Category: Campus Life

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When You Have a Significant Other and Your Friends Do Not

I have been with my now-fiancé for almost six years, so we have gone through the majority of high school together and now college as well. My fiancé and I are in the same friend group, we all have the same friends, and we hang out together almost every day. But this can cause some discomfort for our friends since we were the only people dating anyone for a while. It was a big challenge, and it took a lot of conversation and openness with our friends to be able to get to the point that we are at right now. I will be giving you some tips on how to handle this especially as you go into college, which is a big change from high school.

I think the first thing to know is to not be exclusive, but make sure to make time for one another. It is easy to be exclusive at school and just hang out with your significant other for the majority of the time. And do not get me wrong, it is a great thing to be able to hang out and spend quality time with your significant other, but get a good feel for how it is making your friends feel. If you and your significant other are in the same friend group already, then that is a huge bonus because that means you can hang out with your friend groups with your significant other at the same time. This allows you to build relationships with your significant other’s friends while also spending quality time with your significant other.

Also, just open communication with all parties is important. You need to be able to talk freely about the situation and not feel too awkward talking to your friends. Your friends, no matter the gender, will want to spend time with you by yourself, and that is a good thing. It may be hard at first to find the balance that works for your relationship, but being open with your significant other about the expectations you have with spending quality time with your friends will help your relationship with that person and also with your friends.

Coming into college, it is important to not only build your relationship with the person you are dating but also with your friends. It may be challenging, but if you gain one thing from this I want you to learn that open communication will only help you in the long run.

 

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The Spartan Life: Living Arrangements Outside of Greek Groups

At Grove City College, we have a lot of different ways to participate in Greek life. From living in the group to just attending events, Greek life adds a lot of character to our small campus. But sometimes, Greek life just isn’t what every student wants to be a part of. I considered joining a housing group on campus but, after receiving a bid, I realized it wasn’t for me.

 

Grove City College has a unique campus life that prioritizes community more than other, similar colleges. Because of this, Grove City College does not house any national fraternities or sororities; each group that is present on campus only has affiliations here on campus. This helps pursue the goal of community unity because the groups are focused on their immediate surroundings, untied from the regulations and expectations of national groups. The Greek groups on campus are expected to bring the campus community together through numerous events such as dances, games, and food-oriented get-togethers. This provides a very unique and memorable campus life experience at Grove City College.

 

Starting the end of Freshman year, students may rush to join these housing groups for their Sophomore year. But some students may find that the Greek life isn’t for them and there’s nothing wrong with that. You may not be a part of the same experiences that those in these housing groups, fraternities, and sororities have, but your time at Grove City College will be full of similar experiences.

 

Life outside the Greek halls isn’t much different than if you were on the hall. Unlike most colleges, all groups still live in the dorms on campus; there are no frat/sorority houses off campus. You’ll be able to hang out in your friends’ rooms, who may be in a Greek group. You’ll still be able to walk out of your room and see your friends in the halls. You’ll still walk to lunch with them the same way that you would if there were no housing groups.

 

For me, many of the friends I have made through sports or through classes are in different Greek groups on campus. Even though I don’t want to live on a hall with a lot of guys, I still feel that I am able to be a part of their small community on campus. I still have meals with them and hang out in their rooms without feeling pressured to join them.

 

During your sophomore year, you may realize that you are spending a lot of time with your friends who are all in fraternities or sororities. If this is the case, you can always try to join! You’re never locked into a fraternity, sorority, or housing group at Grove City College. It’s up to the group but you can join during whichever year you are currently in!

 

Grove City College’s goal of achieving campus unity is expressed through its student housing arrangements. It doesn’t matter what background you come from, Grove City College has the right college living style for you.

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Prioritizing Education as a Varsity Athlete

Grove City College is an NCAA Division III college, meaning that all student athletes involve themselves in sports because they love it, not due to any financial assistance. But, that’s not to say our athletic teams are bottom of the barrel, either. Among our athletic conference the President’s Athletic Conference, most of our sports consistently place in the top two or three teams at the end of the season. In fact, in 2019, the Women’s Swim team produced the national champion in the 200 yard butterfly, Anne Shirley Dassow.Dassow was soon chosen as Grove City College’s Sportswoman of the year not just because of her athletic achievements, but also her academic achievements. How do the Wolverine athletes continue to perform at such a high level while also earning some of the top grades in their class?

