WHUPS. I missed a week. But, I gathered you already figured that one out.
Okay. RIPPED from the headlines of the Kent.edu website comes this little gem.
Not much to read, but maybe something to respond to.
How big is too big for a university? Being one of the 41,000+ lemmings, er, students here at this august institution of higher learning, it sort of begs the following questions:
1) Can your individual needs be properly tended to at a university of this size?
2) Do you feel like a number here at KSU?
3) In your opinion, do you get more freedom to pursue your own studies in a university of this size, or less, than in a college with a lesser physical footprint?
Which of course leads into perhaps the biggest question this post brings to mind: why did you come here, anyway? And what did you hope to get?
Maybe you covered a bit of this in Week 1's introductory posts (which I hope everyone goes back and reads...it's nice to know who you're sitting next to. Some of you might be the next Dr. Fleming, or the next Dr. Octopus. You never know). But if you read through some of the online Daily Kent Stater, do you notice a certain trend in the financial issues of this university? And is there a discrepancy between how large the university is, and how much the management decries budget problems?
Your thoughts, as always, in 300-500 words. Since I'm asking for less reading, I'd like to see more thinking, if possible. Due a week from tomorrow -- call it October 25, high noon.
-- MP
I came to Kent State for a few reasons. In high school I was interested in architecture and I knew that Kent had a very well known program. I took a campus tour back in '07 my senior year and decided I would come here. I also did not like to apply for colleges and since I didn't need to do the writing ACT portion and I didn't need to write an essay, it was a match. I did not make grades to get into the Architecture program here so I came in undecided. Once i got here, the amount of people here did not bother me. Some of the lines for food bothered me but that was it. This year seems to have alot more people on campus this year. Now it feels slightly crowded because the dorm i'm staying in got changed to three person rooms, lines are longer and my classes are bigger. I will start with the dorm room situation. Three person dorms blow. Tution also increased along with more people being here, this blows my mind I don't understand it and it also may break my trip to college. I am starting to feel like a number now here at Kent State because, last year we had to fill out a census to see how many people were here now and also because now that I am a business major most of my classes right now are lectures with more people than usual because the growing population of campus and I feel that I am being put through a machine to pump out graduates so that Kent State can make more money from donations and such from graduates on top of the constant flow of tuition. When we graduate and become famous for achievements, Kent State will exploit our names for money too. What I am getting at is that we are just numbers for the business of Kent State University. I must say that Kent State from a business prospective made a good move with having so many new students because they are making more money than before. I hope that more than one person reads this and please feel free to argue my points if you do not agree.
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ReplyDeleteI originally came to Kent for a few different reasons. One because of the fashion program. Two, because it was close enough to where I lived that I could come home on the weekends if I needed to but far enough away that I could learn to really become independent. I live about an hour and fifteen minutes away. Also, the size. For a long time before I thought I wanted to go to a small school but then liked the idea of going to a big school and always meeting new people. This was all before actually coming here. Now, the only reason I stay here is because Kent is so well known for its fashion program. And I do like being in fashion merchandise. It is now way too big here and I definitely feel like just a number. And because there are so many of us, I feel our needs are not as important and it is a lot harder to build any relationship with teachers or faculty. My friend goes to a pretty small school close to Philadelphia. She goes to Swarthmore college and I love how it is set up. It is small, teachers really care about there students, people know a lot of other people there, and the town is set up so there are cute cafes to go to, little grocery store, great student restaurants, and it is just a great set up. Here everywhere is too crowded and it really sucks. Classes get filled quicker, traffic everywhere, and it is just annoying trying to get anywhere. With Kent being such a big school you would think there would be a lot to do and there isn't and I hate that. There is the rec, which I love but if you don't go in the morning then you are always waiting to use something. And t then go to parties, which suck now too cause there are cops always up your ass, there is nothing here really for us to do or at least not in a good walking distance.
