Hands instantly shot up when Davenport University freshman Jacob Roe asked if the Duncan Lake Middle School seventh-graders had any questions about college life. They sure did.
Is college boring? – “Depends on how much you get involved,” Roe said.
What the hardest adjustment coming from high school to college? – “Being on your own.”
What’s your favorite part about college? – “The food and being away from home.”
A Glimpse into the Future
About 160 seventh-graders toured Davenport’s sprawling W.A. Lettinga Main Campus, where they saw for themselves the residence halls, student lounge, athletic programs, library and bookstore. The tour was intended to help them catch a glimpse of their prospects should they decide college is for them. Most agreed it was.
“I want to be an engineer, and I need to go to college to be that,” said Andrew Sherman. “I know I’ll have to work hard to do that.”
Kyla Pendergrass already knows the best place to get homework done in college is the peace and quiet the library affords.
“We can concentrate on our homework there,” Kyla said. “And when we want to do other things, we can go to the student center to do that.”
Genna Schmidt appreciated knowing living on campus didn’t equal roughing it in the wild.
Love the Dorms and the Buffet
“It’s cool that they have such big dorms,” Genna said. “They have their own privacy when they’re sleeping, but they can still interact with each other with a big living room in the middle.”
David Rozelle said Davenport College seemed to offer everything in a big way.
“The coolest thing is seeing a huge buffet and the athletic devices,” David said. “I’m impressed. I feel like I want to pursue college a lot more.”
For Justus Young, the tour of Davenport’s campus solidified his intent to study overseas.
“I want to go to Germany,” Justus said. “I’ve heard they have really good colleges there where I can study law or archeology.”
The students toured the Davenport campus to help them determine their short and long-term goals through a course of study known as the Educational Development Plan. The EDP is part of a six-week Cal/Careers class that all seventh-graders are required to take.
“EDP is a great way to get careers in their head with the skills they’ll need, plus know how much student loans cost,” seventh-grade teacher Orion English said. “It gives students a good idea what attending college in-state versus out-of-state entails. They’re approaching the future in a way they understand the options out there.”
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