Finals week is officially underway and I had to post this picture studying at 3 in the morning studying for a final. This is what procrastination and wanting to get good grades looks like. I wish you all the best in your finals!
Beyond the green is a place students to share the joys and hardships of being a Thresher.
Finals week is officially underway and I had to post this picture studying at 3 in the morning studying for a final. This is what procrastination and wanting to get good grades looks like. I wish you all the best in your finals!
I’ve got two more finals to take before I get a well-deserved, long Christmas break from school. Part of me is dreading even starting to study for those last two finals, but part of me is telling myself to push through because Christmas break awaits on the other side.
Bethel is known for rigorous academic instruction and wow, did my classes live up to that standard. This semester has definitely been significantly harder than my last two. Organic chemistry, an upper-level biology class and a foreign language have made my life a whirlwind for the past few months. I’ve spent long hours in the library, and studied more than I thought was capable of studying. However, this semester has also been the most rewarding. All of those studies have produced some good grades and stronger relationships and connections with professors that will last years into the future.
Athletics also proved to be very challenging but very rewarding this semester. I started out cross-country season having just recently recovered from a foot injury, so I was a little nervous about how my season was going to go. Turns out, this season was my best yet. All of the mentally and physically taxing workouts were rewarded with a PR at our conference meet — the last one of the season.
Bethel has also seen many graduates go on to do amazing things with the great education and experiences they received while they were here. So keep your career, personal and life goals in mind while you’re working hard. It can really help put things in perspective 🙂
This semester has proven to be challenging, but rewarding in so many ways. I’ve also had some of the most memorable experiences with old friends and new alike. So just remember that your struggles — whether they are academic, athletic or personal — will reap benefits and rewards in some form or another.
It’s nearing the end of Thanksgiving break. We all know what that means… it’s just about time for finals. But just before finals, we get the ultimate night of food, dancing and getting fancy: Gala!
The Gala tradition at Bethel has been going on for years. It’s a night where students get dressed to the nines and have a decadent dinner served by the faculty and staff of BC in a very well-decorated Mem Hall.
After dinner, we get to listen to some excellent jazz played by our fellow students. The president’s house is open for guests to come in, warm up and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. Students can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the block — the perfect way to spend a cold winter night.
Later in the evening, there’s a dance so that we can all get a little exercise and shake off a few of the many calories consumed earlier in the night.
Last week, my best friend and I went shopping to find new dresses for Gala. I told myself I wouldn’t spend more than $20 or $30 (because the broke college student stigma is real) and I figured I could find a cute dress for fairly cheap. To my surprise, I found a dress for $5! Well, to be fair, my best friend found it. But still, 5 DOLLARS. If you need to find a cheap Gala dress this year, check out Rue 21 🙂
So study hard this week, and look forward to Gala on Friday (plus it’s Reading Day, so no classes!!!)!
-Kiley
…but I say they’re wrong!
My best friend Kendra and I share a room together in Voth Hall. We love being roommates and have had zero problems. I can really only think of the benefits of rooming with Kendra — no downfalls have come to mind. We are the type of friends that share everything, so it works out perfectly for us.
Here are just some of the great things about having your best friend as your roommate:
Those are just a few of the countless ways that I’m thankful for having my best friend as my roommate. I know this situation might not work for everyone, but rooming with a good friend might just end up being one of the best things about college. So before you count it out, maybe give it a try.
Thanks, Ken, for being the best friend and roommate I could ask for 🙂
-Kiley
In college, I’ve learned you have to step up and work harder, because there are a lot of other hard working students here that someday may be competing you for the same job. I’ve also learned that in my personal life, it is impossible to avoid competition. I don’t play sports, so that is not where I am heading with this, but I do have other things I compete for in my daily life.
College is one big competition, well in my opinion anyway. If you’re not going to class or doing your work, then you better believe that another student is. The same student may have the same major as you or has the same interests as you, so if the two of you are ever up for the same internship, placement, practicum, etc, and they see that that student put more effort into the courses they took than you did, then that person will likely be chosen before you will.
Life, in general, is one big competition after another. Playing sports might be the biggest thing in your life that involves competition but for someone who doesn’t play sports, let me tell you, there is more than enough competition in the different areas of life. If you think about it, we compete every day to look our best, do our best, whether that be on the field, in the classroom, or on the stage, and be our best self. So imagine the stress of trying to compete with everyone around you to feel self-confident about yourself. If you haven’t already figured out, it’s not the best feeling in the world. This world revolves around people feeling like they have to be in a constant competition where it never seems to end until there is only one winner.