ReplyDeleteI unlike many Kent students, didn't choose Kent for its excellent programs and opportunities. I came here because I was in the last two months of my senior year of high school and had no idea what I wanted to do. To be honest, I was panicking and decided to go to Kent-Stark and see what they had to offer me. Initially I totally loved it there, I was blown away by college and the knowledge I was getting out of every class. I liked that the classes were small (30 people at the most), that you got to know everyone in your class, that your teachers were always around, everyone commuted so everyone could relate to one another. There were only 5 buildings, parking was free. Now it all seems like a dream, but I do feel like this is more of a typical college scene. The kind you see in the movies, big classes, parties, but at the same time, there isn't the closeness that I expected. Last year when I lived in Lake Hall, no one got to know each other, there was a detachment. It's a shame, because I could have made good friends with the people in my hall, but there was a lack of communication, never a late-night pow wow with my dorm-mates, just drunken chicks punching out our windows and door in the middle of the night. I honestly feel like the university is getting too large. As the person above me said, parking is a total nightmare around here and trying to give someone directions to get around is horrible and pointless. While I can kind of see why the university wanted to redo Risman Plaza I still don't see how it was worth millions of dollars to have crinkly bacon sculptures and a waterfall that will be shut off from November to May. Now the university wants to put in a green-space and a clock tower to give drivers something to look at. It's pretty obvious to me that this school isn't really looking out for us as students and making sure we feel safe and happy, it's about attracting More students. Money makes the world go round as the saying goes, I'm just wondering what's going to happen when the money runs out and this school is scrambling for more students to pay for useless clock-towers. Call me disillusioned, but sometimes I do feel like a number to this school, I mean they want us to memorize a banner ID number, as if our names aren't enough to justify us as students or people.
ReplyDeleteI came to Kent for two reasons. My first reason is that it is close to home. My second reason is that I wanted a degree in Fashion. I ended up changing my major, but I still am happy with my decision. Kent has many awesome programs other than fashion also. We are a large school because of how great some of our programs are like nursing, architecture, fashion, journalism. I don’t mind the large amount of students that go to Kent State University. I actually like a larger crowd. I would rather go to a big school rather than a small one. I prefer my college experience rather than high school. I graduated with 400 people in my class so if I went to a small school I would most likely have the same or maybe even less people at college compared to high school. I enjoy large lectures. We are adults we should be able to choose when we go to class and what we make of it. If I feel like I one on one help I go to a tutor. Having a small class of 30 people really does not interest me. The only situation that really sucks is trying to get into classes. Sometimes your schedule is so random because classes get full so fast. Other than that I feel like Kent is definitely a place to go to become successful. Yes I feel like I’m just a number, but it is what you make of it. So what if you’re just a number. My goal is to get a degree and have fun while doing it. Kent is a fun place to be. I like the freedom Kent State gives you. I know I will be successful here and that is why I continue to go here. I hope that the university continues to do great things with the tuition money they are receiving to expand so I will always feel comfortable here.
ReplyDeleteI came to Kent State because it was close enough to home yet far enough so I can have my independence; I live about 45 minutes away. I also came to Kent because of the education program since the university was first started as a teacher school. I like that at Kent we have a diversity of students, so we get a chance to learn about so many cultures. Because Kent State is a large university, I feel our individual needs are not met. Advisors meet with us when we schedule an appointment but they are usually rushed because they see so many kids in a day and therefore rush our appointments without really caring about what we need. Professors cannot meet our individual learning needs.
ReplyDeleteI do feel like I’m a number here at Kent State. To me, colleges now a days are only competing to who has the highest enrollment rate and keep enrolling more students, especially if it means more money. I know colleges want money and Kent State deals with financial issues all the time. Tuition jumped up because the university gave Lester Lofton a raise. Kent State also spends our money on renovations, which isn’t entirely a bad thing. It cost us around $3 million to renovate Risman Plaza; soon they will be renovating the Art Building and Van Duesen. One would think that with more students coming into the university, the decrease of tuition but that is not the case here and I don’t like that.
I do believe students have freedom here. They choose what classes they want to take and when, they choose whether to go to class or not, and they choose whether to study for a test or not; no one is breathing down our necks telling us to go to class or study or saying you need to take this class this semester—sometimes maybe, just depends on the major.
There is always the argument that larger universities cannot tend to the massive amount of students and their individual needs. I am a firm believer that college is what you make of it. If you want a good education out of an institution, unless you’re an absolute genius, the most important variable is effort. Effort is what separates the ‘lemmings’ from successful individuals.
ReplyDeletePeople also tend to feel like just a number when it comes to larger universities. It makes sense, but is not a huge concern of mine. I feel like just a number when it comes to being a citizen of the United States or an inhabitant of the earth. This feeling is natural but should not be a concern of the university. The concern should be delivering higher education for every student, no matter how many there may be.
