A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Making Your Campus Feel Like Home  (Fall 2024, Week 10)

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Welcome back, Missouri State Bears! As a senior at Missouri State University, I feel like I know the campus quite well. This took me time as I had classes, meetings, or events in new buildings each year. The sooner you familiarize yourself with your environment, the quicker you become comfortable. When you are comfortable, studying becomes more natural, and the desire to stay connected on campus increases. I was inspired to write this post after celebrating 100 years of the Hill Hall academic building. Missouri State University is a beautiful campus – it’s time to explore!

 

Introducing Yourself to New Spaces

I challenge you to take a walk on campus and enter any building that you haven’t gotten the chance to visit. Without disrupting classes, locate the offices and resources found on each level of the building. You may discover something new that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t adventured. It is not uncommon that you’ll find front desk staff in various buildings who may be able to inform you about what all their space has to offer. I took on this challenge myself and discovered the plant sale that takes place in the spring in Karls Hall and the study locations offered in Ellis. After completing my walk, I felt like I had a new understanding of what the university had to offer and I was excited to share what I learned with others.

 

Favorite Hidden Spaces of CAST Staff

I asked a few of the Success Coaches/TA’s in the office to list the spaces on campus that they’ve discovered and enjoyed for studying:

  • Sally – Basement of the library in the quiet zone 
  • Brooklyn – Balcony of Glass Hall with the overview of the soccer field 
  • Kuper – Second floor of the library behind the bookshelves 
  • Shahriyar – Behind the Plaster Student Union especially in the spring
  • Claire – Second floor of the library 

 

Why a Campus Feeling Like Home is Special 

As a student you spend a lot of your time on the campus utilizing resources offered and attending events, some students spend more time on campus than they do in their bedroom. To increase your academic success and enjoy your time at the university a key factor is feeling comfortable in the environment you spend so much time in. When you feel as if you know and love your campus your feelings will be contagious for those around you who may be looking for the same feeling. This campus is yours to explore and call home.

 

Takeaways

We are entering week 10 of the academic semester and you may be starting to feel homesick or the excitement of a new year may be wearing off or you just want to learn more about your campus. Whatever the reason, I think all students should introduce themselves to their campus the same way the campus did to the students. If you find that after this exercise you’re still longing to feel connected or to find ways to increase your academic drive or social life then stop by the Center for Academic Success and Transition office to meet with a Success Coach or a Peer Mentor. Our office staff would be happy to meet with you to identify possible opportunities. 

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, and I am a senior studying special needs education. Fun fact: I’ve read over 15 books this year!)

Preparation for Attending College Fairs (Fall 2024, Week 7)

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Welcome back, Missouri State Bears! The college career and organization fair season is here and the campus is buzzing with community partners joining together. When I attended my first career fair, I felt unprepared going in and overwhelmed when I walked out. These events should be a chance to learn what opportunities are available at Missouri State and beyond, not an event to stress students out. The biggest advice I can give is to prepare ahead of time; read below to learn how. 

Creating a Game Plan

One of the biggest reasons students leave a college fair stressed is because of the amount of tables they feel they have to visit. One way I have found to alleviate this stress is to research beforehand what companies/organizations will be in attendance at the event. I make a note of the tables I have a strong interest in learning more about and where they are located in the event space. Any others that I may have questions about or that spark excitement I will rank as a second priority to talk to if the time allows during my visit. 

Mastering an Introduction

These events are designed so that you can get to know representatives and so that they can get to know you. Many of the representatives in attendance are sent out to recruit and they are looking for good candidates. How you present yourself matters. Picking out an outfit that represents you well, makes you feel confident, and is appropriate for the occasion is a good first step in an introduction. At every table you visit you’ll have the opportunity to present an “elevator pitch” covering all the relevant information about yourself that showcases your skill set. Practicing this speech beforehand is recommended so that you can make revisions and memorize the short piece. Finally, after you’ve introduced yourself, you’ll want to allow them to introduce themselves and who they are representing. Having questions prepared to ask will show them that you have a strong interest in and care for what they have to share. 

