assignments that need to be turned in.  

Takeaways  

Deciding to come to Missouri State after graduating high school in 2018 was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. I met some of my closest friends, experienced personal growth, and made connections with people that I didn’t expect to. I’m extremely fortunate to have done so much in five years and I can’t wait to see how the peer mentor program develops in the years to come.  

I want to tell you to not be afraid to try things out of your comfort zone and if you do and it doesn’t work out, be ready to try something else. From one student to another, take in every moment that you can, and enjoy your time as a student. 

Thank you again to everyone for contributing and helping me with my success. I’m truly happy with how things have turned out for me and wish all the best to Missouri State Bears. 
 

~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.)   

 

 

My University Playlist (Spring 2023, Week 13)

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I cannot put into words how happy I have been these past few months. At this very moment, I am approximately thirty-five days away from graduation. The idea of graduating is becoming so real every day that it’s probably not going to really hit me until I’m walking across the stage.  

I wanted to try out something a little differently this time and describe my five years as a Missouri State student in the form of five songs. MSU has been such a big part of my life that I thought it would be cool to see how that translates into the form of music. I definitely have continued to go through a lot and learn more about myself, so I decided to have some fun with it. I created this playlist in terms of how a song sounded or made me feel. I don’t want you to pay attention to the vocals but to the instrumental versions of these songs instead. 

My University Playlist  

Do Not Disturb-Mahalia 

During freshman year I was still figuring myself out after high school and just learning what it meant to be a college student. This was my first time living away from my family and having so much responsibility. So, this particular song depicts the highs and lows that I faced during my first year.  

Panic! At The Disco-High Hopes 

My sophomore year was a hard one, but I overcame my freshman year, and I came out stronger. I got my first job at CAST (Center for Academic Success and Transitions) as a peer mentor, and I met two of my closest friends to this day. I was happy with my academic performance and my effort to try things that I’d never done before. My sophomore year prepared me for whatever the world had to throw at me. 

Lonely-Noah Cyrus  

This was around the time that I was dealing with some personal losses in my family and around the time of the pandemic. I was sad about my time on campus getting cut short and being unable to see any of my friends. In addition to all that my family is a big part of why I wanted to pursue a degree and I was struggling to overcome missing some of the most important people in my life. 

Blinding Lights-The Weekend  

What was supposed to be the final year became my second to last year at MSU. I felt more solidified with what I was doing and how I was performing academically. I was meeting more people and just making the effort to do well in some of my hardest classes. This year was bittersweet because my journey at Missouri State was ending, but I, unfortunately, needed an extra year. 

Golden Hour-JVKE 

I like to call this year ‘Super Senior’ but in all honesty, what do you call it? I decided to split my last year of classes into on-campus classes and online classes. I tried some new places in Springfield and tried different study spots on campus. Recently, I’ve been at home spending time with my family, finishing my last four classes online, and fulfilling my role as a peer mentor for the last time. I’ve been working my way toward graduation and I’m so excited to get there.  

Takeaways

I listened to music every chance that I could get walking on campus past the fountain, the library, and all the other buildings. When I was listening to music it carried me from class to class and kept me motivated every day. I want to be the one to tell you that college is a big part of your life and can be represented in a multitude of ways. That could be through your habits or even through some personal tips and tricks that you can adapt into your life. You can always check out my previous blog posts, to get more of an idea of the tips and tricks that worked for me. My time as a college student isn’t going to be the same as someone else’s but I’ll gladly share my experience, so you have resources at your fingertips to give you a leg up whenever you need it.
 

“How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?” – Jane Swan

~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.)  

 

Personal Growth Tips and Tricks (Spring 2023, Week 10)

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These last few months I’ve been slowly taking everything in around me from my impending graduation to just figuring out what my life goals are. The last few years at Missouri State have been playing over and over in my head and I have been reliving my college career. I can honestly say that I have grown tremendously in all areas of my life since becoming a student at MSU. Personal growth is a big part of growing up and being a college student because you’re moving as an individual with more responsibility. For this blog post, I wanted to give you all some tips and tricks related to personal growth. Personal growth or personal investment can be attested to through any new skills you learned, changes in your attitude, or if you’ve improved your mental health. Personal growth lasts a lifetime and it’s beneficial to your relationships or just making yourself happier.  

