Comments from mtuparent-l@mtu.edu regarding students' experiences at Michigan Tech

My son was first accepted at GMI (now Kettering) but when we went to visit there in his senior year of HS, he said "This isn't a university, it's a building on a street corner!" Then we went to MTU, and he wrote out his deposit check on the spot! That was 6 years ago and he's completing his master's degree in mechanical engineering this semester. He said it was difficult to go from the top 10 in HS to a university where EVERYONE was at the top of their class. It was a struggle to keep his grades up the first 2 years, but he's been on the Dean's list for his graduate studies.

I've loved driving him back and forth when needed and making it up for one winter carnival. It's 570 miles from St. Clair Shores.  Houghton is quaint, but there's SO much to see and do in the area.
I found the staff most helpful, from financial aid questions to helping me find health insurance when he got too old to be carried on mine.   He had the room scholarship for his first 2 years, then moved out with other friends to some of the rental houses in the area. He admits to getting a little tired of the snow, but loved back-packing on Isle Royal and getting involved in rock climbing. He didn't have a car the first 2 years, and totaled that one in a snowstorm this past Feb. trying to get home for his grandmother's funeral. But then, he totaled the very first car he'd saved for and bought (and had for 2 months) when he was 16, driving 1 mile to school in his first bad snowstorm. (He wasn't hurt in either accident.)

Life has it's challenges where ever we are and I'm grateful that my son has had the opportunity of getting his college education, and a lot of life skills,  at MTU.

Best wishes to all, Rene'

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Don't worry too much about your son adjusting to college life. Our daughter is in her second year at Tech and loves the activities she can participate in. She had a rough first semester (was on academic probation), but she made the Dean's List for this fall. Found out how to study and she went to the help sessions. Her suitemates even said that she studied too much! Currently, she is a mechanical engineering major but is switching to civil engineering. She skis, plays broomball, is active in Society of Women
Engineers, and is a member of the pep band. Roomates have a lot to do with the success of the first year students. Our daughter likes hers this year and it makes a big difference in their attitude. So, tell your son to get involved and make his college years more than just studying. She is our second one to go away to college, so maybe she learned a little from her brother. We had a slight problem at first adjusting to her being so far away (we live in Fraser-near Detroit), but we enjoy our trips to Tech. Even went to the parent's weekend a second time this fall.

Jolyn Zielesch

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My son was very hesitant leading up to the start. We did not visit the campus, until three weeks before starting his first semester. The college was selected for its academic excellence. After visiting the campus during the summer, my son decided he would get the best possible grades so he could transfer closer to home, as he couldn't find "anything to do up here".

HOWEVER..now he has completed a semester and has decided he absolutely loves the place. He is enjoying snowboarding, broomball, and the various other activities. He asked for a camera for Christmas, so he could email me pictures of the upcoming winter carnival. My son loves being around "people just like him" for the first time in his education. Engineers have those quirky brains, and my son is finally at home in his surroundings. He calls on a regular basis to let us know about his new friends and activities. His main concern is the amount of kids that sit in their rooms and don't come out. One semester into his education, my son has found wonderful friends that he most likely will keep for life, and experiences that he could never have gotten on a different campus. He has very good grades and a long list of future clas s and activities he wants to take. He does caution that anyone thinking of heading to MTU should love the outdoors..or they are picking! the wrong campus. My son came to MTU with the attitude that he wouldn't stay long, and decided after the first week that this really was the place for him. Not bad for not knowing a single person on campus before arriving, and now knowing so many people its inicredible.

I love visiting, and have mastered "crossing the bridge" finally. On one of our recent trips, we even spotted a moose. Although its a long drive from Harper Woods, I have enjoyed our trips immensely.

--from a happy mom

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Hi...We have two sons attending MTU. Our oldest will graduate in May and youngest is a junior. It is a tough school, but we really feel that our sons are getting a good education and have had great opportunities there. I think anytime there is a major change in one's life, it can be a tough adjustment...no matter where they are attending college, the first year is an adjustment for both the student and the parents. We've found that our sons have gotten a quality education, made life-long friends, and have been able to spread their wings and fly. There have been some dips in the road, but overall, MTU has been great.

It is a long way to go...but we love the area and try to visit as often as we can.

Tim & Julie Seguin

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My son is also a freshman student and was not sure what to expect, but looked forward to the fact that most students going to this school trying very hard to succeed. He didn't want to go to a "Party School". He wanted the challenge. He has admitted, you have to have good study habits! However, he was sucessful this 1st semister (made the dean's list), but it was a lot of work. He feels very at home at MTU and has nothing but good things to say. He was one of the students that had to move from his dorm Wads) because of the renovation process, but all has gone well. I would continue to look at MTU your son just has to get used to winter.