 

There three main ways the culture surrounding Grove City College allows you to succeed as an athlete while also succeeding as a student. First, athletes are provided the opportunity their first semester to get into good study habits through study tables. During study tables, a large group of your team get together and just do homework in the same group. This sets you on the path to good time management and sets the habit of finishing homework in the evenings when nothing is going on around campus.

Second, your coaches help keep you on track. Just like Division I and II schools, there is a minimum GPA requirement to play. Your coaches keep an eye on this and provide you with resources should you require them. Without a good GPA, you can’t play. Our coaches want you to be able to play, but at the end of the day they are more concerned with your academic progress than anything else. That’s one of the benefits of playing sports at the Division III level.

Third, your team provides you with more help than you could ever hope for. You play sports at a DIII college because you love it…and so does the rest of your team. If there is any class you’re struggling in, your team is always there to help.  No other groups on campus has that kind of cross-class reach.

 

Being a Wolverine is awesome…but it’s hard. Unlike DI and DII schools, Grove City College cares about your academic success than anything else; you’re not just a source of revenue for them. When you first begin your collegiate athletic career, your team is your number one tool for success as a new student at Grove City College.

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What to Know About Hicks Hall and Memorial Hall

There are two men’s freshmen dorms on campus, Hicks and Memorial Halls. There are many pros and cons to each of these dorms, and before you have to choose your rooms, I will help you out in deciding which dorm to pick. My freshman year, back in 2018, I lived in Hicks, so I might be a little biased. But a lot of my best friends lived in Memorial, so I see the charm in Memorial Hall as well.

Memorial Hall

Memorial is no doubt the “nicer” of the two, depending on how you look at it. There is carpet in the hallways, and it definitely is a little bit more comfortable which makes it the more popular choice. There are a lot of perks to living in Memorial–you have a nicer living space, there is a nice green space out front, and the lounges in the building are nice and open so they are a great space to hang out with friends. However, you are a little farther away from the academic buildings and the dining halls which can be a con when you have to walk to dinner in the Grove City winters.

Hicks Hall

Hicks breeds men. At least, that is what my friends and I freshman year would tell ourselves. Hicks is not as cozy as Memorial. There is no carpet, except in the lounges. However, there is upgraded furniture in the lounges in Hicks which is a big plus. The rooms are generally the same size in both buildings which makes the decisions a little tricky. Also, Hicks is much closer to all of the academic buildings on campus, and you live right above the cafeteria, which at times is amazing but other times can be a nuisance because your room might start smelling like onions or whatever they are making that day downstairs. To the naked eye, Hicks might be the worse residence hall, but there are plenty of perks to living in Hicks that will make you want to live there.

Both of these residence halls have many perks, and there is not a wrong choice when you are picking where to live. You will find a great community no matter where you decide to live. But, if you want my opinion, I would lean towards Hicks, but Memorial is great as well.

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Inside Wolverine Athletics Podcast: Coach Chelle Fuss

In this week’s episode of Inside the Wolverine Den, we dive deeper into the topic of what it means to be a coach. Our guest, coach Chelle Fuss, talks about her experience as the Grove City College Women’s Basketball head coach. Coach Fuss covers a variety of topics from different types of coaching to the difficulties of being a Christian coach and what it is like for her athletes. You will not want to miss this one.

Inside The Wolverine Den: Importance of Coaching/ Faith Based Coaching

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From Roommate to Life Long Friend

Ever since I was young I wanted a brother. I was still lucky to have a sister, and as I have gotten older, I have become much closer to her, which I have cherished. While I loved growing up with a sister I wanted a brother to play catch, ride bikes, and scrape my knees with. I never had that and dearly longed for it, especially as I got older and began to face new challenges in my life.

Fast forward to my senior year in high school, and it’s time to pick a roommate. Picking a roommate is quite honestly one of the closest things to a shot in the dark you can encounter.  There is an immense sense of pressure when deciding to live with someone. Doubts begin to flood in: does the person like the room cold or warm? Does he like to stay up late or go to bed early? Is he clean or messy? Living with someone slowly becomes the scariest challenge college has to offer and you are not even on campus yet.

