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Tyler Gunnett
Loganville, GA
Dual Degree Engineering
I chose GSW because
of the incredible
Honors Program and the dual
degree engineering program in conjunction with Georgia
Tech. I am also thrilled to say that I am going to be playing
basketball for the NCAA Division-II Hurricanes.
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A Great
Freshmen Year
May
20th, 2010
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“Chase
perfection and achieve excellence”
Well,
first year is officially over. They say time flies when
you’re having fun, and I am now a firm believer. I left
for Pennsylvania as soon as I arrived home after my last
final to go visit my dad’s family, and just about every
single person up there asked me how I enjoyed my
freshman year. I was proud to tell them how much fun I
really had. We only get to visit once a year, so we are
always driving around visiting different pieces of the
family the entire 3-5 days that we are there. It is a
large family, so there usually isn’t much time for
anything else. Even though I probably had 10-15 people
ask me that same question, I seemed to have something
new to tell each one. It was hard to remember
everything each time; there were so many great memories
from freshman year.
To
start off, the most asked question was: “Did you enjoy
going to college?” I answered yes because I felt like I
fit in so well at Georgia Southwestern. Numbers-wise,
GSW is close to the same size as my high school, so I
didn’t have any problem adjusting from that stand
point. I was also fortunate to form some amazing
friendships throughout the year. I honestly hung out
with the same small group of people almost every day,
not including when I was hanging out with the basketball
team. School-wise, I feel like I was lucky to have some
great teachers. In college, as my mother always says,
“you’re gonna have some good ones, and you’re gonna have
some bad ones”. I can’t think of a bad teacher. Some
were obviously easier than others, and some were more
personable, but I didn’t have one that I didn’t get
along with nor had any problems with.
Another often asked question was: “What did you like
most about college?” My favorite part was definitely
the social part of college, which goes hand-in-hand with
the freedom of being away from home. There are just so
many opportunities at GSW to make new friends,
volunteer, be a part of a school-related organization,
or play a sport (whether it be at the collegiate-level
or intramurals). I really enjoyed being a part of the
Zephyr recruitment team. We give private tours to high
school students who might be interested in attending
Georgia Southwestern in the future. We also are the
hosts for each of the three Preview Days. Those events
let high school students get a feel for what a day at
Southwestern is like.
And
then of course, they would all ask me about basketball.
I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity to
brag about our basketball team and the hard work that we
put forth this year. We have firm plans to be a strong
contender in the Peach Belt Conference next year. We
were active… working out and running, spending many
hours in the gym/weight room, so I can account for all
the teams at GSW. Things are looking up for every sport
here at Southwestern in the near future.
At the ZTA
Formal with my date.
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Playing
Hard, Working Hard
March
17th, 2010
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I never
would have thought so many people would come back from
Spring Break ready to work hard in school. Granted
almost none of them wanted Spring Break to end, because
it was nice. A break from studying and doing homework
was needed. But, now that everyone is back and into the
swing of things, the common mood seems to be one that
desires to work harder and succeed in the classroom.
Now this could be just be people acting like they’re
trying to be responsible, or it could actually be an act
of good faith and people might genuinely want to do
better.
I would
like to think of myself as not being in either category,
but then I would be lying. I didn’t completely slack
for the first half of the semester, but as basketball
came to a close, I found relaxation much more desirable
than studying and doing homework. After saying this, I
guess I would have to include myself in the category of
students claiming to work harder and try my best for the
rest of the semester.
The
basketball season ended a week before Spring Break. We
didn’t have as successful of a season as we would have
liked, but now that we’re back from break, we have
started working out and doing individuals again. I look
forward to seeing how much we can improve over the next
half year before the season and how well it transfers
onto the court during the season.
Since it is
2nd semester, more high school seniors are
ready to decide where they want to go next year. It
seems like almost every day there are tours on campus
for the high school students. The Zephyr Team does a
great job with those tours. We hosted the second
preview day earlier in the semester, and the third one
is coming up in a week. The preview days are designed
for high school students who think they might be
interested in coming to school here. They get a tour of
Southwestern and attend sessions to learn more about our
campus.
Makin' it
look easy.
This
basket is a bit more challenging.
Making my
plan... |
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Happy with
Life
January 30, 2010
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I’ve now
made it through the first month of Spring semester and
man is it a switch from the Fall. I’m taking 17 hours
this time compared to 15 hours last semester. With the
courses that I’m taking now, I have anywhere from 2 to 3
hours of homework every night. Last semester I had a
couple of classes that would sometimes only last 30
minutes out of the usual 1 hour and 15 minutes… this
semester all 5 of my classes last the entire time. I am
also taking an online art appreciation class, which
isn’t too much work, so far. We just have discussion
questions to answer once or twice a week, a quiz every
three weeks, and a couple tests mixed in there
throughout the semester.
