Michigan State University Top Questions

I've become a well rounded individual as a result of my college experience. Not only have I recieved academic support but I have had the opportunities to explore jobs that are flexible and professional. The positions I had during college made me further realize my strengths (and weaknesses) and helped me develop a strong set of skills that have prepared me for life after college.

I knew for three of the four years in high school that college would be the best time of my life. I didn't know why exactly but I knew it would be. Looking back at the three years spent at Michigan State University so many areas of life that I have grown in and learned in really shine through. They hold lessons learned, knowledge gained, friends made and friends lost. In addition to the double major that the University knows I have, through living the rest of my life I've picked up nearly a dozen unofficial minors, most of which apply to living life in the real world. I am completely thankful for what college has brought me and I will continue to embrace the time I have left to bring me many similar lessons.

I have not yet experienced College, i just graduated High School and will be starting my Freshman year in the Fall of 2010 at MSU. I do think it'll be the people I meet and how I will have to challange myself in the long run in studies, and situations in which I will find myself, and knowing what the correction answer is to my problems without causing more for myself. I know that being an indiviual is going to be the hardest thing while at a university of 45,000 students - not including staff and campus workers that are non students. Overall, Indivuiduality will be the most valued and I believe that I will completely establish myself as a person in this first year and for the rest of my life. It takes forever to build who you are, and you can ruin it in one night, and that just isn't for me.

I have gotten a lot out of my college education so far. I have learned that high school can not prepare you for all the obstacles you are going to face in college. No matter how many Advance Placement or College Prep courses you take, its still not enough. College is not just about studying the material and making the grade. You have to understand what your learning and you must be able to apply it. What you learn in college and what you take away from it is your choice. The professors don’t tell you what is going to be important in life that is your choice. I have also learned that getting a high grade is not that important. A grade is a grade and that is all it will ever be, but the knowledge that you learn will be the power you need for life.

My college experience has so far demonstrated to me that my learning style and plan is up to me. Although I see many people who are solely motivated by doing anything in their power for the highest grade possible, I have taken it upon myself to focus on enjoying the learning experience and trying my hardest on each assignment. This allows me to learn for the long run, rather than what I observe my friends doing, which appears a lot like watching a person very quickly tear open a present so the surprise and splendor of the gift is ruined in a matter of seconds. I am very grateful that I have found several people on campus who think like me. Together, my several friends and I strive to live balanced lives that include exercize and study. If too many eggs are placed in one basket, I have noticed in other students that things quickly spiral out of control (i.e.: partying is not a good habit to start or maintain). I try to remind myself how fortunate I am to receive an education and that there are people elsewhere who would give anything for an educational experience like mine.

Attending a college has shown me how too much freedom can be bad for a student. When in highschool, there would always be someone looking after you, and helping you to get back in track, but once in college, the professors dont care weather you do good or bad in class. Students have too much freedom in classes, meaning they can do what ever they want to, and no one is going to bug them out anymore, which can be a very bad thing for a college freshman.

My experience at Michigan State University is nothing like what I expected it to be: it's been so much more. As a high school senior, I had no intention of considering MSU. However, I decided to visit, and I knew within minutes that I could easily call this my home for the next four years. My college experience thus far has exposed me to so many people from all walks of life: racially, culturally, physically, academically...I've interacted with and learned about more people than I had ever encountered in my life up until this point. In this respect, I feel that attending Michigan State University, with such a diverse student body, has really opened my eyes and enabled me to embrace the differences among us. The other aspect of MSU that swept me off my feet was the overwhelming school spirit that is evident in classrooms, stores in town, in the dorms: everyone "Bleeds Green" in East Lansing. There is this indescribable connection that you feel with anyone in MSU apparel, and just knowing that wherever you are, you can yell, "Go Green!" and somebody will proudly respond, "Go White!" It's the Spartan way of life.

I grew up in a small school district. I graduated with 200 students and everyone seemed to think the same. My first year at Michigan State I came across someone selling a newspaper that was very contraversial. It would have never been allowed or accepted where I grew up. That was oneof many times that I encountered situations where differences were acceptable, even encouraged. I have learned about the world, diversity, and acceptance at Michiagn State. This is not something that can be taught in a classroom - you have to live within it to understand it. I feel that my college offered me valuable experiences in diversity and cultures that will make me a better citizen when I leave the college. My world went from very small to very big in a matter of months just by encountering new people, differenct cultures and a diverse group of people, learners, and eduators.

College over the passed year has completely changed my perspective on life, and what it has to offer. I attended a community college for 3 years that felt like an extension of high school, and I just went through the motions. Last year I was accepted to Michigan State University, and feel I have found my calling. I am finding and connecting the tools of Electrical Engineering to real life applications that truly intrigue me. I must admit that a lot of this motivation comes from the cost of secondary education, and the fact that if I am to earn a degree I must come up with the money. Working full time in the summer and 25 hours a week during a full load of school is very challenging. I have come to the realization that if I am going to spend my hard earned money I am going to get everything I can out of my studies. My intent now is to receive loans and be able to end my job to focus all my energy on school, and to get the full affect of college life and all its attributes.

I have learned how to be a much more openminded person. In the past I was sheltered culturally and, though I did not hate anyone, had suffered from not understanding other points of view as much as I wanted to do. Additionally I have learned to think critically about everything I believe. There were some things I did not question when I was younger, but college has taught me that asking questions is not only healthy, but in fact absolutely indispensable for becoming a mature adult. I have learned how to budget my time so that I can make sure to spend time with the people I love, let loose and have fun, go to my classes and get all of my work done, exercise, and still sleep and eat every once in a while. Without my college experience I would not have had the opportunity to live with a Spanish-speaking family in Ecuador for a whole semester, climb the Andes while talking about women's issues and culture with other students, or see the soaring of the human spirit through all trials. In short, without college, I would be only a fraction of the whole I am.