Games and GPAs, A Student Perspective

With video games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations recently being released, its becoming harder for students to focus on their studies. 

With finals coming up, that could be a major problem for some students. 

Zach Kuzmanic, a junior computer science major at MSU, has always been a huge video game fan and believes that balancing games and grades is a matter of prioritizing your time wisely.

Kuzmanic didn't bring any of his games freshman year because he wanted to focus on school and not be distracted. He has since brought his games to school and it hasn't really affected his grades.

"It's just a a matter of prioritizing and those who are bad at prioritizing would probably waste time elsewhere if they didn't have video games," said Kuzmanic.

Kuzmaninc said he probably plays about two hours of video games a day and knows when to put his studies first.

Kuzmanic also mentioned that video games aren't going away anytime soon so those who can organize their time properly will have no problems with video games affecting other parts of their lives.

 

         

            

Games and GPAs, The Facts

Video Games are one of the most popular forms of entertainment in our society today. They are growing in popularity everyday. Unfortunately the increase in gaming has lead to a decrease in student's grades. 

According to a study by Carrie Heeter Ph. D. and Jillian Winn, male college students play video games about 5.3 hours per week, while female college students play about 1 hour per week.

Does playing video games affect students GPA though? Heeter said there have been mixed results.

"The study Jillian Winn and I conducted found that "Gaming was associated with less time spent doing homework, but now with lower GPA,"" said Heeter via email.

"However, Kvavik's 2005 research found: "Students with the lowest grade point averages spend significantly more time playing games; students with the highest GPAs spend more hours weekly using the computer in support of classroom activities,"" said Heeter. 

But Heeter believes that video games aren't to blame for student struggles. "There will always be activities that entice some students to engage in at the expense of their studies," said Heeter.

         

Dorm Security at MSU - Police and Administration View

  Dorm security is an issue that the MSU administration and the MSU Police will always have to deal with it. It is obviously very important to keep the students safe as possible while they live in the dorms.

 With most halls on campus, you need your MSU ID and must live in the hall to access certain floors at certain times. One hall that has seen a major improvement this year is Emmons Hall, located in Brody Complex.

In Emmons, you need an ID to access anything in the hall except the main entrance, 24/7.  This is not the case in most halls, including Hubbard, which was the target of an invasion earlier this year, according to MSU Police.

Even though the newly renovated Emmons Hall has only been open for a month and a half, L. Michelle Vital, the Resident Hall Director at Emmons, has said there have not been any reported crimes of any kind.

Vital also believes that MSU has done an excellent job keeping students safe, especially in Emmons, by needing an ID to access the building.

Even though upgrades in dorm security have contributed greatly to the decrease in crime, it’s not the only reason why crime is down. Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor, the public information officer for the MSU Police Department believes that it’s ultimately the students’ responsibility to keep themselves safe.

Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor says that a majority of thefts in dorms are “crimes of opportunity.” In other words, students do not lock their doors, creating opportunities for thieves to steal without having to break-in.

  Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor said that the addition of peepholes and access control has helped security greatly and she has full confidence that the students on campus are safe. Peepholes allow students to see who is at their door without actually opening the door, while access control is a system that requires an MSU ID to enter certain building at certain times throughout the day.

However, she did also say that the system is vulnerable if the students do not to their part.

“If students do not lock their doors, the system becomes vulnerable,” said McGlothian-Taylor.  

MSU has continued to make improvements to security, recently announcing that all the dorms at MSU will have automatic door locking systems by the Spring 2012 semester.

Dorm Security at MSU - Student Opinions

Dorm break-ins and on-campus crimes are unfortunately a common occurrence at Michigan State University, although the numbers show that MSU is taking steps in the right direction.

Crime rates in the dorms have dropped every single year for the past three years. 

A major reason for the decrease in crime has been because of efforts by MSU to increase security in the dorms. 

With most halls on campus, you need your MSU ID and must live in the hall to access certain floors at certain times. Many students at MSU have taken liking to this.

 Meredith Hauser, a sophomore studying Kinesiology, likes the security and feels safe.

“Yes, I love the security because it makes me feel a lot safer,” said Hauser.  Hauser lived in Rather Hall last year, which did not require an ID to enter. “I like that no one can just walk in and do whatever they want.” Hauser also said that she feels the school is taking steps in the right direction to keep the students safer.

Even though most students approve of the security, some students, like Tyler Nunnold don’t necessary like it. 

“I don’t like having to bring my ID everywhere,” said Nunnold.  “Its also annoying having to let friends in during the middle of the day too." Nunnold also mentioned that he understands the change and knows that the university is just trying to keep him safe.