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that this semester has really been a tough one. My classes are way harder than they were last year, extracurricular activities/jobs are taking up a significant amount of my time, and stress levels seem to be at an all-time high.
Last week, I spent almost 15 hours studying for one test! My life felt so consumed by Organic Chemistry and I got to the point where I was making horribly cheesy jokes about syn additions and Markovnikov. I’m pretty sure my friends thought I’d gone off the deep end.
I bet lots of you are feeling that way about your various studies and obligations by this point in the semester, too. We’ve got two more full weeks of class left, people! We can do this. I’ve decided to compile a list of a few tips that help me during stressful times.
Hopefully some of these insights can help you get through this last bit of the semester. Leaning on friends and family when you’re stressed can also be a huge help, so take advantage of that.
The rest of the semester is going to be tough, but we got this!
Here’s a nice picture of a rainbow on campus to remind you that there’s hope even in the darkest times. 🙂
-Kiley
School is stressful. For the most part, this is true no matter where you attend and what grade level you find yourself. It comes as no surprise then that I, like most seniors, have developed creative ways to relieve stress.
For instance, I have mastered the 15-minute nap. When reading gets to the point where I reread the same line over and over I usually decide I need to recharge. A quick nap can leave me feeling refreshed without being groggy.
In stark contrast to a nap, sometimes an alternative is exercise. This usually comes in the form of a 3-mile jog. It’s just enough to make it worth taking a break from studying without it being too long that I need another nap just to recover from my run.
Another sedentary option that I frequently employ to relieve stress is eating. Candy, fast food or snacks…I don’t care. It is a great way to take your mind off of homework and feel better about life.
Finally, I enjoy playing disc golf on the course on Bethel’s campus. It is a quick and easy way to get exercise and take in the natural beauty that surrounds us.
Like I said, college is stressful but college is certainly manageable. You just have to find the stress relievers that work best for you.
Until next time-
Eric
My favorite tradition as a Bethel College soccer player has been volunteering every November at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) center. The entire team, coaches included, work for several hours together grinding, weighing, canning, cooking and labeling meat.
New players usually dread the thought of assembly line work and food processing. What appears to be tough manual labor, which it technically is at times, turns out to be an incredibly bonding experience for the entire team.
Teammates vary in their responses to the work. Some are incredibly focused on their job and work at an intense pace, while others work with friends and can be seen smiling and laughing throughout the process.
Whatever method you choose to complete the work, you end up feeling accomplished and satisfied by the end of the shift. It has been an absolutely pivotal team bonding moment for the team before we head into another off-season.
However, the greatest value of this event is not in the benefits of the team. The thousands of pounds of meat canned at MCC are sent to impoverished countries where many people struggle to find meals.
It is not just the soccer team who is involved with this process. Mennonite organizations provide several workers who travel with this project across the central USA in order to lead groups in food processing missions. Local community members volunteer their time to work shifts before, after and during the time soccer players are present.
Bethel’s emphasis on serving is not limited to donations and internal service projects. Bethel provides opportunities for students to volunteer their time among the community as we together serve one another, our community, those in need and God.
Until next time-
Eric
Hello guys, my name is Hector Lopez. I am a new blogger for Bethel this year.
I am from Brownsville, Texas (most of you probably don’t know where that is). I am a transfer student from the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). I am here at Bethel to study nursing. I am looking to be admitted in the outstanding nursing program that Bethel has. I am an outgoing person but sometimes could be shy. I am always up to meet new people.
This is my first year here at Bethel and I could not be more excited to complete this semester meeting new people as well as new cultures. I am excited to share some of the things I have and will experience at Bethel. I am looking forward to blogging and entertaining you for at least a part of your day. If you guys have anything you’d like see on here, please do not hesitate to tell me and let me know.
Thank you, have a great day!
When something tragic happens to a person, it’s always good for them to have a supportive circle of family and friends around to comfort and help in such times of need. I’ve always had family and friends who have been there for me when disaster strikes, but it wasn’t until I came to Bethel that I fully experienced how loving and supportive a community could be.
A couple of weeks ago, my grandmother passed away. It was hard on my family and me. My grandparents and a good portion of my family live in Oklahoma, so I traveled back and forth to Oklahoma a few times during those two weeks. I mainly told my close friends about what was going on with my grandmother’s passing, but it wasn’t long before I was being consoled by students and faculty around campus that I didn’t even know that well.
So on behalf of myself and my family — thank you, Bethel community, for your continued support in times of great joy as well as great loss.
I am truly blessed to be surrounded by a people that cares so deeply for the needs of others. Bethel College has again proven to be exactly where I need to be.
Kiley