My experience is much different than what I had expected. I expected to change roommates a couple times into college in order to find the right fit. My assumption was completely wrong. Throughout the past three years I can finally say that I have the brother I always wished I had. The fears of living with someone quickly diminished as I began to grow closer and develop a genuine friendship. As a senior in my second semester, I am beginning to reminisce on my time at Grove City College, and I have begun to realize that my most valuable takeaway from Grove City will not be my degree but the life long friend and brother I know I will have in Jack.

I am blessed beyond belief to have someone that I know I can trust and help me through the darkest times in life and celebrate in life’s most joyful moments. I can confidently say that I would not be where I am in my life without the help and guidance that I have been given. I understand that I got extremely lucky finding someone that I was completely compatible with. And the harsh reality is maybe you will not get as lucky the first try. But to prospective students, if Grove City College is your future home, developing relationships to people here is the most valuable thing you will get from your time in college. While some might disagree, I can confidently say that I have the brother I always wanted and a friend until the day I die.

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Prioritizing Community Your Freshman Year

College is a new beginning for everyone. It is a time to meet new people, gain autonomy, and discover what you are passionate about. While college is a brilliant time for all of those things, it can also be really isolating at first if you let it. My advice to anyone beginning their freshman year is to prioritize community and friendship.

When I came to Grove City my freshman year in 2017, I was absolutely terrified. I loved living at home, spending time with my boyfriend, seeing my mom every day, and having sleepovers with my twin sister. I was comfortable living at home. The idea of moving to a campus without any of my favorite people was extremely daunting. I have to be honest, my freshman year, community wise, was not a priority for me. I spent more of my time studying in the library than I did with friends or my roommates. My coping mechanism for missing home was to put all of my efforts into school and get good grades. Looking back, I now realize that my freshman year could have looked very differently had someone pulled me aside and told me what really matters.

Academics are critical at Grove City College. School is 95% of why we go to college. Get good grades to get into a great grad school program or start a fantastic career. But the other 5%, however, is arguably more important. That 5% represents the relationships you grow and memories you build with your peers over your four years at Grove City. I completely understand thinking your GPA defines you. And honestly sometimes it feels like it does. But the community you seek and friendships you foster will shape you into the man or woman you will become post-graduation. Who do you want to be when you graduate from Grove City? Do you want to be someone with a 4.0, is involved in every academic club, but has no time for friends? Or do you want to be someone who has a 3.2-3.5 GPA, has phenomenal interpersonal skills, time for those around them, and is whole rounded in every sense: a liberal arts degree, superb communication skills/relationships. I deeply encourage you to find a balance between these things. Make intentional time for your studies. You are paying a lot of money to receive a phenomenal education, do not waste it. But also, make time for relationships. You will grow exponentially if you foster relationships with your peers and care about your academics.

I would have a completely different perspective about Grove City had I not found my now-closest friends sophomore year. It would be a story of loneliness, just getting by, sadness, you get the point. But instead, my story is one of community, growth, faith, and deep love for my friends and the College. Do yourself a favor, and put yourself out there to find friends who will encourage you, challenge you, and stick by you during your time at Grove City College because believe me, they are here for you.

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Move-in Day: Tips and Tricks

Memorial Hall, a men’s freshman dorm, and my first campus home

Nothing is more anxiety-inducing to some students than move-in day. Not only are you going to meet a whole swath of new people and make new friends, you have a lot to remember, a lot to do, and oftentimes not a ton of time to do it. This post contains a few helpful tips that might make your move in day just a little smoother.

  1. Organize before you get there: If you are arriving with 15 boxes of assorted belongings, moving in is going to be difficult. It would be much easier to have a box of school supplies, a box of cords and cables, a box of shoes and coats, and so on. This will help you prioritize what needs to get unpacked so that you can make it to all of your orientation activities, and it will help you keep track of how much stuff you are actually bringing.
  2. When in doubt, leave it out. Many times students arrive at college with things they will not ever need want or miss. College is not high school, and maybe you do not need all three skateboards that you keep at home. You might consider bringing your summer and fall clothes, and then switching your shorts out for coats when you go home for Thanksgiving. This helps you consolidate what you have to bring that first semester, takes pressure off of your overstuffed closet, and declutters your move out.
  3. Coordinate with your roommate. Nothing is less useful than a second area rug. If you and your roommate both bring the same shared item, one of you is left returning, tossing, or shipping something home. Coordinate with your roommate about things such as furniture, rugs, or lamps.
  4. Try and find out the dimensions of your room. Before I came to school I was able to ask my admissions counselor the dimensions of my room. This helped me to know that I would not have room for that futon out of my parents’ basement, and that I should slim down my list of things to bring so as to have room to walk around in my room. Bringing too much stuff is just as annoying as not bringing enough stuff, so know where you are moving and pack accordingly. Now, students can take virtual tours of buildings here.

