Academics
Established in 1960, Michigan’s Grand Valley State University is a large public liberal arts university that offers over 90 degrees to more than 21,000 undergraduates across its campuses. The school “has the opportunities that a large university can offer but it feels like a small college.” While the school is “large and full of connections,” the nearly 1,800 faculty members, the “great campus, and [the] nice and new class buildings” help to break the school up into smaller academic communities that let students “build meaningful connections with professors.” Added to that are small class sizes (twenty-six students per class on average), which lend themselves “to a better and more immersive learning experience.” There are also “so many different free resources” for students, including a Writing Center, academic tutoring, “several types of counseling, [and] individual and group tutoring sessions.”
Professors “are extremely knowledgeable in their fields of study, and that shows in lectures and discussions.” Their classes utilize various pedagogical techniques, including “inquiry-based class,” where “traditional lecture time [is] devoted to going over the homework and asking questions about the lecture.” Teachers take students “on field trips to areas in the community to see what [is] learned about in lecture in the real world,” and others utilize “technology to ask practice questions in class to test students' understanding of the material.” Additionally, some “make use of videos to provide a more visual means of learning.” Overall, Grand Valley is “very involved in student life and encourages everyone to get out and get experience.”
Student Body
With this “always kind” group, “you never feel like you can't ask someone for help or guidance when you need it.” The campus has a generally “open and friendly atmosphere,” and due to GVSU’s size “there is a community for everyone.” Plus, the school “works hard to ensure everyone feels like they belong.” That’s good news because students “vary from different ethnic background, cultures, [and] families,” even if some students admit that for the most part this is a “mainly white student body.” Others claim you’ll find “a good mix of conservativism and free thinkers” on campus. Either way, people “are active when not studying in the amazing library,” but most people “don’t party too hard” and “seem to enjoy smaller group settings.” One Lake sums Grand Valley up: “The school is just big enough that we do not have to worry about small school drama where everyone knows everyone, but not so big that I do not see any of the same people each day.”
Campus Life
With more than four hundred student organizations and intramural sports, “student life thrives on campus” and there's “a lot to do always,” particularly when you factor in what nearby Grand Rapids has to offer. Speaking of which, in addition to “lots of internship and volunteer opportunities,” with “a popular and safe city nearby,” students have access to “the full college experience” and can “go downtown and spend time at a local coffee shop [or] at a sports or music event.” On campus, “everything is very updated and modern” and “dorms are nice and a good size for freshmen and upperclassmen.” Generally, students “keep to themselves and study and then get together on the weekends.” Other activities include the “very popular” football games, as well as heading “to the recreational center to exercise or participate in a group class, or [getting] involved with an on-campus club.”
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