If people want to change what Kent does what it’s money, people should really stop complaining and start doing something about it. Sure, some things change from one person’s word, but much more has gotten accomplished with the voices of the plenty. So, if you’re reading this and you have a problem with Kent’s budgeting? Do something about it: Quit complaining and take action. Get people to support your cause and spread the word. America might not be as free as it once was and perhaps even dictated by corporate executives laughing all the way to their banks, but we luckily have not gotten to the point where our opinions are irrelevant.
I chose Kent State for a few reasons. Firstly, after hearing about the university and its moderate price for out-of-state students from a friend, I decided to visit. Upon my first visit I immediately loved the look and feel of the campus. This should not be a huge deal for most people, but for me, a place for learning should also be a peaceful and beautiful place for living too. Also, I wanted to make myself a new start. I wanted to branch away from my home and my current friends, to somewhere no one else was going. It was also conveniently far enough to be able to go home for emergencies, but far enough away so I could feel distant. Overall it was a great choice because now I know what it’s like to miss and really appreciate my family and friends, while learning techniques of coping and growing socially without knowing a single person in the surrounding area.
Thanks for listening.
If I were to read that article with no correlation to this blog, it never would have crossed my mind that I am certainly a number for the Kent State University.
ReplyDeleteI graduated from Mentor High School, Class of 2006, with a class of 1100 students. Learning everyone’s name in my class alone is impossible- but I was not a number. I was accounted for, and it was known the moment I skipped class and/or if I was in the correct place at the correct time.
Kent State University- there are classes that I can choose to attend or not attend and either way, it would not make a difference to my professor. If there were a fire drill, my teacher would not be able to account for my safety.
That article that was posted on this blog reiterates the goal of “numbers.” To be blunt, congratulations Kent State for being number 2 in the state; however, can Lester Lefton pick me out of a group of people and does he really care if I graduate or not? Or worse, can I pick Lester Lefton out of a group of people? On top of that, is my graduation from Kent State University a number as well?
My needs from smaller classes are met easily. Granted the university does make an effort in reassuring Student Instructor sessions to help tutor those that have a difficulty understanding concepts of classes, but there are classes where individual attention on certain students is absolutely impossible.
I chose Kent State University because the Nursing program is statistically satisfactory. Some universities do not have a program available for nursing, just like Kent State does not have every major available here as well. So as far as freedom- that goes as far as I can throw it.
Though Kent State University has become the second largest public university in Ohio, I feel that they manage the students well. It can be hectic to schedule classes now or maybe even find a seat in a classroom, but some of the programs that Kent State offers allow for the individualized teaching of students. Kent State offers multiple tutoring programs from math tutoring to SI. These programs have helped me considerably throughout my time here at the universitiy and I am not sure if I could have obtained the grades I have without these programs. The increase in student's may even bring more recognition to Kent State and enhance the programs and classes offered at the university. Though there are many advantages to this increase; sometimes you can not help but feel like a number. When it comes to advising appointments, parking spaces, or even comfortable seating it can be a bit stressful.The increase in size at the university has not affected my ability to study my major but in the future it could greatly change the ways the programs here at the university are taught. I feel I may get more freedom at a university with a smaller student population, but more students sometimes equals more opportunity and better faculty and classes. I came to Kent State originally because it was close to home and I loved the campus. I had no idea what I was going to major in when I first came to Kent State but I knew that they provided many programs that were highly recognized. I am now majoring in Nursing and the university has provided me many opportunities that other universities could not offer me. The discrepancies concerning the budget seems a little private and I do not think students get the whole story behind the budget. I personally do not think that the increase in students is the reason for concern of the budget, but it might be due to all the unnecesary renovations. on campus. If there was some reevaluation of the budget I'm sure that the population increase would not effect the budget so harshly, but thats another topic of discussion.
ReplyDelete0My opinion on Kent State is roughly analogous to my view of most other institutions, they've lost their way. College used to be something you could pay for yourself if properly motivated, but since the 90's there's been a near 60% increase in the cost of public schools. The average graduate walks off the stage with 17,000 dollars in debt, and we're quickly approaching the point where one change of major almost guarantees a fifth year.
