Author: smithwj17

• So, you’re a freshman here at Grove City College. How’s everything going, is the school living up to your expectations or what other people told you it would be like?

Yes. Everything is pretty good, classes are tough, but I’m learning a lot and the community is accepting and warm. All the students I have met thus far are really nice.

• What’s your major and what dorm are you in?

I am a mechanical engineer and I am in Hicks dormitory (the one attached to the dining hall).

• Could you talk a little about dorm life in Hicks?

Its chaotic, energetic, and very entertaining. People are always in your room to talk or play video games. I love how it is common for people to invite themselves over whenever – as long as no one is napping, the door is open!

• Grove City is known for a lot of things, most notably it’s beautiful campus, awesome cost-value ratio, and its challenging curriculum. What most attracted you to the school?

The location: the seclusion and the weather are cool. But you’re not to far from the big city Pittsburgh. It is only 45 minutes so freshmen can always get rides from upperclassmen if they need a taste of the outside world for an afternoon. On top of that, it was also awesome for me to have the opportunity to play lacrosse on a brand new team. This past spring Grove City added men’s lacrosse to their varsity roster and I am beyond excited to be able to play with them soon.

• How many other colleges did you look at? And did you want a small school, a Christian school or anything specific? 

The smaller class size was good and the price was cheaper than some of the other colleges I looked at. Those were the main aspects. I knew I needed to be more than just a face in the crowd to my professors and Grove City certainly offers that. I am not in any large classes so my professors know me by name and they show effort in getting to know my personality to better serve my academic talents. The tuition, like I said before, was a huge fact as well. If you do your research when looking at schools, you will get a feel for the differences in cost and quality. Grove City was both for me.

• Out of all the colleges you looked at, what made you choose Grove City; did Grove City have something to offer more than other colleges that you wanted or was it simply where you felt the most called?

More personalized education, and a safer community were important to me and I felt Grove City offered that more than the other schools I looked at.

• Alright, we’ve talked extensively about the Grove, now lets jump into some more general questions. What is the biggest difference for you from high school and living at home, to living in a different state in a dorm?

More responsibility; you are busier but you also have more free time. This free time has to be spent wisely. It is incredibly tempting to hang out with friends or watch Netflix instead of studying; however, with freedom comes consequences for poor decisions. Not studying = lower academic performance. I have come to learn how to balance work with play while away at school. I hope my mom is proud.

• What is the most enjoyable thing about college life?

Constant interaction and there is so much variety in terms of what people are doing and what you can get involved in. The Student Union is always covered in posters for different clubs, campus events, mission trips, and classes to participate in. There is never a dull day on Grove City’s campus.

• If you could go back to your freshman year and offer one piece of advice to your senior high school self and to all the other high school seniors out there, what would it be?

Don’t worry so much about college, because it is not as scary as you think it is. There is a huge support system here that I have no idea why I was so worried in the first place! Between my Resident Assistants, professors, and Orientation Board members I have a lot of people to turn to with my small and big problems.