We are
currently in the heart of our basketball season; there
isn’t much time for anything but practice, workouts,
class, and homework. It is very hard trying to balance
school, sports, and a social life, especially when
you’re a freshman and trying to make new friends. When
the semester first started, we had 5 of our first 6
games away, and they were all long trips. We would get
home after midnight and then I would have my Calculus 2
class at 8:00 AM the next morning. But now, 8 of our
last 9 games are at home. Time will be a little easier
to manage since I don’t have to worry about a 6 hour bus
ride home.
Knowing all
of this, I have debated with myself many times about how
hard this semester might become and how impossible exam
time will be. But then I realized how lucky I am to be
in a situation like this. I am able to go to school
getting a good education, hang out with my friends
whenever I feel like, and play the sport that I love
every day. I’m sure there are millions of people in
Haiti right now that would trade anything possible to be
able to switch places with me. That is what will drive
me to keep working hard in both school and basketball.
I’m not going to worry about how hard it might be now or
in the future, or ask myself how I will ever be able to
finish everything I have to do; instead, I will strive
to do my best in all that I do, realizing how fortunate
I am to live the life I do.
Driving to
the basket...
Hanging out
with friends.
Christmas
Party... |
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Preview Day
December 4th, 2009
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About a
month ago, Dr. Hayes, VP of Enrollment Management, asked
me to join the ZEPHYR team here at GSW. This is a group
of students who act as tour guides on each of the three
preview days throughout the school year. Zephyrs also
can give individual tours for students who contact the
school and want to come on a personal visit with their
family. We aren’t the same as the Orientation Team (O’
Team) who help out with the Storm Days during the summer
for all freshmen.
Our first
preview day was November 21st. Being a
freshman and not knowing what to expect, I was surprised
by how many high school seniors came. I think this was
due mostly to the fact that it is so early in the year
and a lot of seniors are just now deciding where they
might want to consider going. I look forward to seeing
how many students show up to the other two in February
and March.
On Preview
Day, I accompanied an older, more experienced Zephyr on
the tour of the campus. We try to divide the team
evenly so that each member can tour with a group of
visiting students that are interested in that guide’s
major. This way each guide can answer any questions a
student or family member might have about the specifics
of the major. Before the tour begins, the students were
divided into the individual majors, and they listened to
an overview of their major by one of the professors for
about 45 minutes. Then the Zephyrs showed their group
around campus.
We showed
students and their families the glass-blowing studio,
where GSW boasts the only glass-blowing major in the
state. We toured the library, which is named after
Jimmy Carter’s father, a private and shared residence
hall room, and the Student Success Center. We also
showed them where they could seek help in their studies
such as tutors, where to go if they needed to speak to
someone about financial aid, where the campus police are
located, and where the nurse’s building is located.
The tours
ended around 11:30, and then the groups went to the
dining hall to eat lunch. The students and their
families had about an hour and a half to eat, to visit
the campus organizations fair, and shop in the book
store. The campus organizations fair was set up to help
inform these students about the different possibilities
for them to become more involved while at GSW.
It was hard
to believe that I was in the same boat as the students
less than a year ago. As the 1st semester comes to an
end, I can’t stress enough to all high school students
the importance of doing their best and trying their
hardest in their studies early in their school careers.
This will only help as you reach your later years as a
college student.
Preview Day and Campus Visit Info
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Basketball
has Begun
October
21, 2009
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We just had
midterms last week and I’m happy to say that they were
not nearly as hard as I expected. Granted, I only have
3 academic classes that are even eligible for a midterm
and only had tests in 2 of them. My 3rd
class had a test the week before; therefore the teacher
didn’t feel the need to test us again.
I know I
can’t count on final tests being as easy because most of
my classes will have one. And that test will cover an
entire semester’s worth of information. From the way my
teachers and fellow classmates who aren’t freshmen talk
about them, finals are often much more extensive than
the normal tests. Knowing this, I can guarantee a lot
more study time in the library come finals in early
December.
I just
received my midterm grades and I’m pretty happy with
grades so far. A couple of them could probably be
slightly higher, but my excuse for now is that I was
getting used to college life and the necessary steps to
succeed. After half of a semester, I can say that I’m
past all of that and am now ready to achieve what I came
here to do: make good grades (while still having fun),
play college basketball, and meet plenty of new people.
Speaking of
basketball, we had “Midnight Madness” last Thursday.
This marks the 1st official day that colleges
can begin practicing as a team. Since then, we have
been going non-stop, practicing mostly in the early
morning times due to players’ class schedules and our
coach’s recruiting schedule. I’m not gonna lie, anyone
who thinks D-2 schools aren’t as serious about
practicing and working out is crazy. Our 1st
week of practice has been harder than probably an entire
month of practice in high school. But, the hard work
will pay off soon when our 1st game roles
around on November 16th.