ReplyDeleteThe fifth year of college (or victory lap as I like to say) is quite familiar to me as I am currently in the midst of it. After doing quite well socially and very poor academically at a small liberal-arts college in PA freshmen year, I retreated to the safety of Cleveland's own Tri-C (community college). Eventually I fought through three semesters there and moved on to bigger and better establishments, like Kent Geauga Branch, and finally to THE Kent State University last year. In the time span from graduating high school in '06 to starting my fall semester in '10 I've had projected majors of Undecided, Biology, Journalism, and finally (for some ungodly reason) Psychology.
What has this list of life experience taught me? For one: that I can attend an 18,000 dollar per semester private school and not necessarily get the quality of teaching as a 1700 dollar per semester community college. One of the brightest individuals I've ever met taught at Tri-C eastern. Now I pay almost three times the tuition to have classes taught by TA's? This is higher education? Almost everyone at the community schools really WANTED to be there. People took out loans, worked nights, and got babysitters to be able to go to school. If you didn't show up for a class, teachers didn't care because you're a damn adult and it's your money being spent. Now I miss three classes and lose letter grades? (No offense prof, it's an all encompassing statement, not directed at the structure of your individual classroom.)
Regardless, I need a four-year degree in something (or so I've been told such a myriad of times). So here I am, free afloat in the sea of life, clinging to the last remnants of my youth and naivate, utterly clueless as to what my future will hold.
Is Kent State too big? Not necessarily, student body doesn't have much of an effect on quality of education as much as the system does. I'd love to go back and change things, but I can't. Even if I wanted to, I'd have to write my life away until I was at least 26. Now the choices have come down to graduate with a degree in something which interests me but that I have no real interest in pursuing, or drop out and kiss and easy 35 grand in personal money spent (or borrowed) out the window. So here I float...
Coming to Kent State was a choice that did not take much thought. I attended this university because of its close proximity to my hometown along with their excellent Fashion program. When I applied for Kent State, I had no idea how large of a university it was. Knowing that Kent State is the second largest school in Ohio is a big deal but it never crossed my mind that I am nothing more than a number for the university. Personally, I feel that my needs are being properly tended to. With professor having office hours, I feel it gives students the ability to meet with their professors for any questions that they may have which is a good benefit. Attending such a large university has its disadvantages but the advantages are what count the most. Having various tutoring programs that assist students in their studies is an advantage for the students that attend the university. With Kent State having such a huge increase in enrollment, it still has not had an effect on my ability to study. Currently I am majoring in Fashion Merchandising and attending Kent State University has offered me a huge amount of opportunities that many universities cannot. Honestly, I think Kent State gives students freedom to pursue their own studies. We are all given the ability to choose our own classes and make choices about going to the class and studying for test. When you become a college student decisions are made by you but you have to remember it is your money being spent. As far as the budget, I think the renovations that Kent State has added and plan on adding is not necessary. However, with an increase in enrollment comes an increase in tuition and that is where Kent State makes their decisions which always raises more discussion.
ReplyDeleteBefore even coming to Kent State, I knew this university was on the rise as far as popularity goes. When the student number rises, the faculty and staff number has to rise as well. So when the question asks if our individual needs can be met at a university this size, the answer is no. From my own experiences so far, the student to faculty ratio is lopsided. When trying to make a advisory appointment with my counselor, there was a 2 week waiting period to make just a 30 minute appointment. This wasn’t just with my counselor, but with all the counselors. But as far as my classes go, the teacher to student ratio isn’t all that bad considering almost all of my classes are under 30 students. I feel like one of the main goals at this university is increasing the number of students to be one of the best universities in the country and also the country. So when it comes to feeling like a number at this university, the answer is yes. With such a rapid rate of students entering this university, it is kinda hard not to think of yourself as a number. As a benefit though, with a university this size, it has to meet its student’s needs. So with such diversity, it opens many options to many different kinds of students. I did come to Kent State for the reason that it was a growing university and becoming well recognized across the country. I also came here because it was far away from home to earn a respectable degree. But with paying so much money to attend this university, I hope to get what I’m paying for as far as teacher and counselor availability.
ReplyDeleteI came to Kent State University hoping to get a proper education at an affordable price. While other students from my high school went to more expensive colleges across the country, I opted into a program that would get me a degree and prepare me for my career. I didn’t even try to get into more expensive colleges like Case Western; I didn’t see the point of putting myself so deep in debt when a Kent degree would suffice. I’d heard from family and friends that Kent had an excellent teacher education program, and I wasn’t one of those people trying to escape the hometown by moving hundreds of miles away.
