Brett Thompson
I have chosen to write about the University of Kentucky Students community. In this community you will build relationships with people through the life college students live. These lifestyles include the difficulty of classes and need to study, building confidence in our choices, some common hangouts, college athletics, and financial burdens.
Students go to college to not only receive an education, but also to be challenged intellectually. The picture above was taken during a study session involving one of my friends and I helping each other understand the class material. We were studying for an upcoming exam, trying to understand as much as we could, so we could get a good grade. The class difficulty forced us to go over the content multiple times, even after learning it in lectures, to better understand it. My friend, as am I, is a Mechanical Engineering major at the University of Kentucky, and is studying for a Manufacturing Engineering class. He and I are not the only one urgently preparing for important tests, but almost all college students at the University of Kentucky are forced to put in extra work outside of class to succeed. Studying becomes a huge part of our daily schedules, and even becomes a routine for most. This allows students in the community to get together, and help one another out, building friendships in the process.
College allows graduating students to get a financial edge over people who never received education beyond high school. Employers are looking for people with college educations when filling positions for jobs. In ‘How College Affects Students’, Pascarella explains how “a bachelor's degree provides a net occupational status advantage over a high school diploma of about .95 of a standard deviation (33 percentile points).”(pg. 535) This is a substantial advantage over non-college graduates. This reveals that attending a 4-year college, such as the University of Kentucky, will help the student financially after graduating. Knowing that college has such a big impact on one’s future economic status gives confidence in the choice to attend college, rather than join the workforce straight out of high school. Pascarella strengthens this confidence even more by stating that “evidence suggests that when college-educated and high school-educated individuals hold the same job, the former display statistically significant advantages in job performance.”(pg. 535) So we as college students, are bettering ourselves, and setting up for success in our future just by attending college. Those who are in the community of the University of Kentucky students, all share this confidence and hope to obtain economic success.
One can not talk about college students without bringing up financial aid. The expense of college is something all students worry about. In ‘Financial Aid: Get Your Share’, Don Rauf explains that “for most students, cost is key when picking a college.” (pg. 5) Most students could not even attend college if it were not for financial assistance. Financial Aid does not completely take care of the cost, but it does help college more affordable to aspiring students. Rauf expands on that by stating that “financial aid forms will show what a school will actually cost you and your family, as opposed to whatever ‘sticker prices’ you might see.”(pg. 5) Knowing what a college could actually cost could influence the ultimate decision of students when deciding on a college. I know that was the case for me in my decision process. There were three schools on the top of my list of possible destinations, however the one I chose was the cheapest. With this being such a factor for so many students, it really gives the student body at Kentucky common some common ground when coming in.
During college, students tend to find places to hang out, for various reasons. One of the most common places is the William T. Young library. This library is the biggest library on the University of Kentucky’s campus, and is the magnificent building in the picture above. I took this photo while walking to class one day, and had to stop to admire how big it really is. The library provides a quiet and peaceful setting for students to study. It has plenty of rooms and study areas that can even hold groups of people, while also storing countless books covering various areas of study. The library’s size symbolizes the priority of aiding students attending the University of Kentucky, and its location makes it easy and safe for students to walk there at any time of the day. My friends and I use the library to study for upcoming exams and even grab a coffee the morning after a late night study session. The library is a big part of the community and helps the students feel like their education matters.
At most Universities, especially the University of Kentucky, sports are huge for the students. The games throughout the week and on weekends provide a break from classes and a time for students to hang out, and have fun. The picture is of Commonwealth Stadium, home of the UK Wildcats’ football team. My friend worked the football games during the weekend so he was able to get me in and take this picture. I took many shots but I ultimately chose this one because it seems to show how big it is. The stadium has recently been renovated to hold more people. This expensive renovation shows the importance of athletics at UK. It becomes the main topic of conversation outside of class, as to who will win, what UK needs to do to win, and how early they’re going to start tailgating. Walking around campus you can also see many students wearing UK athletics’ shirts. The importance of the University’s athletic teams, is something that really brings college students in the community together.
The community of students at the University of Kentucky, has many different people with different tastes. However, we all seem to share things that draws us together. I’m proud to be able to call myself a wildcat.
WORKS CITED:
Rauf, Don. "Financial Aid: Get Your Share." Collegexpress Magazine (2014): 5-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Oct. 2015
Pascarella, Ernest T., and Patrick T. Terenzini. How college affects students. Ed. Kenneth A. Feldman. Vol. 2. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
https://edocs.uis.edu/Departments/LIS/Course_Pages/LIS301/papers/How_college_effects_students_534-545.pdf
