Category: College Advice

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Myth Busted: If You Switch Majors You Will Not Graduate on Time, Chapter 2

Grove City College Chapel

It was not long into my second semester of college that I realized that I was again in a weird position. What is business management and why am I majoring in it? It was a good thing that at this point I was taking Principles of Management to find out. This only led me more astray though. I was again in the situation of, “What is this major and why am I in it if I do not know what I can do with it or if I even want to be a manager?” So, again I went in search of my calling. This second semester of college I took various types of business and economics classes trying to find my place in this big crazy world. Nothing “did it” (whatever “it” is) for me. I was forced to stay on this business track until I found what I wanted to do.

It was the first semester of my sophomore year that I found “it.” I was in Principles of Accounting with Professor Stone and I was not sure what it was but I was convinced that this “it” was in fact the “it.” At the end of that semester I decided to drop the business management major and pick up accounting (if you have not kept count until this point, this was my third different major). I continued on second semester of sophomore year as an accounting major and then into my junior year. I grew to appreciate the field and enjoy it more and more. That appreciation has led me to now, my second semester of my junior year, and I am still an accounting major.

Along this winding journey of major changes and confusion it was important for me to keep in mind my current position and what classes I needed to take to graduate on time, but this was the easy part. All three of my past and current advisors made this part of switching majors easy for me. They told me my current state and what I needed to take to graduate on time and even gave me pointers of how to spread the course load to minimize stress and maximize the value. I cannot stress enough that this was the easy part. You will figure it out, you will fit the classes that you need in. I am currently attempting to get a degree in accounting but to also acquire as close to 150 credits (128 credits is all that is required to graduate) as possible so that I can sit for my Certified Public Accountancy Exam (CPA Exam). I have made the classes fit, and so can you. No matter who you are, whether you switch majors six times or you do not switch majors at all, if you commit to finishing in four years (or five or six, whatever pace is most ideal to you) you can do it. In my journey to achieve 150 credits I have mapped out my schedule so that I will graduate with 146 credits. If I can do it, the kid who did not know what he wanted to do with his life and switched majors twice, then you can do it too!

Moral of the story is to have faith and meet with your advisors. It is funny how things come full circle. Did you notice how faith was one of the first things to come up when looking at how most people do not know what they want to do with their lives? This is because this faith is what allowed me and allows us as Christians to be joyful in times where we freak out because we have no idea of what we could do with our major and in times where we do not think that we can graduate on time. Faith is the overlapping factor. As Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” This walk, and this mindset of trusting in God that he will lead us to where we need to be has led me to being a junior accounting major, somewhere I would have never thought I would be as a senior in high school. So, have faith and God will lead you. We, as humans, do not know what we want to do with our lives because our lives here on Earth are in hindsight not for us, they are for a bigger purpose which we may one day fulfill in Heaven.

If you are interested in hearing more about my story or simply want to just personally contact me about any of your specific worries feel free to at gosstd1@gcc.edu. I would be glad to help a worried younger high school me build up the courage to do things that I never did and to help you succeed to your fullest potential! God bless!

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Faith at a Christian College

Grove City College is a Christian college with the motto “because faith and freedom matter.” The school bases its vision, mission, and values off of God. Being independent in that it does not accept any federal funding, Grove City College is able to make the decisions that its morals entail.

Students usually choose this college for the quality of the Christian atmosphere. To be surrounded by others who share similar beliefs in the college stage of one’s life is truly special in aspects of growing together but it also makes it just as difficult.

Sometimes it is hard to exercise one’s faith when it seems to be exercised constantly, like at a Christian school. Students get a certain amount of chapel credits, take humanities courses based off of a particular religious aspect, and some actions are monitored under Christian principles. With the humanities courses or the chapels, one may assume that learning about the Bible for 50 minutes a day or a 20-minute chapel can be “enough” for our Christian lifestyle. It is important to understand that those are just additional aspects to what we should be doing on a regular basis for our faith.

Grove City College offers many opportunities to get involved in a group, organization, or participate in an activity revolving around God. There are specific small groups like Men of God or Women of Faith that bring people, no matter where they are in their life, can come and lift one another up closer to Him. Red Box Missions, Inner City Outreach Trips, Prison Ministry, and Young Life are more examples of groups that particularly go out and work to help people see God in different aspects of their life. No matter what one decides to do, strengthening one’s faith is something we have to work at every single day and it certainly helps when there are other people to hold one accountable.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

If we as Christians continue to exercise our faith in God and live in Him, an impact on others can always be made on people who might need it most.