ReplyDeleteI’m not particularly picky when it comes to educational environments. I’m a recovering perfectionist, so I try too hard regardless of the size of a class or the setting. Given the increasing size of the Kent population, I don’t find myself worrying too much. However, I am slightly concerned that increased class sizes may lead to a disconnect between the teacher and the student at Kent State.
I don’t think the size of the university has an effect on studies, as long as the university staff grows along with the student population. The fact that I had been blocked out of College Writing II for two semesters is an ominous example of the college being outgrown by the student body. Worried about attracting more and more undergraduates so as to bolster reports on population, the administration lacks necessary foresight in planning courses for the aging students body. There’s certainly no shortage of College Writing I courses, but College Writing II courses are hard to schedule and often overbooked, forcing many upperclassmen to add semesters onto their college years as they wait for an open spot.
The fact that students find themselves struggling in completing this class suggests the quiet formation of a rift between administration and students. Such a disconnect finds students cursing an invisible administration, one that does not provide the necessary resources to personalize the college experience. The best “big colleges” have the ability to make themselves “feel” small by accommodating students that take classes seriously. Without a mechanism that personalizes the college experience for committed students, a university risks making the students feel like a worthless statistic.
I personally love the size of Kent State University. I my opinion, it’s not too big and not too small. My parents met at Ohio State University. We go down to Columbus either for football games or simply to shop around some stores about 2-3 times each year, and more often for me since I have some friends that go to school there. So Columbus has always been a part of my life and ever since I was a little kid I’ve wanted to go there. But when it came time to select a school, I didn’t exactly have the grades for OSU, and they didn’t have my major ironically enough. I came to Kent State because of the Aviation program. My major is Air Traffic Control. Kent is the only school in the state of Ohio with an accredited Aviation program. My dad is an Air Traffic Controller so I am somewhat familiar with the industry. But to me, Kent is a nice college town. I love it because it is a nice “chill” and relaxed place, and that’s what my personality is like. I feel the number of students enrolled here is the perfect amount. I do not feel a little fish in a big pond. I feel the teachers can meet with students individually for personal consultation with classes and such. This university is the right size where most things such as food restaurants and stores are either within walking distance or one can take the bus. I am very impressed with Kent being the second highest enrollment of public universities in Ohio; I didn’t even know we ranked third before our jump. I take pride in that ranking because some people make fun of the university with sayings like “Can’t Read, Can’t Write, Kent State”. But the fact that we have the second highest enrollment in the state verifies my thoughts that this university is graduating students and doing a good job at it. The statistical increase of students enrolled is proof enough. I feel as a student my job is to learn and receive an education, and the teachers are helping me by teaching my valuable information everyday.
ReplyDeleteI came to this college because I hated the University of Toledo’s online program and wanted to be able to sit in a traditional classroom. I got my Associate’s Degree from Stark State which partnered with Kent-Stark on several occasions, so it seemed like a good choice. One of the best things about Stark State was the small classrooms and one-on-one time with teachers. Surprisingly, despite the size of this school, I have not had any trouble reaching teachers. When I was in Toledo’s online program, the Graduate Assistants did all of the grading and chatting and the teachers themselves barely did anything. Even the content itself was usually posted by the GAs. There do seem to be a lot of students here, but I have not had any trouble contacting teachers when I needed them, so I do believe this University meets my needs. To a certain degree I feel like a number, but since I have never actually had a problem talking to teachers, that is irrelevant. There is a certain freedom in both large and small colleges. In a large college, more courses are offered, which allows for more variety in coursework. But in a small college, there is more one-on-one time with teachers and advisors, so you can work the system a little bit more. I never read the newspaper so I honestly have no idea how the college’s finances are, but with increased tuition and record-high enrollment there is no logical reason other than poor financial management that this school should have any real money problems. Generally speaking, the larger the group the more monetary waste because more people have to get involved and evaluate what they can do to fix the problem. If they are having money problems then unless the government is somehow hindering the school, they need to reexamine how they spend their money.
