Freshman feel GCSU satisfies academic and recreational standards

     This past fall, GCSU accepted the largest incoming class of students in its 118-year history. As fall semester comes to the halfway point, many of GCSU’s new faces have adjusted well to college courses and have become actively involved in the campus community.
     John Raymond, junior liberal studies major, transferred to GCSU from Jacksonville State University, located in Alabama.
“This school has so much more community than Jacksonville,” Raymond said. “But, I expected students here to be more excited about their studies – most people here don’t seem to show much enthusiasm for that.”
     Despite that, GCSU professors have impressed Raymond thus far.
     “The professors here are significantly more intellectual than my old (Jacksonville State) professors,” Raymond said.
Another transfer student, Bethany Wolford, ventured to Milledgeville from Brenau University, in Gainesville, Ga.
     Wolford came to be a part of GCSU’s nursing program.
     “It’s a good program and the acceptation rate here was a little higher than at Brenau,” Wolford said.
     She, like GCSU freshman Samantha Brown, lives at The  Village at West Campus. Brown has adjusted well to college life, despite feeling isolated at West Campus.
     “I didn’t really have any expectations for GCSU,” Brown said. “I was just like, ‘college, let’s go.’”
     “Most of my classes have gone over well,” Brown said. “In high school, I rarely had to study, but here it’s necessary – there’s been a lot to learn.”
     Like most GCSU newcomers, Wolford, Raymond and Brown were all excited about getting involved in campus life and the Milledgeville community.
     “I work at Great Clips, go to Wesley House (a campus ministry), study and spend time with friends,” Wolford said.
     Brown also spends time with Wesley House, enjoys lounging on front campus and sipping coffee at the Blackbird Cafe.
     Brendan Kelly, a freshman resident of Bell Hall and member of the GCSU honors program, came to GCSU as a computer science major.
     “The experience has been pretty good so far,” Kelly said. “I had realistic expectations, knowing college wasn’t going to be all fun and games.”
     Kelly has adjusted well to college professors, agreeing that classes have been manageable thus far into the semester.
Other than classes and making new friends, Raymond says he has experienced something else at GCSU.
     “I feel like there’s a spiritual revival going on here, like God is doing something big on this campus,” Raymond said.     “People are talking about Jesus and telling stories about healings and other wonders.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 18 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry