A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Success Coach Introduction – Part 4 (Spring 2024, Week 12)

April 3, 2024 by CAST

Hello everyone, my name is Hanes Koshy, and I am a Peer Mentor in the Center for Academic Success and Transition office. I’m here with the fourth post to continue our series on introducing Success Coaches.

So, let’s meet some of our extraordinary Success Coaches ready to guide you through your academic journey!

Shahriyar Khan

First up, we have Shahriyar, a dedicated Project Management student at MSU. He chose MSU for its perfect blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life.

Shahriyar’s top tip for first-generation college students is simple yet powerful: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” When asked what the strangest item in his backpack was, he replied “cricket ball,” adding a unique touch to his essentials. Why should you seek guidance from Success Coaches like Shahriyar? Because he believes it “helps you unlock your full potential.” If Shahriyar were a brand his slogan would be “Dare to be rare,” encouraging us to embrace our unique selves.

Lucy Vo

Next, we have Lucy Vo, another Project Management enthusiast whose path to MSU was guided by destiny.

Her advice to first-generation college students was “Give yourself some time to adjust to the new environment, it will get better over time. All the effort you are putting in right now will be worth it!” The strangest thing in her backpack was her gym shorts because she knew she wouldn’t be using them after work. Why should you connect with Lucy or Success Coaches like her? Her reply was “If I were a freshman, I would want to hear all the tips and tricks to get through this journey.” Now if you are wondering what her personal brand slogan would be it would be “Be bold or regret when you’re old.”

Joseph Dill

Lastly, we have Joseph Dill, pursuing a Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He was drawn to MSU by the common ground he found with the Department Head’s interests and career path.

Joseph’s tip to first-generation college students is straightforward: “Don’t hesitate to ask for help.” Among the strangest things in his backpack was his daughter’s X-shaped toy. When asked why people should meet with Success Coaches, Joseph replied, “We’re in a unique position to connect with them on a personal level.” His personal brand slogan? “Keep Going!”

Fellow Bears let’s dare to be rare and keep going because if we aren’t bold, we’ll regret it when we are old.

~Hanes

(Bio: My name is Hanes Koshy, a junior majoring in Psychology and Religious Studies, Fun Fact: I am trilingual)

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

April 1, 2024 by Hallie J. Haggard

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.)

Weighing the Pros and Cons (Spring 2024, Week 10)

March 19, 2024 by Aubrey A. Hardy

Welcome back Missouri State Bears! Spring Break is over and the end of the second semester is in sight. With that comes registration for classes, post-graduation plans, summer job applications, and more decisions that oftentimes can take a lot of thought. Recently I’ve been faced with a lot of decision-making opportunities and I’ve learned a few things along the way that I wanted to share with you all.

First, Gather all of the Information

When a decision is first presented it can be easy to become overwhelmed with all the known and unknown possibilities. If you can compile all important information into one organized space it will help in the next steps. You’ll want to find the benefits, drawbacks, time, place, people, price, or anything else relevant. With my most recent decision, I found this to be helpful because it helped me better formulate a case for both sides when presenting it to my peers and family. That leads me to my next step…

Talk it Out

Find who knows you best and ask them to weigh in with their opinion. Assuming this decision will be big enough to affect other decisions, you’ll want trustworthy input before anything else. I have found that often when talking it out you discover what it is you truly want and the answer is there for you. If that isn’t the case your community is right there to pour wisdom or guidance out for your choosing. It could be that these influences share a point you had yet to think of which can be helpful or a setback.

If you need additional support or just a new outlook, the Center for Academic Success and Transition office has Peer Mentors and Success Coaches available for you to meet with through drop-in hours (Spring 2024: Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.) or request online.

Enter Your Evaluation Period

There is nothing wrong with taking time to think over a decision before making it. I would argue it is better and professional to take considerable time to weigh in on your choices. Once you have all of the information and have talked it out, do something that relaxes you and calms the mind. For me, this looks like going on walks or journaling in the colder months. Both are exercises that allow me to dump all my thoughts and isolate them into a session of evaluation. I encourage you to be flexible with this time as it could take a much shorter time than anticipated or longer. Once you feel that you’ve come to a decision, give yourself a pat on the back and lead confidently with the choice.

Take Action

If anyone else is involved in the decision, let them know your choice and thank them for the time they allowed you to think about it. I also find it important to go back and thank any of the individuals who helped me decide with an update on what I decided.

Takeaway

For many at the university level, we are entering a season of decision-making and it can be a stressful time but it doesn’t need to be. Gather all information given, bring in your community (or a peer mentor!), evaluate in solitude, and take action. Best of luck with all of the decisions you’ll soon be making!