ReplyDeleteAfter taking a tour and falling in love with the campus here at Kent State, I made my decision to become a student here. I felt very welcomed the very second I was here, people made it a point that teachers are here to teach you and are all very open to helping you out. I can honestly say that is very true from the 3 years I have been a student here. Every teacher has been open to helping me out if I ever needed anything, and they all have multiple times for office hours to meet with them. I don't feel like a number at all here at Kent State there are so many people that are willing to help with my education that it is makes me feel comfortable. My individual needs have so far been met the multiple times I have needed help with anything. I think I do get more freedom here than a smaller college student would in pursuing studies because the more people that attend the university, the more money it is getting, the more options the university can have for it's students. By attending Kent State University I hoped to get a good education, feel welcomed, and get any help that I may have needed. These past three years I have gotten just that and more, such as making friends, and having a great college experience.
ReplyDeleteBeing the second largest public university in Ohio has many positive things that go along with it such as; the amount of international students rises, which is great for both students from the US and not from the US. I learned a lot from an international student I met last year, learned about where she is from and how different everything is here. Another positive thing about attending a large public university is that it makes the word go around, because we have become so large more students will feel better about attending. The university does not have the "high school" feeling to it because of the fact that it is so big. I have enjoyed my years here at Kent State and I am not at the least worried that it is growing.
One of the biggest problems and things that I dislike about Kent State university is the simple fact that the school has way too many students. I personally learn better in a smaller classroom setting, the professor can actually know your name and get to know what type of a student someone actually is. Where as in a lecture hall of 400 students, it is next to accomplish these things. The fact that Kent has gotten to be such a big school is slightly a good thing I suppose. People see that it is a good school to go to, but I definitely think that 41,000 students are a bit much. I don’t think anyone can really learn in a class when there are multiple people In the class, its hard to pay attention when there are so many people in the class, people are constantly talking or on their phones, where as in a smaller class you can easily tell who is doing those things. And usually people have a little bit more respect for those that are in the class. In a smaller class peoples opinions are expressed and you can get feedback and help in the class because its more personal. I don’t feel like a number so much as I feel lost in the shuffle when in a larger class setting. Your just one of 400 people, and unless you’re the obnoxious person in the class asking a thousand questions, most of the time you are never recognized academically. I think that I would personally be doing a lot better in some classes if I were in a smaller class. I take a lot of chemistry and biology classes for my major and I definitely think that if I were in a class that had a smaller amount of people it would be a lot easier for me to ask questions and get help when I needed it. They try and have the S.I. sessions to supplement the classes which does help, but I feel that if they were to have a smaller class size to begin with people would succeed a lot better in class, and in their majors over all. I do wish that I went to a smaller school because I have seen how many people have been accepted into the school since I was a freshman and it seems to be getting a little out of control. People were living in lounges of dorms when I was a freshman, so clearly things have changed and the amount of students and dorm sizes should be evaluated if they were to accept any more students than they think they can accommodate.
ReplyDeleteI came to Kent State University for a few reasons. My oldest brother attended and graduated from KSU just a few years ago. My other older brother also attended KSU his freshman year before transferring to Akron. I was kind of pressured from my family into coming here, but in the end it was ultimately my decision. My hometown is Medina, Ohio. Being only 45 minutes away from Kent, it allowed me to be far enough away, but also close enough to come home when I needed to. The main reason why I chose to come here was because of my major. When I researched and toured this university, I found that KSU offered a great program for computer technology. I am currently in the 2+2 major program which allows me to earn both my associates and bachelors together. I found this to be very beneficial. Coming into KSU as a freshman I noticed quite some overcrowding in the dorms. There were students stuffed into lounges with 2 or 3 other roommates until they were accommodated and given their own rooms. After reading this article I couldn’t help but feel slightly proud, but also disappointed at the same time. With the increasing enrollment rate there is also a decrease of individual needs being properly tended to. I believe our individual needs as students are not being met because advisors are overwhelmed with the amount of students they have to pay attention to. With the increasing amount of students here, classes are becoming way too overcrowded. It has become increasingly difficult to register and get in classes. Many times they fill up way too fast. I honestly do feel like just a number here at Kent. I have felt this way since coming to this university, but it never really bothered me too much. What does bother me is that Kent State’s tuition continues to go up. With more students enrolled you would think tuition would decline, but that is absolutely not the case here at Kent. We have been reminded that Kent is in debt and is need for more money. They have even added a “Donate to Kent” button where the original “Login” button was on the Kent State website. The recent restorations to buildings around Kent State make the campus look much nicer, but to me a lot of the upgrades truly weren’t a necessity. Being in a technology major, many if not all of my classes taken directly for my major are offered in VanDeusan Hall, the “Technology Building”. It is now the oldest building on campus. Let me restate that. Our technology building is the OLDEST building on campus. It has not seen any renovations. Our art building has gotten new computer labs while the computer labs in the technology building are stocked with desktop computers from the year 2000. I feel that Kent needs a true wakeup call on their spending. Priorities need to be established at this campus and there is none. In my opinion I believe you get much more freedom with smaller universities versus large ones like Kent State. With smaller universities you can receive much more one on one with your professors and get more out of your education.