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Having Fun with Your Electives: ART 104

Most majors at Grove City College leave some room for electives hours, and if you are lucky enough to be in one of those fields of study, I would first and foremost suggest you to take courses that interest you. But I would also encourage you to branch out and try new things. That is what I did when I took ART 104 the first semester of my junior year. ART 104, also known as beginning wheel throwing, was definitely not one of those courses that is related to my major and applicable, or so I thought.

Beginning wheel throwing is a pottery class where you build things such as bowls, vases, and mugs using a ball of clay and a wheel that spins. Now, most people in hearing about this class would think that it is applicable for anyone in the arts, or even sciences, in that it works on and demonstrates hand-eye coordination, imagination, and, through the medium of clay, artistic ability. For an accounting major like myself I thought, “Is it really a great applicable elective to take?” Some may say no, but I would disagree. Though I did not learn anything about debits or credits, I did learn a lot about myself and this course supplied me with the opportunity to get into something I would have never thought I would have when I was a junior or senior in high school. This class changed my outlook on the field of arts and supplied me the opportunity to use the ideas and themes of the required Humanities course known as Civ. Arts to practice and create art as an accounting major. This course provided me and my fellow classmates the opportunity to not just follow the various rules and laws of our future fields of study but to create new exciting things.

This class supplied me personally with a form of art that made me feel as if there was some artistic ability in my body. Allowing me to discover things about myself that I may not have discovered without the combination of the both this course and Civ. Arts. So, Beginning wheel throwing may not be for everyone but do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. That is part of the liberal arts experience that Grove City College provides.

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Myth Busted: If You Switch Majors You Will Not Graduate on Time, Chapter 1

Grove City College Chapel

What do seniors in high school and a junior accounting major from Grove City College have in common? Well yes, neither is going to have to take the annoying and stressful ACT /SAT tests again… But besides that, I was thinking more along the lines that neither really knows what they want to do with their future. I can say this speaking from self-experience and observing others. It may sound cliché, but no one knows what they truly want to do with their future, and if you do not believe me ask your parents. My father has worked at the same location for the past 27 years and he comes home most days saying he does not know what he wants to do with his life. So how did we go from having a title about switching majors to this tangent about how most people do not know what they want to do with their lives? I choose to take this route because this is my current position and this lack of knowing has not only inspired me to try new things throughout my time here at Grove City College but to also have faith, so let me elaborate.

My freshman year of college I came in as a chemistry major. Seems like a good idea right? For some people this may be the perfect fit for them but for me… not so much. In choosing to go to college I had no idea what I wanted to be and in a somewhat hap hazardous way decided that since I took a year of chemistry in high school and liked it that I would go to college and become a… who knows. Throughout my first semester I was pushed and stretched mentally and the 16 credits of chemistry, physics, calculus, biblical revelations, and fitness and wellness really threw me for a loop. I was constantly working to keep up and knew that I was a chemistry major but had absolutely no clue why. A major shifting point for me was when I attended the Grove City College annual Career Fair and immediately became aware that I had no desire to do any of the jobs that an individual with a chemistry major would be equipped to do. I still remember that day vividly. I left the Career Fair freaking out wondering what I had gotten myself into. I was working harder and studying more than I had ever studied before and had no desire to be doing anything in the field of chemistry. So, I ran (literally) to my room from the Career Fair and called my parents, on the verge of tears, telling them I was ruined. I had made the biggest mistake of my life, but what I didn’t know was that this was just part of a bigger plan.

After the long phone call with my parents I decided that chemistry was not the major for me and no matter the implications of changing majors I was going to switch, but to what? I had people suggest various majors to me but what I felt in that moment drawn to (see this common trend of me making these big “in the moment” decisions to decide my future) business management. I felt that this was the “career” for me. So, I finished out my first semester as a chemistry major and in the final weeks dropped the chemistry major and added business management.

