Goodbye

Sadly, this will be my last blog. I have worked in the Admissions Office here at GWU for two years. I have been offered a job with Residence Life as a Residence Advisor (RA), so when I come back in the fall, I will no longer be working in the Admissions Office. I will be the RA in HAPY wing for next year, so some of you may be on my hall! I have enjoyed giving tours and working with the amazing team of counselors here in the office, but it is time for something new! I hope that if you have kept up with my blogs that you will introduce yourself personally when you get here in the fall. I hope everyone has a fantastic summer, and CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!

Formal

Every year, Gardner-Webb has an event called Spring Formal. It's kind of like a prom, but for college students. Everyone dresses in formal attire, goes out to eat, then goes to Formal. It's a pretty huge ordeal, and most students go to it. Spring Formal 2009 was this past Saturday! My friends and I all met at Lake Hollifield at 6 and took pictures. We then headed to Outback in Gastonia for dinner, then back to the Webb for the big event. We had a blast! Since I'm only a Sophomore, I still have two left!

Final Exams

Exams, Exams, Exams. We are only TWO weeks from exams. I have endured a semester full of projects, research proposals, quizzes, tests, homework, and papers . . . .and now the moment of truth - final exams.

Exams are usually comprehensive and typically count as a major portion of your final grade, which makes them much more stressful. The stress is increasing and people are ready for the semester to end. But first, we have to take those dreaded exams. Wish me luck!

Summer Plans

The semester is quickly coming to a close, and summer is fast approaching. This summer I will be living on campus in the apartments while working for the Campus Ministries Office. I don't plan to take summer classes. Last year I stayed on campus, worked in the admissions office, and took summer classes. This year I'm going to take a break from school - I am going to work and relax, which will be really great.

The break can't get here fast enough.

What Do College Students Live For?

Easter has come and gone . . . . which is good and bad. The break was nice, but coming back means that we only have a couple of weeks until exams . . . . and then SUMMER!! College students live for two things - sleep and summer - sleep is lacking right now, but summer is getting closer!! We have 18 days until exams and then we are home free! All I can say is - it couldn't possibly come at a better time!

Easter

Easter Break was so short, but so needed! I was overjoyed to have the break, but saddened that it ended so quickly. I played for the Maundy Thursday service at my church on Thursday night. It was a very interesting service. It was called a Service of Shadows. We partook of Communion and spent time reading scripture related to the night of the first Lord's Supper and the Crucifixion. It was a beautiful service. On Easter I played at church and then went to my grandmother's house for lunch. Afterwards I went home and spent some time with the family. That night I met some friends for dinner at a Thai restaurant and watched a movie! Break was great, but far too short.

Easter Break

Easter Break will be here in less than 3 days! After classes on Wednesday it is home sweet home! I will be leaving campus around 5 to head to church, and after choir rehearsal I will be going home. We have no classes on Thursday, Friday, or Monday. It is a short break, but very much needed. Everyone is getting stressed out with the thought of exams - they will be here before we know it! The break will be a great time to relax and prepare for what is ahead.

Spring Time

The weather this weekend was amazing!! Mid 70s and sunny! I was stuck in the library for most of the day on Saturday working on a paper for my New Testament class. Sunday after church I got back and hung out on the Quad with some friends. We passed the football for a while and just enjoyed the weather. It was pretty great. Hope it doesn't get cold again anytime soon!

"Time flies when you're having fun."

We have all heard this saying, but have we ever really thought about the truth behind it? I'm taking a Seminar Positive Psychology, and we have been discussing the difference between a "flow experience," and the "8 to 5 mind." The flow experience is when you are totally consumed with what you are doing. It is in those experiences that you lose track of time, and you are fully in to what it is that you are doing. When in the "8 to 5 mind" you are fully aware of every minute that passes and you are constantly watching the clock.

When thinking about my college experience to this point, I would definitely say that it has been a flow experience. It seems like only yesterday that my parents were unloading my things into my first dorm room and driving away. Now, I realize that I have been in college for nearly 2 years now. I will be a Junior next year, and every minute of this experience has flown. I have to stop and remind myself to savor every minute of my college experience, because it will quickly be over.

