Classes are hard if you hardly study. Perhaps you have already heard, but classes at Michigan Tech are no joke. There’s a reason Michigan Tech has earned a reputation for being a top STEM school. That being said, effective study skills can turn an impossible class into a manageable one and a manageable class into a breeze. Now’s the time to develop those skills, and if you need help there are a plethora of resources (learning centers, workshops, Success Coaches) that will get and keep you on the right track.
There’s more to the college campus than just classes. Speaking of resources…it’s easy to think of Michigan Tech as a place to go to (and hopefully pass) classes and nothing else. Between office hours and learning centers for every subject imaginable, there is so much to learn beyond the classroom. Not to mention that there are departments on campus dedicated to mental health and wellbeing, career opportunities, outdoor activities, and student success just to name a few. Skeptical that Michigan Tech has enough to offer just check out the Student Scoop that pops in your inbox every week.
There’s more to the Keweenaw than just a college campus. Every once in a while campus may start to feel a little small. Fortunately for us, we live in one of the most stunning places in the entire world. Whether it’s hiking, swimming, mountain biking, or camping the Keweenaw Peninsula is an outdoorsman’s dream. The views at Copper Harbor or Breakers can turn any couch potato into an avid nature lover. Maybe if you get lucky you’ll even catch the Northern Lights.
Everyone goes to K-Day. Even if you aren’t involved in any clubs or perhaps a few too many, K-Day is the place to be. For a glorious class-free Friday afternoon, over 100 student organizations set up booths and share what they are all about. Greek life, academic organizations, club sports, enterprises, K-Day has it all. While that alone may not be enough to convince you to take the 10-minute trip to Chassell, there is an abundance of free food and giveaways. You don’t want to miss out.
Nobody goes home for Winter Carnival-I know, I know a four-day weekend smack dab in the middle of Winter is the perfect time to escape the tundra and head towards whatever home is. However, skipping Carnival would be the equivalent of skipping out on a roller coaster after you’ve waited in line for hours. Nobody knows winter better than Huskies and nobody knows how to celebrate winter better than Huskies. Any doubts? Just wait until the snow sculptures are built.
Mt. Ripley is free and rentals are a steal. Just about anywhere else in the world a ski ticket costs as much as an arm and a leg, but as an MTU student Mt. Ripley is absolutely free to ski on as long it has snow on it. It’s not too often that one can go to a ski hill immediately after they finish a class. Michigan Tech offers co-curricular credits in snowboarding and skiing for a variety of abilities so there’s no excuse to pick up the hobby if you haven’t already. Don’t have the right equipment, in order to rent for the year all you have to pay is a smidge under $90. Not per session…for the year! Seasonal Rentals (touchnet.net)
Nothing tops the student section at a Michigan Tech hockey game. What happens when you take one of the most dedicated student sections in the nation and place them next to one of the most ludicrous pep bands in existence? Pure pandemonium. On select Friday and Saturday nights from October to March, there is no better place on Earth than MacInnes Ice Arena. Show up early enough and you’ll get to view a Division I hockey team annihilate its opponents for free. Plus you’ll get to learn three fight songs (even if only one is “official”), and ridicule the opposing goalie for the entire duration of the game.
We have a rivalry with Northern. Anytime we play them in anything it’s a big deal and more often than not we win.
You can’t get more elite than the Dean’s Club. In addition to being the head man of student affairs, Dean Wallace Southerland III is an avid Instagrammer. If you give him a follow, maybe just maybe he’ll let you in the increasingly exclusive Dean’s Club.
Make the most of every moment. Sometimes college seems to last forever, especially if you are halfway through a Friday afternoon class. But, it’s only a snapshot of your life. For many of us, this will be our only chance to take in the area and everything that the campus has to offer. In addition to setting yourself up for the future, set yourself up for the present. Being a Michigan Tech student is one of the best opportunities you have ever had. Invest accordingly.