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How to Survive at College When You Are a Picky Eater

I am pretty sure that my first year here at Grove City College I ate pizza almost every single day. And when it was not pizza, it was most likely chicken tenders (with the occasional cheeseburger). I have always been a very picky eater and when I came to college I became exposed to a variety of different foods that I had never even heard of, let alone seen before. Being able to get creative with your food here, and probably at the majority of colleges, is important. I have learned of many different foods that you can make with what is usually provided. For example, there is a panini press at certain food stations and you can grab a tortilla shell and fill it with cheese. If it is a day that we also have grilled chicken, which is most days, you can add it in. Put it in the panini press and you have a quesadilla. If you want a dessert other than the usual cookies and ice cream already provided, you can make your own version of a Rice Krispie treat. Take a bowl with peanut butter, marshmallows, and chocolate and warm it up in the microwave. Just add some cereal and you are all set.

Also, do not judge a book by its cover. Sometimes seeing a food that you have never seen before can sway you away and even make you a bit questionable toward it, but I have learned that even though a food may appear to be unappetizing, it could actually end up being decent. I have become much less of a picky eater just by trying new things here and being adventurous with the different foods that are provided. You will never know what you may end up liking if you never give new foods a chance.

If you ever get really sick of the food on campus, there are a majority of off campus (and priced for college students) places that will deliver to the college. Coffaro’s Pizza has a special where you can get a pizza and four drinks for under 10 dollars. If you want a break from studying, there are also many places you can go and sit down with your friends to enjoy a good meal. Rachel’s Roadhouse is a popular place that students like to go to on Thursday nights to get 35 cent wings.

It is all about being open-minded, trying new things, and being creative. Coming in as a freshman who was an incredibly picky eater, I never would have thought I would try some of the foods I have or be survive with the options they provided. So, if I can survive with the food here, you can too.

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Community Spotlight: December Graduate

When it comes to thinking about who makes up the community of Grove City College, often the first thought is students and professors. However, there are many more components – past and present – that play a vital role in the community here. I talked with Josh McFall, a December 2017 graduate. He studied accounting and participated in many camppus activities. Here is the interview that transpired:

Can you tell me a little about your academic journey?

I started my pursuit for higher education at Kent State University Trumbull Campus in the fall of 2013 as an undecided business major, after a semester I declared my major as Business Management before changing my major to accounting.

I stayed at Kent for two years before transferring to Grove City College. Three of my siblings had attended Grove City and I wasn’t convinced that it was the place for me. One of the turning points in my decision was at my sister Lizzy’s wedding at Harbison Chapel in the fall of 2014. I got to walk around the campus with my sister’s husband Joe, who also graduated from there. During this time, I got to talk with him about my preconceived notions and what I wanted from the remainder of my college career. Ultimately, that conversation and overall experience was the first event that led to my decision to attend Grove City College and I would end up applying about eight months later.

What has been the most difficult thing about graduating mid academic year?

Leaving my fiancée, sister, and friends in a rather anti-climactic way. I am a sentimental person, so I like having solid beginnings and endings as they help me compartmentalize my feelings and emotions. Graduating and leaving campus halfway through the academic school year is rather akin to walking out of a movie theater 10 minutes before the end of a movie while your friends all stay and watch it. You miss the last semester excitement and relief you share with other seniors who are about to graduate and walk to receive their diploma in May. I felt that excitement and relief mostly alone, and there was no fanfare or send off when I left campus. The vibe was just that of another winter break, and everyone else would see each other in a month.

Mind you, this is no fault of Grove City’s. There is nothing they could do to change the way things are. I was privileged to attend a dinner for the few seniors graduating in December at President and Mrs. McNulty’s house and it was a lovely time. Also, I will be back in May to walk, but if I’m being honest that is more for my parents than myself. If I had my way, I would choose not to walk simply because I have closed that chapter of my life and I am in a new one now (like I said, solid beginnings and endings).

What do you miss the most about Grove City?