There isn’t
much time left in the 1st semester, and the
weather proves it. It has been noticeably colder the
last week or so. Everyone went from wearing shorts and
t-shirts to wearing jeans and sweatshirts in a matter of
days. Because of the weather change, everyone knows 1st
semester finals are just around the corner. |
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Studying is
Important
September 12, 2009
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Now
that we are almost a month into school, studying has
become more of a priority than ever. Each class has
learned enough to start taking their 1st big
tests. Some of the older students taking more advanced
classes have been testing since the 1st week,
but we are just lucky I guess. Classes in college
aren’t like high school, for a couple of reasons: most
classes only meet twice a week, most don’t have graded
homework (some don’t have any homework, you just work
problems for practice and studying), the teachers don’t
care if you’re there or not (or awake for that matter),
and tests are cumulative so its hard to cram the night
before. Most of the time, especially in history class,
you come in, sit down, take an hour or so worth of
notes, leave, do the same thing for 3-4 weeks, and then
take a test. You have to keep studying during each week
so that the test doesn’t sneak up on you, and all of a
sudden you have too much studying to do with not enough
time to do it. Teachers seem to have a knack for
scheduling tests around the same time, so studying ahead
of time is a necessity.
Luckily,
I have mostly morning classes. So, I am able to get
studying out of the way in the afternoon time. Then, as I
mentioned before that I play basketball here, I have
practice or workouts just before dinner time. After dinner,
I usually am able to hang out with my friends. When I first
arrived and found out that I had to turn in 6 hours of study
hall a week for basketball, I thought, “There’s no way that
I’m going to need that much study time.” But I quickly
found out that 6 hours is honestly not that long when most
of my classes are like I described earlier: read over 3-4
weeks worth of notes over and over again until it’s engraved
in my brain.
Being in
the Honor’s program at GSW requires me to keep a higher GPA
than the typical student. One extra requirement for Honor’s
students is enriching a class. This basically means to do
an extra assignment or to go more in depth on a specific
area in class, usually with the teacher’s assistance. I
have a fellow Honor’s student in my Chemistry Lab class, Eli
Price, whom I am also friends with outside of class, so we
have decided to enrich our Chemistry Lab class. We are
still working out all of the details, but most likely we
will have to come up with our own experiment and perform all
of the steps on our own. So I am looking forward to seeing
where that takes us.
From a
social stand point, RUSH is everywhere! Sororities are
having bid day today, and fraternities have RUSH next week.
Soccer teams have officially started their seasons. At
halftime of each the games, there are different games that
students can participate in to win prizes. At the guy’s
game the other day there was a “sumo wrestle-off” and a
chipping contest. They are just little carnival type games
in order to attract more fans to the games and to have some
fun while waiting for halftime to end. Cross country is
underway, or shall I say they are “up and running”. Every
other athletic team is engrossed in workouts/practice every
day of the week in order to prepare for their respective
seasons.
This has
nothing to do with GSW specifically, but I was watching the
NBA Hall of Fame induction last night, and Michael Jordan
said a quote that I really liked, and I think a lot of
teenagers and even adults, should take to heart: “Limits,
like fears, are often just an illusion”. |
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I’ve been Going Non-stop
August 21, 2009
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Don’t ever
let anyone tell you how hard college is, or how “not
fun” it is.
·
No, you
don’t have a curfew or bedtime.
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No, you
don’t have to do your homework (although I
recommend it).
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No,
there isn’t much of a dress code.
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Yes,
there are plenty of distractions, which can cause GPA’s to
drop rather quickly.
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Yes,
there are plenty of activities that you can participate in
throughout the day causing you to not want to do your
homework.
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Yes, you
do have to do your own laundry.
But, if you
find a balance between all these things, college can be fun
and enjoyable at the same time.
I’ve
only been here at GSW for a week, and I’ve been going
non-stop. Basketball is just really getting started. We
start working out both in the weight room and in the gym as
a team this week. So that is going to take up a lot of
time. Classes for the 1st week were not that in
depth. But, now that we have a full week, teachers are
ready to go, and they expect the students to be just as
enthusiastic as they are.
The
fraternities and sororities are still looking for new
applicants. They host most of the parties on campus. So,
that is something to do almost every night. BCM is an
enthusiastic group of college students who encourage the
word of god and host meetings throughout the week. The
intramural sports are having sign-ups soon, so that will be
more activities around campus.
Soccer has
already kicked off their season. They have had a couple of
preseason games in order to be ready to take on the other
conference teams soon. Both the boys and girls team are
hoping to have promising years.
Walking around
campus, it is evident that there are many students and
faculty excited about this year, whether it be in the
classroom, on the field or court, or just socially. No
matter what it is, GSW is looking very promising so far.
Unpacking
at Move-In Day |
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I am Tyler Gunnett
August 14, 2009
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My name is Tyler Gunnett. I grew up in Snellville but moved to Loganville
during middle school. At Loganville High, I was an active member of Beta Club, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, and LeadersNext, a program that teaches and develops leadership qualities in students. I also participated in numerous out-of-school activities and community service.
During my senior year, I was voted Prom King and Homecoming King for football. I also played varsity basketball and tennis for the Loganville High Red Devils.
At Georgia Southwestern, I am doing the dual degree engineering major, a program in conjunction with Georgia Tech. I am also thrilled to say that I am going to be playing basketball for the NCAA D-2 Hurricanes.
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