Move-in day may be one of the most stressful, but it is also one of the most fun days of college. Between Orientation Board (OB activities), new friends on your hall, and new routines, there are a lot of things to keep track of but even more to be excited about!

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Campus Jobs

Often, students do not know whether they can handle having a job while also taking classes. Though it may not work well for some students, other students enjoy working while in college. Some students work off campus, but those jobs are typically more hours each week and scheduling around classes and homework could be stressful. Many students enjoy working right at the College because you can work for just a few hours a week and it is very flexible work. Also, you get to save time and gas because you will not have to commute to an off-campus job. Having a job on campus does not mean that you have to work long, hard hours. Many students only work 5-10 hours a week.

There are several different areas of the College where you can work to make some extra cash. The cafeterias are always looking for help – you can work in the dish room, clean tables, or even bake desserts! Lots of students work in the cafeterias and enjoy the work. Another common job around campus is that students can be a Teacher’s Assistant for a professor. I am a TA for an Accounting professor and I really enjoy it. TA’s do tasks such as grade papers, grade homework, make copies, or input data. This is a great job because often you can work right from your dorm, and the scheduling is typically very informal because it is up to you and the professor to negotiate hours.

One other option you have is to work as a desk attendant, which is a very simple job. For example, you may work an hour or two in the lobby of a dorm building just to keep an eye on things and be there to answer questions that one may have. You can even do homework on the job! I recently asked my friend, Isabella, whether she preferred her on-campus job or her off-campus job at the outlet mall. She answered, “I am a big fan of on-campus jobs. It is not only convenient, but I save so much time driving to and from work. Plus, I do not have to spend money on gas! I also like that the work is very flexible and that the College understands that college students are busy. Plus, it is very low key and I often can do my homework while I am on the clock at my desk job! It is a double win!”  There are many other jobs available around campus and it should not be not very hard to find something that interests you!

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Dorm Plants

You might not be able to have pets on campus, but one thing you can keep in your dorm while you live on campus is a plant. If you have never been good at taking care of plants but you are looking into trying it out, or just want something to spruce up your room, give it a try! Taking care of plants is really simple and fun. Here are some tips for taking care of houseplants at Grove City College. 

 

  1. Pick out a sturdy plant. My roommates and I have always enjoyed having plants – in total we have around eight pots of various plants. While we have grown some plants from seeds (such as Alaskan poppies), it is really tough and takes constant attention. Some good plants to start with are succulents such as Christmas Cacti or Aloe Vera. Having a sturdy plant that is able to bounce back really helps. 
  2. Get creative on your watering methods. If you are bad at remembering to water your plants, do an internet search on self-watering plant pots. Using a net and some old rope, all you need to do is put water at the bottom of the pot once a month, rather than every other day. I used this method for my plants last year, and it worked perfectly. It was also great for when I had to send my plants home with friends over breaks, so they did not need to worry about killing my plant. Which leads me to the next piece of advice… 
  3. If you live far from campus, keeping plants on campus can be tough. I grew up on the west coast, which means my plants coming home with me over break is not an easy option. Start checking around with staff and friends on campus to see if anyone around campus is willing to watch your plants for a couple of weeks. For this reason, it is good to have low maintenance plants, so that your friends are not concerned about killing them while they take care of them. Another good solution is to look into air plants, which do not require water or soil, making them easy to take on the plane. 
  4. If you do not want to pay an arm and a leg for good plant pots, but do not want to stick with the basic plastic ones, there are lots of other solutions. In the past we have used cute salsa jars or mugs. Another good solution is going for a simple terracotta pot and decorating it yourself. 

Just remember – the weather in Pennsylvania gets pretty cold in the winter, and the heaters crank up around then too. I have noticed this can be a challenge for my plants. Even though I would love to start growing a palm tree in the room, it is simply not practical. Also, be mindful of your roommates and how much space the plants take up. With all of that said, I hope you have fun starting your college dorm garden!