Former Student Explains How Meramec Impacted Him
By: KAVAHN MANSOURI
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
Welcome to the next few years of your academic life. For the past three years of my life I have been a Meramec student and I can say that it has been a ride to remember from first to last. I am not going to tell you that Meramec is a dream two-year college where all your hopes and dreams can come true, but I can give you a bit of advice about how to make it out of this place with a smile on your face and an acceptance letter or diploma in your hand.
The first thing you should keep in mind when you’re getting settled in is that Meramec isn’t the worst destination in the world. A lot of people you talk to might be pretty set in stone that Meramec is terrible but they either a.) haven’t really tried to enjoy the campus or b.) can’t even tell you why they dislike it. That isn’t to say this campus is the most epic two-year school you can attend. In the past three years I’ve watched a campus booming with student life shrink immensely into a shell of its former self. Budget cuts and a corporate structure at the Cosand Center have made it difficult for students to enjoy their experience
at Meramec. Meramec’s athletic teams have been consolidated, its faculty and staff mistreated and its students left to suffer the consequences of every blunder they make. But again, Meramec really isn’t as bad as a lot of people let on.
People are nice here, and for the most part won’t try to strangle you in a bathroom. Faculty and staff are all pulling for you to succeed and will take interest in you if you let them. Find the right professor or instructor and they will help you get through the next few years at Meramec. Here are some rules to live by: go to class, turn in your work, give a damn about your classes and try your best to stay on your instructors good side. Lastly, don’t be afraid of your instructors; they’ve seen a lot and are
willing to help. It’s what they are here for.
Along the way you’ll meet fellow students with a major connection to this campus for one reason or another. For myself it was what you’re reading right now, The Montage. The Montage gave me a family, a reason to come to school everyday and a future in journalism. For other students there are clubs like the Sky Club, Business Club, Global Justice Club and literally dozens more. If you have an interest, chances are Meramec has a club you can take advantage of. There are so many students involved
in what’s going on at this campus and it is one of the major ways students can be successful at Meramec. Getting involved also gives students a chance to create friendships with fellow students.
Stay informed. If you want to really be involved in what’s going on at Meramec open your eyes and ears. Students need to get involved in what is going on around campus if they expect to have any say in it. For the past three years I’ve seen students become complacent with how they are treated by administration and the college as whole. So stand up for yourself and
your fellow students. All of these things are important. Don’t be a student who just comes and goes; and if you are don’t complain about not liking Meramec. It can be a pretty cool place to go and a pretty terrible place to be at sometimes. At the
end of the day it’s about appreciating where you’re at, good situation or bad.
Meramec can be a home for students who need one. So stop and smell the roses here and try to enjoy your time on campus.