God has big plans, and I can't wait to see what is next.

It is done

I am alive - yes, after having taken 5 tests within 7 days, I am still alive. :) The past week has been extremely rough, but that's what college is all about! Busy days and sleepless nights. It sometimes seems like all of your professors get together and plot against you - all planning multiple assignments, quizzes and exams on the same days. The end of the semester is always the busiest time of the year in college, but that only makes the arrival of summer that much better.

Time to Study

Spring Break has come and gone, so now it's time to hit the books. As a matter of fact, I will be hitting the books pretty hard this week. I have 5 tests and 2 quizzes all within 7 days . . . I am praying for strength, commitment . . . .and sanity. If I stay at school this weekend, I will be distracted with friends and the temptation to do everything BUT study, so I decided that I would solve that problem by going home. If I am at home with my books, I can study without distraction. . . or at least let's hope so.

Spring Break 2009

Spring Break 09 was really great. I went to the beach with some friends. A close friend of mine has a condo at Cherry Grove near North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. She gave me an incredible deal so some friends and I left for the beach on Sunday after church and came back the following Saturday. While we were there I had the opportunity to go to the Dixie Stampede for the first time, and I must say, it was a pretty awesome experience. The weather was pretty nice for the first three days we were there, but on Thursday it got cold and windy, so we stayed around the condo and went to Broadway at the Beach. It was really nice to get away from the stress of school for a while.

Spring Break

Spring Break is finally here. Some friends and I will be leaving on Sunday afternoon after church for the Beach. We are going to be staying in North Myrtle. The weather is supposed to be great. . . guess I'm going from one extreme to the other - snow one week, and beach the next! Gotta love it! :)

Snow Day

Gardner-Webb is in Boiling Springs. . . . and Boiling Springs never gets snow - we are in the Isothermal Belt. To be honest, when the weathermen predict snow, we all laugh. On Sunday, it rained pretty steadily all day long, and the temperature fluctuated. None of us believed that it would snow. On Sunday evening I was out to dinner at a local mexican restaurant, Mi Pueblito, with some friends when one of them yelled "it's snowing!!" We all sat there in amazement! I had ridden with my friends to the restaurant, and the girl who had driven threw me the keys and told me to drive. . .so here I am driving a car that doesn't belong to me in the snow. GWU initially put us on a two our delay, but around 11:30 they cancelled all Monday classes. Not only did it snow. . . but it snowed 7 inches!!

Spring Break

Spring Break is quickly approaching, and I am more than ready! Some friends and I are heading to Cherry Grove near Myrtle Beach for the week. A friend of mine gave me a great deal on her condo for that week, so I'm pretty happy. The days just can't pass quickly enough!!

Fire Alarm Wake Up Call

This morning, I looked at my clock and was pleasantly surprised that I had twenty more minutes to sleep. I dozed back off. . . and a couple of minutes later was rudely awakened by the fire alarm in my building! The steam from one of the showers had activated it . . . making everyone venture out into the freeaing cold parking lot . . . in their pajamas.

What a wake up call!

Ski Retreat

Geeze! This week has gone by so slowly! It's insane how anticipation makes time drag! I am going to Boone, NC on a Ski Retreat with my youth group, and I have been anticipating this "get-away" all week! I have had three tests and a quiz this week, so I am definitely due for a break! I'll probably have to work on some homework while I'm there, but at least it'll be a nice change of scenery! :)

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD"

So, I have taken up a new hobby. I have started teaching piano! I now have eight students ranging from beginner to intermediate who are taking thirty minute lessons from me each week. I am having a blast. I am so passionate about music, and love to share it with others

Heaven got an Angel

On Tuesday morning at 10:33 a.m. Heaven got a new angel. Alan Metcalf, a close friend and mentor of mine, passed away. Alan was 35 years old.

