Kalamazoo Valley Community College - Home of the Cougars!

Kalamazoo Valley Community College was my educational home for 2.5 years. Being as my parents didn't help me pay for college and I didn't make much money on my own, I decided to go to a community college that would transfer later to a four-year university. My college of choice was KVCC for the simple reason that they had a transfer program in my major - social work - to the university I later desired to attend - Western Michigan University.

I had no expectations on my first day of school. I didn't think much of it, just registered for my classes, went to my required orientation, purchased my books and showed up for class. Parking was really bad the first day, and it typically is for the first two weeks of each new semester. But unlike other schools, they have employees outside directing you on where to park so you don't have to drive around looking for an hour. Walking into the building was somewhat overwhelming. It resembles a maze. Every staircase can eventually lead to the same place by following different hallways. The student commons has multiple walkways. The gym can be accessed in a couple different locations. So my first day I had a little bit of trouble finding my classes, but from then on I didn't have a problem unless it was a place I didn't often go to (the testing center for instance).

My favorite thing about KVCC is that it is all located in one building. You don't have to walk outside to get to other classes in the cold weather or the hot. Everything is in one central location. My other very favorite thing is the TV room. This room is filled with plush comfortable chairs and couches and has a large flat screen television on each wall along with a couple of computers and video game consoles. This was a great place to chill out between classes. During summer classes when there weren't many students attending, I would take an hour and a half long nap each day between biology class and lab. Nobody interrupted me and it was a great nap before a boring lab!