What I miss may not be something unique to only Grove City, like chapel requirements, or jokes about rings by spring, but are unique to my personal experience and how it shaped my life. I miss the shenanigans and community of my transfer hall in Hicks, while living in the room with the window right above the trash cans everyone walks by to go to dinner. And I miss bonding with the guys of Pan Sophic while being their RA, and being given the opportunity to help foster community on my hall. And I miss having to amend my plan to get engaged multiple times due to inclement weather, another fraternity’s rush event, and a marching band competition this past October (I did finally pop the question and she said yes!). This is a tiny sliver of all that I value from my time and are they exclusively things that could have happened at Grove City? No, they could have happened at any college, but they didn’t, they happened at Grove City. And for that reason, I miss and reminisce about my time there. Those buildings and grounds will always be hallowed to me, not because they had uniqueness or specialness that was intrinsic to them (though they certainly do and that does play into it), but because that is the place where I built part of who I am today. So what I miss most is basically everything, the whole chapter beginning to end. I can’t think of one thing without being reminded of five other things.

What have you done post-graduation?

I work at Schneider Downs & Co in Pittsburgh which is a public accounting firm, and I am studying for the CPA exam.

How would you describe GCC’s community in your own words?

When people look at Grove City College, diversity is not necessarily the first thing that pops into their head’s, but to assume that the community here is totally homogeneous is very far from reality, I try to avoid making blanket statements for this reason. Like any other place, the overall community is like a patchwork quilt, and each patch in the quilt is itself another patchwork quilt, all the way down to the individual level. It’s true but ironic because I did end up just making a “blanket” statement… quilt… get it?

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Day Trip Idea: Pittsburgh Pirates Game at PNC Park

Professional baseball games are always exciting, especially at one of the best ballparks in America. Thankfully, it is only about an hour away from the Grove City College campus. PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, gives fans a wonderful view of the city’s skyline beyond the Allegheny River. Along with the amazing view, Pirates baseball games allow you to sit back and watch some of the game’s most talented players do what they do best: play ball. All this makes for the perfect day trip away from the College campus to relax and enjoy one of America’s pastimes.
Tickets for a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game can be bought easily online through the organization itself or through the secondary market (StubHub and SeatGeek for example). Since college students are usually on a budget, the Pirates organization participates in College Cove Fridays where students receive a ticket, T-shirt, and a $10 food or drink voucher. The deal is valid for all Friday night home games. This makes for an affordable and enjoyable way to end a busy week of school.

Another great part of these ball games is the food, and there is nothing better than authentic ballpark food. A classic hot dog, pink and blue cotton candy, nachos with cheese and salsa, and salty pretzels are the main staple foods of the ballpark. Along with those, PNC also serves a Pittsburgh delicacy on game days: Mrs. T’s Pierogis. You will also see some famous pierogis running in the famous pierogi race between innings.

Although the ballpark food is great, the game itself is what draws the fans in. Pittsburgh takes great pride in their teams, the Pirates are no exception. No matter where you sit in the stadium, I can almost assure you that the guy or gal next to you will be ready to give you a two handed high five as soon as a Pirate hits a home run. Pirates baseball games are extremely fun to attend with Grove City College friends, and they are a great way to make memories. Win or lose, I can assure you that your day spent at PNC Park will be an enjoyable one.

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Day Trip Idea: Pittsburgh Strip District

There are days while on campus when you just want to get away for a while. After going to the Grove City Outlets for the umpteenth time, you start to desire more adventurous getaways. Thankfully, the Pittsburgh Strip District is only about an hour from the College and is the perfect place to eat, shop, and wander around.

In terms of food and drinks, the Strip District has more than you could ask for. There are far too many places to mention, so I will tell you about a few of the places that I highly recommend going to. One of my absolute favorite places to get coffee is at La Prima Espresso Company. Their true Italian espresso makes their lattes and espresso shots deeply desirable. La Prima is the perfect place to go as soon as you arrive at The Strip to get your day started. With coffee in hand, the next place I suggest you go to is Pamela’s Diner. Their chocolate chip banana hotcakes and scrambled hash are just two of the delicious plates they offer. There is a reason it is one of the most well known diners in the Pittsburgh area. Now, if you have been to Pittsburgh and have not heard about Primanti Brothers, I would be shocked. The local “Yinzers” know that the restaurant along with its signature sandwich are a huge part of the what makes the city great. The chain is known for its grilled meat, coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries thrown between two pieces of Italian bread.