Personal Growth Tips and Tricks

Experience new things and places

Personal growth is all about developing yourself in order to have a positive impact on life so why not take chances to experience new things and places. You get a chance to learn more about the world around you and what it has to offer. New things also bring a variety of challenges and learning about different perspectives.

Give this tip a try on campus: MSU is full of opportunities for personal growth! Check out a new organization, go to a campus event that’s new to you, and look for a service trip or activity you can join. 

Take a look at yourself and what you are capable of 

Use opportunities to learn about yourself, what you enjoy, and what you excel at, and look for ways to extend yourself. Avoid comparing yourself to others. You’re only in control of yourself so try to learn more about yourself and who exactly you are.

Here’s how you can practice this tip: you are your biggest motivator so make sure you are giving yourself the time, energy, and attention that you deserve. You can meditate, do some self-care or motivate yourself with positive affirmations in the morning.  

Accept your failures and mistakes  

Life is full of failures and mistakes no matter how small but accepting them and moving on shows how accepting of yourself you are. With this tip, you are allowing yourself to experience your emotions, come back stronger and lead yourself toward success.

Put this into practice at MSU: if you ever fail an exam or an assignment, use that opportunity to assess how you are studying. Check out ways to get support, such as the Bear CLAW or visiting your instructors during office hours. The Center for Academic Success and Transition (CAST) is a great organization that can help students with academic support and provides information about helpful student services; through CAST’s student academic assistance page, you can request to meet with a Success Coach or a Peer Mentor.

Evaluate your life 

You are ultimately taking the time to see where you are in life, and what you hope to accomplish or help identify areas of your life that need improvement. This enables you to identify your weaknesses and work to change them leading to a better version of yourself.

You can utilize this tip like this: take a little time each semester or throughout the year to think about your major and see if it’s still something you want to do, or if there might be a different major out there for you. You can take the opportunity to find any internships or other experiences that can help with your future.  

Takeaways  

I got a chance to experience life away from my family and looking back on where I started there were a lot of changes I went through on my own. I visited new places, accepted my bad decisions, and took time to learn about myself. The thing about college is that you aren’t always ready for the growth that comes with independence. You’re going to grow as a person whether it’s academically or with your self-confidence. I’m hoping that my tips and tricks can help you with your own personal growth or put you in a position to think about it more. Growth is only natural and with college added to the mix it’s inevitable.  

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” – Steve Maraboli 

~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.)  

 

Who Inspires Me-Ruby Bridges (Spring 2023, Week 6)

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Hello Bears and welcome back to the blog for this week. I hope the last few weeks have been kind to you and that your classes are going well.  

The semester is going well for me but it’s a little bittersweet because this is one of my very last blog posts before graduation in May. However, I am taking everything one day at a time because rushing things never works.  

I wanted to start the semester with a blog post about someone who inspired me growing up and continues to do so as I get older. That person is American civil rights activist, Ruby Bridges.  

Ruby Bridges  

Ruby Bridges was one of the first African American students at the age of six to integrate a school in the south. Ruby integrated a school in the south because in 1954 the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. The Board of Education ordered that all schools desegregate. She was one of a few students that passed the entry exam given by the state to see if African American students were on a similar level as their counterparts. Ruby and her family endured a significant amount of racism every day that she attended school. She had to be escorted everywhere and couldn’t even go to recess with the other kids. Ruby was the only student in her class because parents pulled their children out of the school and only one teacher, Barbara Henry, agreed to teach her. Ruby never stopped going to school so as time passed she paved the way for other African American children to attend schools that were desegregated like hers. Today, Ruby Bridges is 68 years old, a mother, and wife, as she remains a lifelong activist for racial equality.  

Why? 

