Perks of Living Near Downtown Holland

I didn’t choose Hope exclusively because of its downtown atmosphere, but having a campus so closely integrated into the beautiful Holland community has been a huge perk of my college experience. This summer, I’m continuing to live and work on campus. Watching one of my favorite cities bloom and buzz in the summer heat has …

Summer Visits to Hope

I first toured Hope in August 2021. It wasn’t my first college visit, but it stood out as the first visit where I really felt like a person, not just a statistic or part of the tour guide’s daily checklist. Before my tour, I had barely heard of Hope, but I had a friend go …

Liberal Arts at Hope

I didn’t choose Hope because it’s a liberal arts school– in fact, I didn’t really know what liberal arts meant at first. Now, as a sophomore (almost junior!) it’s so easy to see the benefits of such an education in my life. The liberal arts curriculum at Hope requires a number of general education courses …

Student Life at Hope!

My expectations about college life were shaped by what I saw on the tv show Gilmore Girls… Rory consistently spent her free time back at home in Stars Hollow. Before college, friends warned me that small schools are often “suitcase schools,” where every student packs up and goes home over the weekend. Since I wasn’t …

DR 2024: My Experience on an Immersion Trip

Immersion trips are one of my favorite opportunities at Hope. Students can sign up with Campus Ministries and travel on weeklong trips over spring break where they are able to be immersed in a new culture, have their worldviews expanded, serve in new ways, and build community with one another. In my freshman year, I …

A School Day in the Life at Hope College

Every day at Hope looks different for me, but I try to maintain a semblance of routine and productivity throughout. Let’s walk through what my day last Thursday looked like– a combination of class, work, social time, homework, and self care. 9:00 AM-11:00 AM My morning starts every day at about 8:30 or 9:30, but …

Three Reasons Why I Chose Hope College

When I walked onto Hope’s campus the summer before my senior year of high school, I could feel it was different than the other schools I’d toured. Despite my wonderful visit, it took me until spring break of my senior year to officially commit to Hope. When I finally came to this decision, my mom …

Going Global at Hope

Hope College prides itself on being a campus with a global focus. Just recently was Going Global Week, hosted by the Center for Global Engagement. The week held a number of events to provide information about other cultures and the opportunity to engage therein – everything from an International Food Fair to a photo contest from …

Springtime in Holland

Springtime in Holland is like no other.  Don’t get me wrong, I love coming back to school in the fall, and the first snow is absolutely magical.  Still, there’s just something about the first few warm days on campus that have a special air to them. Here are my top five aspects of springtime in …

3 Things I Wish I’d Known About Living Away from Home

Before coming to Hope, I knew that living on campus would be a huge part of my college experience but I didn’t know what this entailed. My understanding of living away from home came from Gilmore Girls. If you’re familiar with the show, you know that Rory’s mom Lorelai comes and sleeps over on her …