Now, if you have some money to spend, The Strip has some of the neatest and most interesting shops around. Roxanne’s Dried Flowers is somewhere I always stop by. Although the wreathes and dried flowers are usually too pricey for me, the shop is such an interesting place to walk through. The smells and displays make it worth it every time. Pittsburgh has a lot of pride in its sports teams. The Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers are loved by so many in the surrounding areas as well. Many shops in The Strip sell Pittsburgh sports franchised attire, some licensed while others are “yinzer unique.” Either way, these shops are really fun to check out.

Every time I have visited The Strip with my college friends has been so much fun and each trip seems to be more fun than the last. I highly recommend anyone takes a day trip to visit this amazing cultural district. The Strip District is truly a unique, one-of-a-kind location that can only be found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Graduate Early While Saving Money

Typically when you think about college, you think about it taking up four years of your life (or longer). Although I thoroughly enjoy college and all of the rigorous work, I constantly think about being done and having a “big girl” job. With that being said, when I heard someone mention “graduating early,” I had to look into it.

I went to my academic advisor and asked if graduating early was even possible for me. Shockingly, he said yes. Both of us looked into how many credits I would have to take each semester and the required classes needed for my major. My advisor told me he thought it was a great idea to try and graduate a semester early. He mentioned the benefits of starting the job search early and bringing joy to my bank account.

Every major at Grove City College has a Status Sheet which gives the required hours for each major and a suggested four-year course plan. Looking at mine (for Marketing Management), I noticed that some semesters only had 14 or 15 credit hours listed while others had the maximum of 17. If I tried to graduate a semester early, I realized that I would most likely need to have 17 credits each semester. Even then, I still would not have enough hours to graduate. I had to look at my options.

My options would be to take online classes, which the College offers, or take over 17 credit hours during some semesters. I decided to go with the online class option. I have taken two of them so far through Grove City College, and have been delighted with the payoff. Both of my online courses were over our winter breaks, which allowed me to spend time with family and friends as well as gain credit hours. And if you decide not to graduate early, online courses are a great way to lighten your regular semester course load.

Another way I added credit hours was by completing a summer internship. I worked in the Marketing and Operations departments of a bank. I was able to earn four credits toward my major requirements through this experience which made it all the more worth while. I highly recommend internships for the work experience, but it is also extremely beneficial to receive college credit for them as well. Also, just as a side note, employers highly consider prospective employees that have done an internship. More importantly, the internships done for college credit can be checked out by the company you worked for along with your faculty sponsor at the College: win, win.

With all of that being said, it is absolutely possible to graduate a semester early. With the help of your advisor and by planning out the remainder of your semesters, obtaining that degree a little sooner than normal means substantial monetary savings as well as a jump on the job market.

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What to Expect at Admitted Student Day

The Event

Grove City College will be hosting its annual Admitted Student Day on Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. This event is a great opportunity for accepted high school seniors to experience an entire day on Grove City’s campus with a full schedule of sessions presented by various groups. These sessions will offer information about several resources on campus such as the Office of Career Services and the Office of Student Life & Learning. In addition, students will be able to connect with each other and meet their potential classmates during mock classes and the Grover Connect Mixer hosted by the Orientation Board (OB). Meanwhile, parents will get the chance to learn about their child’s future education through seminars hosted by the Academic Resource Center and the Office of Financial Aid.

Student Experiences

I had the chance to talk with two current Grove City College students about their personal experiences at Admitted Student Day, and how it helped them before arriving to campus in the fall.

“I was already committed when I went to Admitted Student Day, but being there helped me out in so many different ways. Coming from a small high school, it was really awesome to see so many potential classmates, and be given the opportunity to meet them and interact with them through different things that OB put on throughout the day. It also gave me a picture of what it would look like to be on campus with other people. … In general, it just got me really excited to be going there and to really get a feel for what being a Grove City student would look like.”

-Rebecca Cloyd, Freshman

“My biggest thing about Admitted Student Day was meeting other students who were admitted too. It got me excited about going college with these people, and I made some friends that day who are still my friends today. I loved the community and that’s what helped me decide to come to Grove City.”

-Maddison Reapsome, Junior

Register

If you would like to attend Admitted Student Day at Grove City College, the registration tab is located at the bottom of http://www.gcc.edu/Info/Events-News/Admissions-Events/Open-Houses/Admitted-Student-Day. The website also gives a detailed schedule of events for the day and what more to expect. All in attendance will be asked to report to the Physical Learning Center at the beginning of the day. Grove City hopes to see you there!