Black history is a big part of what I learned in school and what my parents taught me about when I was at home. The first time I heard about Ruby Bridges I had to be around seven or eight years old and I was just starting to learn and understand more about black history so I didn’t have any idea about who she was. When I learned about Ruby’s story and what she went through as a little girl, I just never forgot about it. A young girl and her family endured so much and regardless of that, they stayed strong. I couldn’t imagine someone just being six years old and having the strength and willingness to do what she did and go against so many that hated the idea of desegregation. Ruby Bridges and so many other people contributed to my future in terms of my schooling and education making it easier for me to be where I am today. Without people like Ruby Bridges, I wouldn’t be able to have met the people that I have, attend Missouri State, or just be given the same opportunities as everyone else. One of my goals had always been to go to college and graduate but without people like Ruby Bridges that might not have ever been possible. I’ve learned to keep my head up, stay strong in the hardest of situations and be the change that I want to see. Ruby Bridges is an individual that has inspired me with her achievements, resilience, and overall dedication to achieving her goals. 

Takeaways 

There are a lot of people that have helped me to become more successful but without any inspiration, drive, or motivation I probably wouldn’t have gotten this far. I hope that sharing someone who inspires me could make you think about who that someone or something could be for you. Feeling inspired can play a role in your everyday life from creating ideas to just taking action and doing something you’ve always wanted to do. Your journey as a college student is going to have its moments but having some sort of inspiration can get you through it. Finding inspiration can be a bit hard so try looking in the most unexpected places.  

Be sure to take a look at some past blog posts and be on the lookout for all new topics.

Happy Week Six!!! 

~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.) 

Tips to Staying Positive (Fall 2022, Week 13)

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Welcome back to the blog! 

The last few weeks and the next couple of weeks are going to be crazy. I have so many assignments, projects, and things that I want to do before our Thanksgiving and holiday winter breaks. I can honestly say that I’ve done a good job keeping up with everything and getting my work done so far this semester. However, I have been struggling with burnout and a teeny tiny case of senioritis. To deal with this, I’m taking one day at a time, so I don’t get overwhelmed or stuck in a loop. The topic for this week is some tips to stay positive, because at times like this positivity is very welcome.  

The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Tips to Staying Positive   

Motivate yourself  

It’s helpful to celebrate the small wins and the big ones so that you don’t feel like you haven’t accomplished anything at all. I’ve always struggled with getting over my losses and not celebrating when I’ve successfully done something whether that’s a personal skill or college related. Sometimes you might not like to or don’t have the time to rely on others, so you have to show up for yourself and reward yourself. 

Surround yourself with people that care and are positive  

If you didn’t know already, I’m originally from St. Louis and while I’ve been attending college these last five years my immediate family has been back home. I like to keep in touch with my family and friends through the phone, text, and even facetime. My family and friends motivate me to push forward and to think about my own wants instead of other people’s. It’s worth talking to the people that know you so when you do need some type of positive message or affirmation those people will be there for you.  

Drop negative habits  

Throughout life and your college career, you most likely will adopt some bad or good habits that could be affecting your life. You have to make sure that you are creating good habits and that you’re regularly evaluating whether or not you have some habits that you need to address. These would be habits that negatively affect your well-being, your academics, your work, or other parts of your life. You want to drop the bad habits so that they don’t develop into something you probably can’t control and prevent you from being successful. Detecting bad habits, especially your own can be hard so try to observe yourself. Take notice of the things that negatively affect you or an issue that you continuously encounter that triggers the things that you do. You can excel mentally and physically and not waste your time or energy if you go along with this tip.  

Try to start your days or weeks right  

I like to typically do a Sunday reset where I do the things that I probably wouldn’t have time for during the week like my laundry and meal prepping. My Sunday reset sets the tone for the week because I’m managing my time in advance, looking over my classes for the upcoming week, and taking time out for myself. Starting things off right doesn’t have to look the same as what I do but could just be some small additions like making your bed, morning meditating, or just making your environment around you clean and welcoming.  

Takeaways

Being positive can help you when you’re feeling down or even when you have experienced something that you’re not used to. You gain skills to help yourself with your resistance and stress levels so that you can overcome some of those hard challenges that college and life like to throw at you. I’m going to continue to utilize my own tips and still learn just how much positivity can impact my outlook on life. I’m going to leave you with this quote by Willie Nelson, 

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”  

~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.)