How I Stay Organized

Hello, everyone! One thing I have learned to do well this year is staying organized with my assignments, being aware of when big papers and tests are coming up (which is a big, recent development) and taking better care to write down when I have meetings, work, and rehearsals to make sure that I don’t miss anything. I have figured out a pretty good system that works well for me, so I thought I would share it!

Planner
My Day Designer planner!

One of the biggest challenges I’ve always had with getting organized was finding a good planner that worked for me and sticking to it. Typically, each year of college, I have bought about three different planners during the first couple months of school and then still haven’t been able to find anything that works for me, so I tend to just give up and wing it, hoping that I make it to all the things I am supposed to be at. For obvious reasons, things usually slip through the cracks. I am not a Google Calendar person; it feels like too much work to me to pull out my laptop and fire up the website every time I need to take note of something. I am much more of a paper and pencil person anyway, so I try to stay true to that in whatever ways I can (like my planner!).

I love the planner I’ve had this year (the only one I bought!). I got it at Target and it is called the “Day Designer.” I’ve seen bigger and better versions online, but the Target version works perfectly for me! It’s actually a little on the pricier side of what I’ve ever bought for planners, but when you consider that I usually buy three cheaper ones before giving up, I probably actually saved money by just going for a nicer one right off the bat.

Calendar
The calendar inside my planner.

Normally I just leave the calendar pages in my planner blank and focus on the individual daily sections, but I have realized this semester how helpful and important the calendar pages are! I write out all my assignments for the semester and obligations that I know about (like worship team rehearsals, Bible studies, and work) and keep them color-coded (blue is my web design class, green is developmental psychology, etc.), and then I cross them off as I do them and I cross the whole day off when it’s over.

It makes me feel so accomplished to have things to cross off throughout the day, and it keeps me aware of when I have a lot of little assignments piling up or a big assignment due soon (things in boxes are “big assignment” due dates – you can see that there have been weeks where it has been important for me to know in advance that so much is coming up!). The sticky note helps me mark my place in my planner and has eventually become full of doodles and little notes for random things I am doing, but it’s pretty unimportant.

Daily pages
Here is what the daily columns and my weekly to-do list look like at the moment!

Here are the more specific planner pages for this week. I have an hourly schedule on these pages, so this is where I write down meetings, class, and rehearsals, and I cross them off as I go to them. If I have something really important that I’m sure I’m going to forget about, I usually write that down here as well (there is a three-spot to-do list at the top of each day!). I also cross these days off as they end, and I keep track of random things and important happenings in the side columns. This planner also has a designated spot in the side column for gratitude – what a great idea to get me to practice being thankful each day and each week!

On the right in the photo, you can see my weekly to-do list. I got this in the $1 section at Target and I’m pretty sure it was the best dollar I have ever spent. This is where I kind of combine things from my calendar and my hourly schedule and add in whatever else is going on, like if I need to list something in my Etsy shop or mail my grandparents a thank-you note. I cross off everything as I do it here too, but you can see that sometimes everything does not get done here every day. This is the page where it is okay if I don’t finish absolutely everything, because some of the things on here are more things that I would like to do than things I have to do (if I don’t run every day, the world does not end).

Neither of these pages are color-coded, and that works fine for me. Clearly I am also not super picky about the colors of pens that I use. My only color-coding is with highlighters on my calendar page so that I can be sure to keep assignments straight for my different classes. I probably could color-code these pages as well, but it does not feel necessary to me, so it does not happen.

I use the Reminders app that comes on every iPhone to set a reminder if I have something that really needs to urgently get done or if I don’t have my planner on me when I find out about something. I also try to do my best to write things out as soon as I know about them, so sometimes that means I’m furiously filling out my planner as a professor makes announcements in the middle of class or making a note in it every time I read an email. It’s been really important for me to be consistent and diligent with this so that it is actually effective! It’s worked super well for me this year, so I hope this may be helpful for you too!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to keep up with me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Etsy (LakesPointCollective), or to shoot me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

—Acts 4:12

A Trip to the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin

The greenhouse at the Downtown Market
The greenhouse at the Downtown Market

This past Saturday night, I went down to Calvin College with one of our chaplains, Lauren Taylor, some other girls from Hope and a faculty member and his family. Calvin hosts the Festival of Faith and Writing every year, which is probably its most redeeming quality. (They’re our big rival, in case you missed that one).

We piled into a Hope van and took off. When we got there, we got to hear Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist, speak. She is a self-taught theologian from Canada.

Sarah spoke on her experience with being told that she does not have the privilege to share God’s word or her opinions on God’s word. Before her book got published, she was often told that she was unqualified to do any of this without a degree from seminary school.

She talked about how we are all qualified to share God’s word, no matter what our degree. She asked what qualifications God expects us to have to share his word.

I found this to be a very moving subject. A lot of times on Hope’s campus, faith experiences are compared and analyzed. It’s easy to tell yourself that someone else’s experience is stronger than your own, or that they have a deeper relationship with God than you do.

There are no qualifications for God’s love, besides the most basic things (ie. believing, repentance, obedience to God and His word, etc.).

I believe that as long as you are walking with the Lord, you are in a good place. Sarah Bessey really pounded that into me, even though she wasn’t directly speaking on that topic.

After hearing her speak, we went to the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids for dinner. We discussed some of the things that Bessey talked about, hearing different opinions around the table.

As we ate, I listened to opinions of my peers and sank back. I let their words, some that I wasn’t sure I agreed with, to marinate inside me. Some said that they didn’t completely agree with Bessey, because to have theory on God’s word you must know theology.

