One of the first things I realized upon becoming a freshman in college was that I had absolutely no clue what I was doing.
Despite having a bit of prior experience, I repeatedly found myself lost and confused. I stressed myself out trying to figure everything out on my own, assuming that my lack of knowledge was a normal part of the college experience. From my perspective, everyone else seemed to have student life figured out. I assumed I was just falling behind and needed to catch up.
But, as it turns out, figuring out college life did not have to be stressful or difficult. If I want to answer questions about how to be successful at Kellogg Community College, I can go to Student Life for help.
This would have been helpful to know while I was struggling with setting up a class schedule.
This all started around two weeks before my classes started at KCC. At this point, I had already created a schedule with all my classes nearly two months beforehand. After experiencing a worldwide pandemic and spending the last four years of my life in high school, I was nervous, excited and ready to start the next chapter of my life.
I opened my phone to check my class schedule only to find that two of my classes had been removed. I was immediately sent into a panic; I thought I had had everything figured out months ago. I frantically called my friend, who I found to be in a similar situation. After a lengthy conversation with her I managed to fix my schedule, but I was still confused about why it had happened in the first place. However, now that the problem was fixed, I decided not to think much about it and simply moved on.
I would regret this decision around a week later.
Classes started the next week and I was preparing to tour the campus. I once again opened my phone to check my class schedule. And, once again, I found that a class had been dropped from my schedule. Previously, I had searched through the different class sections and simply joined the same class at a different time. However, when I tried to “fix” my schedule again doing this, I was met with the reality that I was too late; all the sections for that class were filled and I would be forced to pick an alternative class.
The next morning, I called the KCC help line to try and find some guidance on what I was doing wrong. However, after being met with an automated voice message giving me information that did not help me at all, I gave up on the idea of asking for help. I sat on my bed feeling frustrated, exhausted and angry. I remember asking myself (or rather, the world), “Why can I not just talk to a person about this?”
Wanting to ask for help but not knowing where to turn, I ended up having to fix the problem to the best of my ability alone. I spent hours scouring KCC’s website for answers and solutions. I eventually concluded that I was being dropped from classes because I had not properly set up a payment plan. I added another class to my schedule and set up a payment plan, praying that I had fixed the problem. I elected that the next day, I would go into KCC to ask a person (a real person, not an automated voice message) for help to make sure I had done everything right. I was not going to make the same mistake twice.
Walking through the halls of KCC’s campus with my notebook and pencil in hand, I made my way toward the main office. I was frustrated and nervous, not knowing how long it would take to get my questions answered, or if they would get answered at all. A small cardboard cutout of a bear pointed to a set of doors, and I could not help but think about how adorable it was. The hand-decorated sign promised to answer any questions I had in Student Life.
Taking a breath, I braced myself and walked into the room.
One of the first things I noticed was how comfortably the room was decorated. A couple of students quietly conversed with each other on a set of couches off to the right. Trinkets galore decorated the front desks where a couple of staff members were chatting. The entire room was furnished in a way that made the name “Student Life” seem accurate; the space seemed alive, comfortable and welcoming.
One of the members of the staff noticed me and asked how she could help. I explained my situation and the trouble I had been having with my class schedule. She smiled, guiding me to a small office to begin answering my questions. She was kind, cooperative and understanding of my situation, helping to answer all my questions. And, after checking that I was in the system properly, I could finally find relief from my predicament.
It was somewhat surprising to me just how quickly I was able to get my questions sorted through. I had walked in with the expectation that I would be waiting in a line or be met with people who were paid far too little and worked far too much. What I was met with instead was a calm, comforting environment with people eager to help me.
I had friendly conversations with every person in Student Life. I ended up getting far more information out of the experience than I had originally planned; on top of getting my schedule issue sorted, I also was given information about student discounts and a list of the available clubs. Additionally, I was given a fully guided tour of the campus by who I learned was the president of the improv club at KCC.
Thinking back on the debacle, I cannot help but wish I had known about Student Life from the start. My situation was difficult, and not finding proper help brought me stress and panic. I spent hours trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. It was like my car broke down in the middle of nowhere. Even though I had the manual open in front of me, I took a lot of time reading through the instructions, only to find a temporary fix. What I needed was a mechanic; what I needed was Student Life.
Despite this, part of me cannot help but see this event as a blessing in disguise. Were it not for me having to repeatedly fix my schedule, I would not have ended up with the classes I have now; two classes with my friend, and a schedule I find much more appealing. And were it not for me finally caving and deciding to ask for help on campus, I would not have discovered Student Life.
When I was confused about college life, I repeatedly found myself wanting to ask for help but not knowing where to go or who to ask. Even when seeking out help through KCC, I found myself wanting nothing more than to just speak to a person, face to face. Student Life offered the support that I needed in a unique and comfortable environment.