Make a Lasting Impression

If you’ve followed all of this advice up until this point you are on a path to success. However, the people you meet are also feeling overwhelmed with how many students they met at the event and it’s important that you stand out among the rest. Bring a notebook with a pen to write down any new information you gather such as contact information, salaries, meeting dates, location, position descriptions, etc. Using a notebook instead of your phone shows the representatives that you are engaged and interested. Creating an updated resume that is specific to the event and leaving it with those who you talk to is a sure way to be remembered. Lastly, make sure to connect or follow up with the representatives after the event.  Visit the Missouri State Career Center resume-review drop-in hours for more guidance.

Takeaways

Preparing for these events ahead of time allows students to walk in with confidence and leave feeling assured that they got the most out of the experience. In your planning stage for a career/organization fair, consider visiting the Center for Academic Success and Transition office to meet with a Peer Mentor or a Success Coach. You can request to meet or stop by during drop-in hours. (Drop-in hours change every semester; see the Student Academic Assistance page for this semester’s hours.)

 

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, and I am a senior studying special needs education. Fun fact: I’ve read over 15 books this year!)

The Power of Active Learning (Fall 2024, Week 4)

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Welcome back bears! I hope the first weeks back at school have treated you well and that you’re starting to find a rhythm in your classes. As a university, we are at a point in the academic schedule where test materials, essay drafts, and project assignments are starting to be assigned for the weeks ahead. We have several blog posts from previous semesters that cover these topics (Finals / Test Taking and Study Tips) but I wanted to write about strategies for engaging in the college classroom before the midterm point. Engagement is achieved through both active listening and learning in the classroom so the terms have been used interchangeably in this post. 

What are Practical Ways I Can Start Actively Listening?

I wanted to break down three practical steps you can apply to your learning this week:

  1. Participate in class discussions. If you find that your instructor relies heavily on discussions and breakout groups then you can start prepping before class with the provided materials if you were assigned a reading the week before to analyze it and create discussion questions to share with your group or to carry the conversation with an instructor. 
  2.  Ask your instructor questions. Arriving early to class, staying after, or utilizing office hours shouldn’t feel like an intrusion because they are there for you to succeed. If something isn’t making sense, you want to seek clarification on an assignment or a grade. If you have school/career-related questions, take advantage of the opportunity to ask an expert—your instructor!
  3.  Follow along at the pace of the course. Attending each class and following along with lecture notes and assignments will keep you on track making it easier to listen. If you fall behind or skip a class period you’ll be playing catch up as opposed to coming in prepared to learn new material. 

How Engaging In The Classroom Will Impact You Outside The Classroom

Each of the actions I listed will push you as a student to become more academically driven as you grow more comfortable in these practices. Connecting with classmates and instructors is a networking technique that will advance your career opportunities. In addition, practicing now will set you up for success in the post-grad world where collaborating with others and participating in discussion is the expectation. Lastly, active listening is a key component in relationships of all kinds.

Takeaways

Active learning is not something that will come easily especially if it’s not already a common practice for you but starting somewhere is important. I challenge you to try one of the tips I listed to listen in the classroom and see if you note any differences. I hope that this blog post served as a motivation to put your best foot forward and take charge of your education. If you want more advice on what success in the classroom looks like, the Center for Academic Success and Transition Success Coaches and Peer Mentors would be a great resource to contact. 

 

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, and I am a senior studying special needs education. Fun fact: I’ve read over 15 books this year!)

Planning for Success During Finals Week (Spring 2024, Week 16)

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Welcome back to another blog, Missouri State Bears! This week marks the last week of the spring semester with finals following. Each semester has looked different for me depending on my final schedule and I have found that to be true for other students as well. In this blog, I wanted to discuss what a finals week can look like and ideas to implement throughout the week. 

 

Start of the Week

At the start of the week, I would advise all students to create a schedule of finals, studying times, planned breaks, and other activities. Having a plan at the start of the week will hold you accountable and keep you on track to success. All professors will communicate when the class final or project is due and this will help create a timeline of what courses will need to be prioritized before others. Once you have an agenda of when finals will be tested and when projects and papers are due you can create a study schedule and implement brain breaks. I have found this to be an extremely helpful practice because you can ensure that you study in even increments of time and take fair amounts of breaks. 

