College a time of transition, students who engage in groups most likely to perform well

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How much change happens in a person from their first day of college to their last?

It may not always be easy to recognize, but being in college can be one of life’s most transforming experiences, as Kimberly Tate said.

“College is, in some ways, a rite of passage from dependence on others to having to take care of yourself,” the DeWitt junior said. “I think there’s a change from mom and dad holding their hand and learning to get by on their own.”

Tate is president of the Association of Psychological Social Studies Caucus and vice president of Scholarships for Sigma Kappa. She said her experience with helping her Greek sisters has allowed her to see change in people who had difficulty starting but ended well.

“I’ve definitely seen girls come in freshman year, not take their grades seriously and mess up, but then mature and turn into leaders,” she said.

Wei Zhou, Central Michigan University’s director of Institutional Research and Planning, said close to 83 percent of students who join groups will stay in school and perform better.

According to the the National Survey of Student Engagement, first-year CMU students were less likely than their peers to have participated in a learning community than CMU seniors. Additionally CMU seniors were more likely to have completed community service or volunteer work than their peers.

“CMU students over the past couple of years are more socially engaged,” Zhou said. “It’s part of the tradition of the university that emphasizes public service.”

Tate said change happens in moments. For Sterling Heights junior Danny Goodwin Jr., that moment came in the summer between his sophomore and junior years.

Until then, college had been about his social priorities. But interacting with possible future colleagues made him see it was time to grow up, he said.

“I met people in the field I was going into and I realized now is the time to change into the person I’m going to be for the rest of my life,” he said. “I’ve realized it’s not about going out on weekends, but taking advantages of the opportunities you get that nobody else has, like getting a college education.”

Goodwin Jr. is the vice president of the Public Relations Student Society of America registered student organization and the Assistant Account Executive of PR Central. He is also a Delta Chi member. He and Tate emphasized the importance of joining a student groups.

He said the most important thing students can do is get involved.

Goodwin Jr. thinks most college changes are brought about when people interacted with open minds and allow themselves to learn from each other.

“When you get a bunch of people from all walks of life and they have to interact, it really forces you to see that the world is not only what you’ve seen,” he said.