Author: Gee_Schelemanow

8 things all GCC students should know.

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Lists are all the rage on the internet these days so I figured I would compile a list of things that all of us at GCC should know. I’m by no means the final say in this so feel free to make additions in the comments!

1. Winters in Western New York are For Real!

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Snow day? Whats that? Nothing like walking make that running through a snow covered parking lot to get to classes. Not to mention those who commute 20 minute drive? Mother Nature says NO! How about it takes you 45 today. With a little planning and a lot of coffee, you can beat it.

2.) We have a diverse campus.

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Whether its age or gender, race or religion, or sexual orientation and culture we have it all here at GCC. More important we are proud of our diversity as a campus and embrace everyone’s differences. Feeling comfortable in your own skin is something that comes very natural on campus.

3.) We all get along.

Okay! Okay! Maybe we aren’t all like Rachel, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, and Ross. But you have to admit that there is a helping hand wherever you look on campus. People are so willing to take time out to get to know you – its amazing.

4.) Bigger isn’t always better.

So we aren’t a huge University with 100,000 students. What we lack in size we make up for in character. The community that GCC is isn’t something you will always find on a larger campus. Embrace it.

5.) We have clubs and activities for days! (Join one)

Seriously over 50 clubs and organization on campus! What?! Join something you like or make your own! We are all about the activities! The list is here.

6.)The Library is the place to be!

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Okay. So MAYBE it’s not like that night club back home but our library on campus is pretty jumping. Rather than what you expect from high school or the public library, on campus there is a bustle about. Groups working on projects and people asking Librarians for advice. It’s basically the place to be.

7.) The staff is always willing to help.

If its a professor to someone on the cleaning crew they are always willing to point you in the right direction. Never be afraid to ask a question! They are all very knowledgeable and if they don’t know, chances are they have the ability to point you in the right direction.

8.) The experience is yours! Make it count.

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Go for it! Do what makes you happy and above all else chase your dreams!

 

 

 

…And Now I’m Here

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When I decided to come to GCC last spring I honestly had no idea what was in store for me. I didn’t exactly plan on going out of my way to join any clubs or organizations. I had already been out of school for four years at that point and I wasn’t interested in having the entire college experience. To be honest I was more concerned with getting a degree and getting out of here.

When I began classes however I found that this all quickly changed. I had Dr. Tom C. Priester for First Year Experience (FYE 100) and I suddenly found myself involved in campus activities. (Anyone who knows him knows that he has a way of making this sort of thing happen) I joined the Leadership Certificate Program and that lead me to becoming an orientation leader. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to become involved on campus and how accepting all the different people were.

You know in high school how your teachers are always telling you “wait until you’re in college! Its going to be 10 times harder.” I haven’t found that to be true yet. Yes, the work is harder, but as a student you are also more advanced. Plus the people in college are all in different places in their lives and they don’t have time to deal with menial high school drama. They all just get along and that was something amazingly refreshing to me.

Going into Orientation Leader training I had no clue what to expect. I thought that it would be impossible to make friends in the three short days we spent together before our first orientation. But here I sit on the eve of our first session feeling confident in not only my ability but our teams ability to help new students feel welcomed coming into GCC. It’s amazing how the energy and people grow on campus. Its almost like our own little world here to just be accepted for who we are, not for our past or future actions. It’s a place for growth and learning and for the most part everyone wants to be here.

I know some people are disappointed when they have to come to a community college as opposed to a four year school but I think that GCC does a great job in keeping the hometown feel but still giving students the full college experience. So if you were to ask me, I would say go for it! Take a leap of faith, ask someone in class to hang out, join that club you were always interested in, study abroad. After all there’s no time better than the present.