ReplyDeleteOriginally I attended Otterbein College, a private college in Westerville near Columbus. I actually loved it there; the one thing I didn’t love was the price, not to mention being three hours away from home. My best friend attended Kent State and I was here half the weekends anyways. I went home a lot and I felt like the distance was keeping me from really enjoying college. I decided to transfer because of price and now I am a little over an hour away from home. I always told myself I would not go to Kent because we had a Kent campus in my hometown and it wasn’t known for giving great education. My first choice for college was Ohio State but when I visited there, before I sent in my letter saying I would attend, I realized the campus was just too big for me. I don’t think Kent becoming bigger is a bad thing for Kent but for the students it is. Although I didn’t really want to come to Kent I am here and now I feel like I am stuck in the big college setting that I told myself I would not enjoy. I don’t go out much because of my studies and work but I don’t feel like I have really gotten to know people like I had planned. At Otterbein it was so easy to talk to people because you see them so much. Being at a bigger campus you could walk by someone you know and not realize it, that shows just how many people there are. I do not like my big classes but they aren’t too much different from my classes at Otterbein. Lectures are normal but I used to have in class work where the professors would walk around and if you needed help you could call them over, that was in my biggest classes of a little over fifty. Maybe the education is the same but it is harder to try to understand something when you don’t get as much help. I think attending a college of this size may make us more independent but we may not learn the material as well. I sort of feel like a number but again with so many people in my classes I feel I need to do a bit more independent studying and it can help me with time management, etc. I think being at a large campus like Kent can lead to many more networking opportunities, although I feel Otterbein may have led to closer relationships to professors and possibly a couple of networking opportunities but they would have been great ones. Overall I think each type of campus has its pros and cons and you just need to pick a college that fits you best. Some students like big campuses others like small private ones. We chose Kent and we each have our reasons even if there is something we don’t like about Kent.
ReplyDeleteMy decision to attend Kent State University was driven by many factors, but size of the student body was never a factor towards my decision. I was interested in the programs Kent had to offer, the beautiful campus and its amenities, and the relative distance it was from my hometown. My experiences at Kent State University have never been directly correlated to the number of my fellow students. In my junior year, I feel as though I have been positively influenced by the organizations that I have joined and how willing I have been to get involved with the student body. I feel as though in order to not feel like a mere “number” among the class rankings and graduating charts, you need to get involved.
ReplyDeleteI have found to discover that although Kent does have a large student body, it’s actually a lot more personable and intimate than you may think. The “5th” degree is often joked about amongst my friends and I; which is what we call the phenomenon that by going through just 5 connections of friends, everybody knows eachother. I find myself amazed at all the mutual friends and connections that I have with other people. Kent has done a good job of breaking down the student body into smaller groups. The fact that they offer freshman only dorms give new students the chance to interact with others in the same situation, and not throw them out to drown in the pool of the entire student body itself.
No matter how driven you are to contribute towards the student body, there are several downsides to attending a large university. Scheduling for classes within my major has become very competitive because the student body to professor ratio isn’t available with the number of classes offered each semester. I feel as though I can relate to my professors a lot easier in a small classroom setting, like our College Writing II class, versus a larger lecture hall.
At other times I do feel like sometimes I am treated like a number because I feel as though my education is being overlooked. I just discovered for myself that I have yet to satisfy an graduation diversity requirement, which is something I should have been advised to do during my freshman year. Although I have been receiving guidance through appointments throughout my entire college career, it seemed to have gone overlooked by all of my advisers. Because there are so many students that they are each responsible for, possibly advising and taking care of students had become a simple routine rather than having the luxury of personalized, individual attention.