 

Middle of the Week

At midweek you may have already taken a final or you may be on your last day of preparation before heading into one. If you have already taken one or many, pat yourself on the back and take a moment to reflect. Reflecting on all of your hard work and what you took away from the course will aid you in your next endeavors. If you are still preparing for finals that take place at the end of the week, remember to look back at your schedule of studying. Looking back at what you wrote at the start of the week will allow you to see if you have stayed on track with what you planned to achieve by this point. 

 

End of the Week

You made it! You completed a semester of hard work that you should be proud of and celebrate. I hope that everyone has great success during finals week, but I also know that finals week can be a hard week with final grades being determined. Regardless of your results at the end of the semester, if you feel that you would benefit from meeting with someone to discuss your options, joys, or concerns you should consider the Center for Academic Succes and Transition. Success Coaches and Peer Mentors are available to meet with students through request or drop-in hours. (Drop-in hours change every semester; see the Student Academic Assistance page for this semester’s hours.) Come by and see us in Meyer Library 116 if you need help or have a question!  

 

Takeaways 

If preparation is completed beforehand, finals week does not have to be a week to be afraid of. Before next week, write out all of your end-of-semester requirements and deadlines, plan study times, and plan brain breaks. Stay strong throughout the week utilizing the resources offered at Missouri State University including meeting with a Success Coach or Peer Mentor. Good luck!

 

~Aubrey

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

To Take or Not to Take: Navigating Summer Courses (Spring 2024, Week 12)

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Hello again, Bears! We have reached the time of the semester where many students are planning out their schedules and preparing to register for their fall courses. The spring registration sequence is unique, however, because along with the fall semester, you can also register for summer courses. Whether or not you should take a summer class can depend on many factors, and it’s important to weigh both the pros and cons. As we approach registration, I thought that I would use my post for this week to discuss summer courses with you as a student who has taken multiple summer courses in the past.  

Pros

Saving Time

Taking a summer course or two is one of the best ways to progress in your degree at a quicker rate. Or, in some instances, you may prefer to take fewer courses during the fall/spring semester and take a couple of summer classes to continue making solid progress towards your degree completion. In many cases, you can take the same three credit course over the summer in a shortened time frame compared to the full 16 weeks in a regular semester. The ability to complete a couple of required classes over the span of just four to eight weeks is very convenient, and many students enjoy having the opportunity to do so over the summer when student lives may be less busy than usual.  

Flexibility

A majority of summer courses through the Missouri State campus are offered online, which provides a great deal of flexibility to students wanting to take them. Online courses are convenient for many reasons, but the students who prefer them mostly praise that they can be taken from anywhere. If you aren’t close to Springfield during the summer, you still have the opportunity to take a summer class or two and complete a few credits. Most of these classes are also asynchronous, meaning that you complete the coursework on your own time. Asynchronous learning is also convenient if you work or have other commitments that don’t allow you to meet for class at a specific time.  

Cons

Intensity

While the flexible nature of summer courses makes them appealing to many students, the shortened time frame in which the summer semester takes place often makes these courses more intense of a workload. Most of the time, a full 16 week course is being shortened into a time period of just four to eight weeks. A lot of students can find this change intimidating, along with the impersonality of an online class. It can also be more difficult to succeed in a course if your environment changes over the summer, and you don’t have space to dedicate to your studies. Whether or not you are a student that might be impacted by this difference, it is important to consider this when deciding if you should take a summer class.  

Losing Time

Summer classes can help you make progress faster, but it’s also important to keep in mind the time commitment that taking a class adds to your life. If you are pursuing a challenging internship over the summer, or you work, have vacation plans, or other larger time commitments, finding time to complete summer course work adequately can be difficult. If you want to take a class or two over the summer, you want to be sure that you will have enough time to devote to classwork. Even though the courses are shorter in time, the more intense workload means that students have to dedicate more time to their studies.  

Takeaways

As you prepare for registration, I hope that these pros and cons help you better weigh whether or not a summer course is for you. As a student who has taken summer courses in the past, I loved the flexibility and shorter time frame, but I also felt slightly intimidated by their intensity and time commitment. If you are having a hard time deciding if you should take a summer class, you have many resources available to you. Consider reaching out to your academic advisor, or visiting our Peer Mentors and Success Coaches here in the CAST office. I hope that you continue to have a great semester, and I wish you the best of luck with registration! 

~Hallie 

(Bio: I am a junior out-of-state student studying Creative Writing and Philosophy.)