I met him on my first day of middle school and his first day teaching computers there. He recognized a need in my life and stepped up to the plate. He got me involved in the Boyscout Troop that he led, and got me involved in the church that I have now belonged to for seven years. Alan impacted so many lives, and although I am extremely saddened to see him leave us, I know Heaven is sweeter because he is there. We will remember you always, Monkeyshine

Birthday

Twenty years ago today, my biological mother gave birth to me. It is insane to think that I have lived for two decades. Twenty years seems so long, but I have so much more to learn and experience! God has given me so much to be thankful for, and another year of life is the number one thing! So, today, do not celebrate ME, but instead celebrate GOD in the fact that he has given me another year of life!

Peace

This past week has been extremely difficult for me. I have a very close friend who has a brain tumor, and things have taken a definite turn for the worst. He has been admitted to the Hospice House to receive palliative care until the Lord calls him home. I want you all to know what an impact this man made on my life. He made such a dramatic impact on my life, that if it were not for him, I would not have typed the very words you are reading right now. I would not be at Gardner-Webb, I would not have the same adopted family, I would not be a pianist at a church, and I would not be teaching piano lessons here in Boiling Springs. This man changed my life forever and I am eternally grateful that God placed him in my life. Please pray for God to bring peace and comfort to him, his family and all those who loved him so dearly.

My Album

Friday I finished the recording for my first album! I recorded on a 9 ft. Steinway Concert Grand, which I must admit was pretty amazing. The recording process took roughly 5 hours. The album is all piano church music with some orchestration - ranging from meditative, to what I like to call "bombastic." Church music is something that I have always loved, and now I have the opportunity to share that love with those around me. Please be in prayer as God has opened this wonderful door! More info to come!

Confirmation

Some weeks you just need to be lifted up. This was one of those weeks. But, it always seems that in the toughest of times, God knows what you need. This week hasn't been the greatest, but yesterday at church, God provided the words I needed to hear. It's kind of funny how we look everywhere for confirmation on things in life, but then when we least expect it, He speaks like never before. What an amazing God we serve!!

Psychology

I am taking two 400 level Psychology courses: Seminar in Positive Psychology and Introduction to Counseling. I am really enjoying these classes! I am a Psychology major and I am fascinated by these topics. I have decided to get my Core requirements out of the way as quickly as possible so that I can focus on my major during my Junior and Senior years, but I threw a couple of major courses into the mix this semester so that I could have some variety. It's nice to have options!

Slush Day

Wow! It is insanely cold outside! The entire campus went crazy as we heard the news that it was supposed to snow . . . . yes, that's right - SNOW in Boiling Springs. Snow here in good ol Boiling Springs is a very rare occurence. It was supposed to snow from Monday night late into the day on Tuesday. I woke up around 6:30 a.m. and called our inclement weather hotline, only to be disappointed as I heard the words, "Today is Tuesday, January 20. Gardner-Webb University's main campus in Boiling Springs is operating on a regular schedule." I reset my alarm to wake me up for my first class and went back to sleep. When I went outside I knew why we were on a normal schedule . . . . the ground that was supposed to have an accumulation of 2 to 3 inches of snow, had maybe a 1/2 inch of slush. Sad day at the Webb.

Where Did Christmas Vacation Go?!

Wow! Christmas Break was wonderful, but it is hard to believe that it is already over! The break was nearly a month long, but it flew by! I really enjoyed sleeping late and spending time with my family, but I was definitely ready to come back when the time came. Over break I commuted to GWU to work in the Admissions Office to escape from boredom and earn some extra money for the holidays. I also enjoyed catching up with high school friends and going to a lot of Christmas Parties. Our church performed their annual Christmas Cantata, which was wonderful.
The break was great, but it quickly ended after New Year's. The new semester is here and with that comes new classes, new professors, and a new schedule. I love the feeling of a brand new semester. It is refreshing to begin with a clean slate and set goals for yourself for the coming months. The stress level is relatively low at the beginning of a semester, but progressively grows with assignments, projects, exams, and papers. The beginning of a semester is a great time to get a handle on your work. If you begin early, you don't get behind - but, then again, how many college students actually "work ahead?" haha I am the world's worst to give in to the horrible habit of procrastination. It is my goal this semester to work on things ahead of time rather than the night before, but we will see what the semester brings. :)