College Watch

A few days after moving onto my college campus,  I began noticing something  about the emails flooding my school account... they were all requests for me to join clubs.

As I scanned the growing list with widened eyes, I became convinced my college had a club for anyone from the environmentally minded to rabid “Twilight” fans!  I saw several that looked interesting, but I had questions.

What could I gain by joining a club?

What could I lose?

I’m sure sometime during your college experience, you’ll be faced with this decision.  Whatever you do, don’t act impulsively.  Take time to consider the benefits and the requirements. 

The benefits of joining a club:

• It’s a way to get involved on campus.
• You’ll meet people who share your interests or opinions, and you may make some lasting friendships.
• You’ll have fun!

The requirements of joining a club:

• You have to be willing to show up.
• You have to be willing to participate.

If you see a club that looks like it might be worth your time, try it!  If you later decide it’s not for you, that’s fine.  If you decide you like it and want to join, that’s great.

What did I choose?  I found a club I thought I might like, weighed the benefits and requirements, went to a few meetings, and ended up joining.  I lost a few hours of my free time on Thursday nights, but I gained some wonderful friends and wonderful times.

God bless you all,

Becky

Now it’s time to get to the one questions I’m sure you all have asked: It’s the first day of classes tomorrow, what in the world do I do?!  

I asked myself the same thing.  Here are some things I did to make things easier:

1. I showed up.  Seriously, skipping for no reason other than “I don’t feel like going.” is never a good idea, especially on the first day of classes.

2. I showed up at least five minutes early for every class.  This lets you get your bearings, take a look at the other students (you might see someone that you know), and take a look at the professor whom you will probably be learning from for the rest of the semester.  It also makes the professor think that you’re interested in the class (even if you’re not).

3. I came prepared.  In the days before classes start, do a little research.  If possible, check out the         syllabus for each class.  It’s also a good idea to talk to students who have had the class or the professor before if you can.  This is not entirely necessary, but it can help.

4. I came well-supplied.  I recommend that you get a folder, a spiral notebook, some loose-leaf paper, and a binder for each class.  This will help to keep things organized and easy to find.  Also, remember to stock up on pens and pencils. 

Note:  It’s always best to get your textbooks before the first day of classes, but if you can’t, then get them ASAP.

God bless you all,

Becky    

Hello to all you aspiring college students out there!

A few months ago, I was in your shoes. I was filling out applications, visiting campuses, inspecting dorms, and desperately trying to answer that age-old question: what do I want to do with my life? (aka What major should I choose?)

I won’t lie, it’s daunting. But after I chose my college, my major, and my dorm, everything fell into place and I was no longer worried, right? Wrong! I worried about my new classes, I worried about meeting my roommates for the first time, I worried about moving away from my parents, etc. In fact, I was probably more scared than I had been when I was just looking for the right college.

But don’t worry. With a whole lot of prayer and the help of some wonderful people, things did eventually work out. And I’m going to do my best to prepare you by telling you about some of the challenges I faced and some of the surprises I did not see coming.

So, aspiring college students, don’t freak out. If the most anti-social, panicky, homesick person in the world (me) can make it in college, you can too.

God bless you all,

Becky