Grand Valley State University Top Questions

Grand Valley has given me a hands-on, practical education in Engineering. The upper level professors are genuinely interested in students' success, and I owe much of my own personal growth to a few select professors. I have learned both the theoretical background such as advanced mathematics and thermodynamics and also have had stong hands-on learning though group projects and laboratories. Not only did these group projects reinforce the theoretical knowledge, but has helped prepare me for real life project management and working as a team. I have learned that a good engineer will have to have the theoretical background, but will also have to have the 'soft skills' and be familiar with the politics of working with a team. Grand Valley purposefully creates academic situations which simulate real life situations and prepares students to excel in their field. Grand Valley also requires a minimum of three semesters of internships with real companies in the area before graduation as well as an in-depth senior project for a local company, which I am looking forward to in a few months. I strongly believe that my personal sucess at my current internship is due to the solid curriculum at GVSU.

So far, I have learned so much information that I never imagined myself learning. I took a few electives that I wanted to take and figured out what I want to do in my life. I met so many new people and made great friends. I have members of the faculty that I know I can always count on. There are always fun activities to do on campus and I love it here.

It was a warm day in August—my second day of college, and I hadn’t touched a soccer ball in three months. My body ached to get back into the game, so when my friend asked if I wanted to go play soccer, I excitedly said yes. As we approached the dome, I realized we would be playing on Astroturf, something that I was familiar with from playing soccer games throughout my life. However, the more we played the more I wished I could be outside; instead, I was running on concrete. After we had played for a while, someone accidentally passed the ball over my head, and as I quickly turned around after it, I felt my knee pop. I collapsed. My leg was locked into place and my friends helped me off the field. The pop was so loud my friends urged me to get an MRI right away. The next day as I crutched into Freshmen Orientation, my doctor called to inform me that I had torn my ACL and meniscus. Through this experence I leared how to be on my own and take care of myself where before my parents had always helped me everything.

From my college experience so far, I have learned to get along with and interact with people of a variety of ages, races, religions, and social statuses. I have learned how to get to know complete strangers and how to communicate well with others. I have learned to consider the views of others and become well informed about the subject at hand before making any judgments or decisions of my own. Also, I have learned how to use various resources and problem solving techniques to approach different problems and challenges in my life as well as in my schoolwork. It has been very valuable for me to attend college because I can apply my knowledge and experience in the future, at home, at work, and even in school. I hope that my experience at Grand Valley State University helps me develop into the person that I aspire to be; a hard-working, honest accountant, a respectful young woman, a loving wife and mother, and an asset to my community.

By attending Grand Valley State University I have gained a better understanding of who I am and what I want out of life. After my sophomore year I planned on transferring school because I felt as though I didn't fit in here. I then realized that college wasn't completely about fitting in, it's about finding a few friends that will be with you the rest of your life and then working hard to accomplish the goals you have for yourself. After contemplating switching majors i realized that doing the one thing I loved, even though it took a ton of effort and lost sleep, was so much better than an easy major that I would hate the rest of my life. I have gained the knowledge that whatever I do in life I have to work at with all my heart and I have to love what I'm doing. If I follow both of these rules, even if I'm not successful by worldly standards, I will be the version of successful that matters to me, being happy while doing what I love.

My experience at college has been lifechanging. The people I've met and wonderful friends I've made during my first semester here will continue to have a truly positive impact on my future. The entire outlook on life and my priorities have been completely revamped because of the experiences I have had at college. I can say that I am much more focused, diligent, determined, and resolute than I was before attending my university. Never before had I felt such passion to seek programs that would help me to develop my skills as a leader and to serve my community. I am currently working to raise money for Canine Companions for Independence. This previous year my fraternity raised $12,000 in funds for the Chicago-based organization and we are working very hard to raise $16,000 this year. I am proud of who I am, moreso than I ever had been in the past. Attending a university has changed me in so many ways, and I couldn't have chosen a better school to attend. I am wholeheartedly excited to see where my future takes me and what great success I will achieve with my newfound ambitions.

I have only been in college a little longer than a semester and already I can tell that in order to get ahead in life you need to be dedicated and willing to work hard. Unless you are a genius or a super athlete nobody is going to just hand you a fat paycheck and great job security. College is where a student can make themself more competitive in the job market by expanding their arsenal of life and specialized skills. Not everybody is as fortunate as I am to be writing this in a dorm room at a pretty respectable institution and I understand that what I have is a blessing. Any financial aid will help me continue on my journey to a degree in mechanical engineering. Engineers are all about solving problems to make life a little bit easier for the rest of the world, so if the world could help me out a bit in a time of need, I would be more than happy to dedicate my life to engineering a brighter future.

I will have several job offfers when I graduate.

College has been a great value to me because I have learned skills that have helped me in daily life. I learned how to think outside the "box" and solve problems in more creative ways. There is more than one solution even when things seem darkest. Right now, as I prepare to transfer to a 4 year university, I am struggling with finding the money to stay in school. My college experience has prepared me for the real world far more than any other obstacle in life.

I just started here at Clark College and so far I really like going to this college, the people here are extremely helpfull and positive people. I don't think I've ever been around so many positive people . the campus is on a 100 acres and the lay out of the school is very well designed. All the teacher's are very smart and very helpfull. I think it has been valuable for me to attend, so I can keep getting my education and meeting new people of all ages. To be honest it's like a hole differt world.