A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

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.) 

 

Managing Homesickness (Fall 2022, Week 6)

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Welcome back to the blog everyone. It’s literally only been a week but who’s counting, certainly not me. This week I chose a topic that is really special to me and has become increasingly persistent in my life these past few weeks. If you have read the blog post before, I always list information about myself and my family at the end of each post. My family is a big part of my life because without them I wouldn’t have the motivation to continue my education or even want to learn new things. I’m extremely close to my family members and these past two weeks have been hard because my younger brother is turning eleven and my younger sister is having a hard time adapting to her new fourth-grade class.  

Drawing from these experiences, I’ve created a list of things that I do to manage my homesickness and keep myself grounded and looking forward to graduation.  

Managing Homesickness 

Call your family or friends 

It might be hard at first but keeping in contact with the people that you care about can really make you feel better. You shouldn’t cut yourself off from talking to others but make more of an effort to stay connected with everyone. You can start to feel more alone if you don’t put in the effort to maintain the relationships that you have. So, call, text, or even email your parents, siblings, or friends as much as you can.  

Do the things that make you happy  

College is no fun if you can’t continue to do the things that make you happy or smile. You can think about your family and care about what happens outside of class, but you have to prioritize yourself. I’m at my best when I’m able to express myself and do the things that I like.  

Let your emotions out  

It’s better to get your emotions out than to keep them in because at some point you’ll just explode. It’s okay to cry, scream into a pillow or journal about how you feel. You hurt yourself more emotionally and cause yourself stress when things remain pent up.  

Stay productive and busy  

Distracting yourself with your classes and even a job (if you have one) can help your mind not to wander. You chose to come to Missouri State for a reason so keeping your goals in mind can help you to stay grounded. You can eliminate stress and work in a way that gives you more time to do what you want or take naps.  

Give yourself something to look forward to  

It always helps to bring yourself some happiness whether that is your favorite food or some new clothes you ordered. This can be a form of reward for yourself and can keep your mood elevated as you go through the semester.  

Self-Care 

One of the best things to do from this list is self-care because you’re the one that’s experiencing homesickness. Self-care is all about keeping yourself healthy so you shouldn’t avoid it but welcome it into your routine. For example, take relaxing baths or even put on a face mask to end the night. Self-care can eliminate things like stress or depression while increasing happiness and improving your energy.  

Takeaways  

I realized after being a student for so long just how important it is for me to stay happy because the world doesn’t look the same when I’m not. I love my family and how they support me and want what’s best for me. The connections I have with my family and friends help me to be a better version of myself. Homesickness can come out of nowhere or just be at the forefront of your mind for weeks but doing things like this helps me to become more aware of myself and just how much I can handle in order to reach my goals. Being a big sister, daughter, cousin or friend is always going to bring some challenges, and managing homesickness is just one of those challenges.   

I’ll leave you with this quote by Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care:  

“MAYBE YOU HAD TO LEAVE IN ORDER TO REALLY MISS A PLACE; MAYBE YOU HAD TO TRAVEL TO FIGURE OUT HOW BELOVED YOUR STARTING POINT WAS.” 

~ 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.)

Backpack Essentials (Fall 2022, Week 5)

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Hello fellow Bears and welcome back to the blog, I really can’t believe that it’s already the fifth week of school. However, I’m starting to get used to my schedule as the days go by and I’m enjoying the new amenities that have been added to the campus. Even though this is my fifth year as a student at Missouri State I’m always changing the way that I do things or just what I carry along with me. I always have my backpack with me because I’m usually going to work, classes, or prepping to study somewhere. For this specific blog post, I wanted to share my backpack essentials and why I carry those items. 

Backpack Essentials

Loose Leaf paper

You never know when you need to write down some information or just if you want to take some time to doodle to relieve some stress. 

Pencil Case

My pencil case holds my writing utensils, paper clips, sharpener, and calculator. Being a student means that you should always have something to write with so having my pencil case handy helps keep me on track.  

Planner

If you use a planner, you’ll definitely want to carry one with you around campus, so that you can update it and check your upcoming assignments whenever you need to. If you don’t use a planner already, you should! Planners help you stay organized, help make sure you won’t forget something important, help you stay motivated, and can reduce stress. I wasn’t really a planner person to begin with but the semester can get a little crazy so I opted to get one. If you need a planner, stop by the CAST office at Meyer Library 116 for a free planner.

Mini First Aid Kit

Accidents can happen anytime but I also can be a little clumsy, so I like to keep a first aid kit in my backpack. The kit has cleansing wipes, band-aids, and gauze just in case something pops up. Tons of people get paper cuts, blisters, and all sorts of little injuries so I like having the kit to not only help myself but potentially other people. 

Toiletries

Walking around campus can make you really hot and uncomfortable so I make sure to keep extra products in my bag like deodorant, lotion, gum, and a light perfume. You won’t believe how having things like this can really change your life because anything can happen

Lysol Wipes

I haven’t completely let my guard down in relation to the pandemic so I wipe down surfaces that I use at work and sometimes where I sit in my classes. Even if the pandemic didn’t happen this is always a good item to have just to get rid of germs and make you feel safer in particular spaces. 

Hand Sanitizer

I quickly realized that I touch a lot of surfaces on campus and just to keep myself safe and healthy, my hand sanitizer travels with me.  

Headache Medication

Being a college student does bring occasional stress, so I like to keep headache medicine in my bag just in case I get a migraine. 

Water Bottle

It helps to stay hydrated and just have access to your own drinks so carrying a water bottle is a great essential, especially for long commutes around campus. The campus is equipped with traditional water fountains and water bottle filling stations so getting a drink around campus is easier. 

Takeaways 

One thing that I’ve learned throughout the past year is that you can’t always be ready for everything, but it doesn’t hurt to have access to a few things. My backpack essentials are definitely going to be different in comparison to someone else but it’s always good to share just in case you want to add something to your bag to make life easier. All of the essentials that I carry have been used in some capacity, so I’ll continue to carry them throughout the semester.  

I’m going to leave you with this quote by Israelmore Ayivor: 

“Preparation is the key to leadership success. The more prepared you are the less your struggle…” 

~ 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.)