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My son is starting his second semester at Tech. He is NOT outdoorsie or physically active in any way. But he seems very happy, and has been successful academically despite the fact that he did NOT do well academically in high school. He started Tech with the "strong suggestion" that he take a special class on study skills (thank you, MTU, for convincing him that this was a good idea!). He finished the semester with an A/B average.

He does not have as active a social life as I had hoped, but it IS more active than it was in high school, so I can't complain - he's just basically a bit of a loner. He has gotten involved with a couple of activities, which is great! My son chose MTU on his own; it wasn't a school we had thought about especially. We live in Ann Arbor! But he wanted to be in a small town at a relatively small school, and he most definitely wanted to head north (we have a family cabin near Manistique where he's been spending summers since infancy). The winter has not daunted him; and I think the distance bothers us more than him. The personal connections with professors are a big plus.

Anyway, he says that he has no plans to transfer out at any point, this is the place he wants to be for the next four years. It's giving him the right amount of challenge, excellent future opportunities, and a lifestyle he likes!

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[Regarding parents' previous questions and answers about attending MTU] However your should know that I am truly amazed at the wonderful response. One parent felt so strongly he called me from Wisconsin. That just blew me away. I am very impressed with all the positive support from the parents, students and former students. It was breathtaking.

My son has always wanted to go to Michigan Tech. He calls it his "Dream School ". I must admit I wanted him to attend a school closer to home. MTU is 10 hours away. He wants no part of any other school. I made him apply at Kettering and Lawrence Tech. However he will not even consider them. His mind is made up and has been since he was about 10.

Thank you,
Cheri Osak
future MTU parent

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My son is in his second semester as a computer engineering major, my daughter is a junior with a chem e major, XXXXX took to tech like a duck to water, XXXX is a little more laid back personality, isn't all that forward and was not real happy for a month or two......but, he's made friends, gotten into a few groups, and now that the slopes are open is blossoming. He was bored at home and couldn't wait to get back to school, I talked to him this morning and he's really looking forward to this semester's classes. It is different, it is far away, but if your son was attracted to the campus enough to want to go there, he should do just fine. There are groups and clubs for just about everyone both on campus and in the town.....not knowing his interests i can't be specific, i'd be more than happy to forward a note from him to my son XXXX, or just give you XXXX's email (tho he's not the best correspondent in the world).

As a parent, i think Tech rocks, but then i've always tried to raise my kids to be independent. Tech does not coddle the kids, but the professors are unbelievably approachable, (kristen had one on one counseling on Sunday's in the lab prior to a difficult assignment, just because she emailed her prof with questions) The growth in both of them
has been gratifying and the distance makes it real hard to call home for help outside of a shoulder to unload on.

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Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:11:42 -0500
From: "Gloria Stocks" <glorias@med.umich.edu>

I have to agree that MTU is an excellent university. I also agree that it was an adjustment for my son, especially when it is an 11-12 hour drive from our home. Our son is also in his freshman year at MTU and calls it home as well. He is also on a broomball team this year.

MTU is much more personal than so many of the large universities. It recognizes each student as a person or individual not just a number like so may universities and colleges do.

Just my honest opinion.
Gloria

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I live in the Houghton area and work on campus and my daughter attended Tech for two years before transferring to an all-female college out east. Right out of high school she originally planned to attend MSU but the last minute (I mean the van was packed with her dorm fridge, etc.) she changed her mind and enrolled at Tech. She entered here with the intention of transferring and for two years Tech ended up being the perfect place for her.

From the start she was undecided about what she wanted to study so her father and I, who incidentally are both Tech grads, encouraged her to take a variety of subjects in the hope that she would discover a field she would like to pursue further. She soon got involved with several campus organizations and activities. She wrote the weekly ParentNet for a year before Milan took over and she was editor-in-chief of the campus feminist publication Technobabe Times. She made friends, studied hard, and never hesitated to go to office hours. She developed good relationships with her professors and as a sophomore was asked to work on a research project normally reserved for graduate students. She ended up being ‘mentored’ by several professors in the social sciences and humanities departments who encouraged her to follow her dreams, and who wrote glowing letters of recommendation that led to her being accepted into her first choice school, where she is now excelling at studies in her areas of interest.

She would be the first to tell you that one of the best things about Tech is its size. She would never have had the opportunities or the individual attention if she had gone to a big school like MSU or Michigan. Students here are not just numbers. My daughter and I, as a former student, found the good professors to be accessible and approachable. Tech might not be for everyone but my daughter transferred from here as a confident and mature young woman and I attribute much of that to her experiences during the two years she spent as a Tech student.

Diane

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