~Aubrey

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

Campus Safety Features (Spring 2024, Week 8)

March 4, 2024 by Hallie J. Haggard

Hello again, Bears! Welcome back to another blog post. This week, I wanted to discuss a resource that I think every student should be aware of. Have you ever spotted a tall red pole with a light on the top during your walks around campus, or received a Missouri State Alert on your phone? These features and many more come from the University Safety Office. As a student, you have all of the services listed here available to keep you safe while you are on campus, and you should absolutely know about them in case you ever encounter an emergency or unsafe situation.

Blue Light Telephones

Remember those tall red poles with a light on the top that I mentioned a few sentences ago? Those happen to be one of my favorite safety features on campus. You have most likely seen one or several of these telephone poles any time that you’ve walked around campus. These poles, while they may appear unassuming, can provide essential help during an emergency situation. If you ever encounter an emergency or feel unsafe on campus, you can press the emergency button on the pole to activate the blue light at the top and immediately be connected to a dispatcher that is familiar with campus and can view your location via security cameras. University Safety also has a blue light telephone map of where all of the blue light telephone poles on campus are located on their website.

Safe Walk

This is yet another great safety service available to you as a student. Safe Walk is an on-campus walking service that is available at any given time if you need an escort to walk with you from one location to another. University Safety works incredibly hard to keep our campus safe at all times, but this service is especially great if you are studying or on campus late at night and feel unsafe walking back to your car or residence hall. To receive this service, you can call 417-836-5509, and a campus safety specialist will be dispatched to you.

Missouri State Alert

Out of the three services listed here, Missouri State Alert is the one that you might be the most familiar with, considering that every student and faculty member is automatically enrolled in Missouri State Alert by being present on campus. If you ever receive a Missouri State Alert, whether on your phone or through email, it’s very important that you pay attention to these messages, as they usually detail university closings or potential emergencies that you need to be aware of. If you would like, you can manage your preferences for how you receive Missouri State alerts by visiting the Missouri State Alert page on the University Safety website.

Takeaways

Along with the services listed here, University Safety is an incredible resource that offers many other services to you. If you would like to learn more about all of the services available or how you can contact University Safety, the University Safety page on the Missouri State website contains all of this information and more.

Our Peer Mentors and Success Coaches here in the CAST office can also help direct you to any on-campus resources that you might be interested in learning more about. Consider visiting us during our drop-in hours (Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.) or requesting a meeting online. As you complete your midterms and get ready for Spring Break, I hope that you have a strong and satisfying finish to the first half of your semester!

~Hallie

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

Success Coach Introduction – Part 3 (Spring 2024, Week 7)

March 1, 2024 by CAST

Hello everyone, my name is Melyssa Hernandez and I am a Peer Mentor in the Center for Academic Success and Transition. I’m here with the third post to continue our series in introducing the Success Coaches.

Taylor Duke

I would like to introduce our Success Coach Taylor Duke. She is studying to get her Masters in Science in Mental Health Counseling. When I asked her why she chose Missouri State she responded saying she was from Springfield and knew a lot of people going to MSU.

One tip that she had for First-generation students was to not be afraid to ask questions! I think this is a great tip because students can be afraid to ask questions or ask for assistance. Faculty and staff are here to support you in all of your endeavors. Missouri State has a lot of great resources on campus to gain new information. One great resource to utilize would be a Success Coach! Taylor shared that a Success Coach is great to have someone there for you. They provide assistance and overall a positive effect to support your goals and college experience.

Lastly when I asked Taylor for a personal slogan she said “Life’s what you make it.”

Temiloluwa Adeyemi — Photo by Jesse Scheve/Missouri State University

Temi Adeyemi

Next, I would like to introduce our Success Coach Temi Adeyemi. She is pursuing her Masters in Project Management with a certificate in Data Analysis. When I asked her why she chose Missouri State she shared that the coaching position stood out to her and she wanted to be a part of the student’s success stories. GA positions are great opportunities for personal development but to give back to the students as well.

She also promoted meeting with a Success Coach to gain an accountability partner. This accountability partner is someone in your corner who can help you with many skills including time management and studying tips. She also recommended meeting with a Peer Mentor because they are colleagues that are on the same level as you are. They are able to give you a student’s point of view. She emphasizes expanding your support circle!

Lastly when I asked Temi for a personal slogan she said “Be there. Be present.”

Watch for more posts this semester introducing the rest of our Success Coaches!

~Melyssa

(Bio: My name is Melyssa Hernandez, a junior majoring in Psychology, with a minor in Child Family Development. Fun Fact: I am a triplet!)

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