The college you choose to attend truly shapes your college experience. There is a variety of different reasons why someone chooses the university that is going to push them educationally and personally for the next four years. For me, this decision was easy. I fell in love the minute I toured Grand Valley State University, and the relationship is still going strong. Here are the top six reasons that led me to pick GVSU as my second home.
1.The community
GVSU has both a big and small campus feel which accommodates and appeals to all of its students. One day you might not see anyone that you know on campus while the next day you may see 20 people in a row. Lakers are also some of the kindest, smartest, most driven and most respectful people I’ve ever met. Grand Valley is a place where you can be accepted and celebrated for being exactly who you are. The clubs and organizations offered are also a huge benefit as they form one community that is out to make every single student’s college experience the best it can possibly be.
2.The faculty
As I’m entering my fifth year at GVSU, I realize that in all but two of my classes (both held in lecture halls) every professor of mine has known my name. The faculty at Grand Valley is incredible and they strive to help their students in any way possible. They support their students and ensure that they are accessible to their students at all times. Grand Valley also provides its students with compassionate advisors that enable their advisees to succeed while challenging them to be the best versions of themselves. At Grand Valley, the faculty makes me feel like an individual rather than just an anonymous student.
3.The beautiful campus
Grand Valley seems to sparkle no matter if it’s a sunny spring day, or if it was just hit with a snowstorm. The sculptures, the flowers, the buildings and the general landscape can take anyone’s breath away. No matter if you’re hiking the ravines or hanging out by the Zumberge pond, beauty can be found across every inch of GV.
4.The location
Even though Allendale can sometimes feel like one big cornfield, it truly is in a perfect location. I love that if you travel 20 minutes west you’ll reach Lake Michigan, and if you travel 20 minutes east you’ll arrive in downtown Grand Rapids. Going to GV means living a Hannah Montana lifestyle, where you get the best of both worlds. You have the privilege of enjoying the small-town feel of Allendale and the lively big city environment of Grand Rapids.
5.“Freshmanland”
When I was contemplating which university to attend, I was worried about what the dorms were like and where I’d be living. I appreciated the fact that the freshmen (or at least most of us) would be milling around in the same vicinity, and interacting at the same dining place. Going away to college is already overwhelming and seeing familiar faces was a promising incentive. Freshmanland shrunk GVSU to a more approachable size and made the big pond a little smaller for a little fish like me.
6. It felt like home
Simply put, Grand Valley felt secure, and I just had the gut feeling that it was the right school for me. Sure, other universities could’ve felt the same way eventually, but none of them seemed as right as Grand Valley did. I felt like I would excel as a student, as well as grow tremendously as a person if I chose GVSU, and I have. I’m so unbelievably happy and grateful that I am and always will be a Laker for a Lifetime.