I think at Kent State University, they do a pretty good job of treating everyone as an individual. I mean not every class at Kent State is a huge lecture class. There are smaller sized classes that do a lot of personal work and that the professor knows you by name and does a lot more hand on work rather then lectures and notes. So I do think Kent does a good job of satisfying most student’s indivdual needs, although there are sometimes where they can not be satisfied. As for the number thing, apart of me does feel like a number with having a banner number and needing it for almost every class, but as I said before there are times where classes and just the university it self is a lot more hands on and Kent State treats everyone, at some point, to a point where that student or person feels involved and also feels that they are their own individual here on campus.
ReplyDeleteWith the amount of oppurtunities on campus there are and with the amount of majors and minors available to the students at Kent State, I say there is a great amount of freedom to pursue ones studies and to take advantage of all the extra oppurtunities that come with learning about that major, such as internships and meetings with a group involving whatever major is being studied. Even with the mass amount of students that attend Kent State University, students are free to study whatever interests them most and also get plenty of oppurtunities to learn as much as they can. The only thing is, is that smaller schools appear to do a lot of personal hands on work and do not have all these huge classes of 100 plus students. But most big universities such as Kent State do give hand on oppurtunities along with those big lecture hall classes.
What brought me to Kent State University was knowing they had what I wanted out of my college life and that it was so close to home. I am a business major Kent State has a great business program that will definetly help my life succeed in the future after I graduate. Also Kent State is very close to home so I am saving a lot of money since I commute to school everyday. It is hard to get outta bed every morning and drive here, but its worth it in the end.
Kent is huge. I think it’s a problem. I often feel like just a number here. I find the number of people here to be very overwhelming. Maybe it’s because I’m from a small town that only has about 2000 members. The lecture classes always seem a bit overwhelming and I find the professors to be quite unapproachable. When I’m sitting a mile away and there are two hundred other people in the room it’s kind of hard to get individual interaction. This is quite frustrating. It was a huge change freshman year. I was used to high school classes that held about 30 kids max. Coming to Kent was a giant wakeup call of sorts.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to my major classes (Fashion Design), the individual contact with instructors is much more convenient, at least during class. In my fashion labs (drawing and sewing classes) there are only 12 students in the lab at a time. This gives time for one-on-one communication with teachers. But even in the fashion building, I feel like I’m just a number at times. This year the fashion program accepted more freshmen students than ever before, and the school is starting to feel a little foreign. While it is good for the fashion program to grow and gain attention (as it is for Kent State in general), the population growth causes many students to dissolve. I came to Kent because of the fashion program, and I don’t regret my decision, but I do wish it was a smaller school.
On the contrary, I think it’s good to be on a campus as populated as Kent’s. It can teach a person how to make himself or herself stand out from the crowd. When we graduate and leave Kent, the world isn’t going to get smaller; it’s just going to get bigger. I think that being on a campus this large is a test of sorts on how a person will do out in the real world.
Some students love Kent because of its size, while others hate it. There are always going to be pros and cons either way.
Bottom line, I came to Kent for the School of Journalism. I am known in the School of Journalism by teachers and students and advisers and just about everyone you would want to know you. My best friends at Kent are in the School of Journalism. So, no, I don’t feel like just a number. I feel noticed because over at Franklin Hall, I am somewhat important. The number 41,000 doesn’t mean anything to me in that sense.
ReplyDeleteBut in considering that number, I think Kent State should be applauded. I’ve been at Kent for five semesters, and I have hardly ever been in a class of more than 100 people. The majority of the time there is only around 30 people, just over the typical class size of a high school class. Even with so many people, the university does a good job at keeping class sizes small and individualized.
I think the size of Kent State might make class choices a little more vanilla. In order to keep everyone on track, every student has to take all the same types of classes outside his or her major. Although Liberal Education Requirements are pretty much the bane of every Kent students existence, I think there is still some wiggle room inside the world of LERs to find something you like, so it isn’t really too big of a problem.
So is Kent State too big? No. As a state university, it is important that Kent provides an affordable and obtainable education for anyone who wants it. Within Kent State University, there are enough groups and niches to find a place. Even with 41,000 students, if you can’t find your place, you aren’t trying.