I just think that Bessey was talking about something much simpler than that; we all have a calling to live out and spread the gospel. Whether it be through writing, theology, teaching or medicine, we’re all qualified as God’s children to spread his word.

How Then Should We Work?

This Saturday I spent most of my day, 8:30a.m.–3:00p.m., at 14th Street Christian Reformed Church. On a whim maybe a month ago I decided to register for this retreat hosted my a group on campus, Klesis.

Klesis is the Greek word for calling which is what this group focuses on. It’s peer/faculty mentorship program considering whether grad school is for you, and exploring vocation and calling from a Christian perspective.

They gave those attending a book with a couple chapters out of it to read. A lot of what Klesis does in general is read a book, related to faith and calling, together throughout the semester and discuss it.

The retreat consisted of breakfast and lunch, a devotional, discussion of the assigned reading, a keynote talk by Dr. Fashun, conductor of Hope’s orchestra, talking with members of Klesis and what they do, and one of the senior Klesis members closed with prayer.

I attended this because I don’t know what I’m doing. So it was cool for me to get to talk with some juniors and seniors who still don’t know exactly what they are doing but are actively pursuing the idea of calling and vocation and what that is for them alongside both a peer and a faculty mentor.

It was intriguing to sit and take in the discussion of concepts like primary calling vs. secondary calling, what vocation really is, how we can go out and be a change within our culture, and so many other items the book brought up. Dr. Fashun talked through his story, how he got to where he is and how he made decisions to follow his calling along the way.

At the end of it I was glad I had decided to still attend on a sunny Saturday with a lot on my to-do list. The retreat was a lot more than just free food and listening to people talk. It was an opportunity to learn more about the origin of work and how we are called to do it within our society, what our primary calling truly is, and many other ideas that I am and will continue to think about.

Thanks for reading!
–Erin

Feel free to follow me on Twitter (@HopeErin18) or Instagram (@e_delaney333) for lots of pictures and some thoughts on life at Hope through my eyes. If you have any questions or comments you can contact me at erin.hoolahan@hope.edu.

Taking the “Under” out of “Undergraduate”

The letter came in early March to my mailbox in the mailroom: the letterhead of a college that is different from Hope.

It’s red and white (thank goodness, not maroon and gold… sorry to all of you Calvin fans) and it’s 229.5 miles from my cozy apartment east of campus.

And what it had inside of it was a yes.

I remember what it was like to stand on campus as a freshman three years ago, feeling as if there was a lifetime ahead of me. Little did I know, the lifetime ahead of me would be true. But my time at Hope would be over in the blink of an eye.

There is no greater place I could have spent my undergraduate degree – no place I would rather have eaten Caprese sandwiches and drank coffee and traded my home in the cornfields in Iowa for a home near the beach for three years.

The diploma will say Communication and Organizational Leadership in a few short weeks, but graduation is a finale that holds much more than a degree.

It’s has been journey toward myself, but greater, a journey toward God. I wouldn’t have found myself without Him. I have a group of over 20 friends, all of whom I will keep in contact with for years to come (and forever, if it was up to me.) And I have a home here and a home back home and a home at the friend’s houses I visited during my time here.

And I will add another home to that list oh-so-soon.

In the fall, I’m getting ready to have a “ball”… at Ball State University in Indiana! (Was that too cheesy? I’m grateful my overuse of “hope” while at Hope can be transferred into my graduate career with the word “ball” at Ball State.)

It’s an 11-month program, and in July 2017, I will conclude my Master’s Degree in a Master’s of Science in Information and Communication Sciences. The best part? I learned about this program directly through the campus of Hope when the director of the program came to visit in the Business department.

In addition, due to the preparation and work experience my time at Hope has provided me, a graduate assistantship is also a part of my graduate study experience: an opportunity that helps cover the significant cost of graduate school by working 20 hours per week.

There are great things ahead, of that I am sure. And although these last three weeks are bittersweet, I can feel God beginning to blow the wind around me in a different direction. I am grateful for Hope, both uppercase and lowercase, for the preparation for the graduate opportunity I’ve been presented with for the upcoming year.

Thinking graduate school may be an experience you’d like to look into? Check out the CICS page for Ball State to learn more about my academic program, or contact me at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu for more information.

Finally Home

I am back to my sweet Michigan home! Four months was a long time to be away, but I’m finally back in my house, my room, and my life. It was missed. The journey on Saturday was long, as my six-hour flight into Toronto, Canada, was followed up by a three-hour drive back to Detroit, Michigan, but it was worth it, as a couple best friends were there to surprise me upon my return. There were a couple of thoughts running through my mind as I stepped through the door of my house, most of them inquisitive as I saw the differences between home and Ireland.

Here are some items I didn’t realize that I missed while I was in Ireland:

  1. The water pressure. Odd as it may seem, I didn’t realize how intense the water pressure is in the U.S. compared to Ireland. As I took a shower hours after my return, I wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand, I love having a nice intense shower, but on the other, I know that high water pressure has a tendency to waste water. It was a very conflicting shower.
  2. The smell of home. The unsavory mosh of smells in a city is no comparison to the fresh smell of home and fresh sheets and spaghetti on the stove. Home smells good.
  3. Birds chirping. The only noises I heard in Dublin were cars rushing past and conversations on the sidewalk. The early sounds of a spring morning were missed dearly, and I only noticed that I was missing them when I woke up yesterday morning to them.
  4. The community in which I surround myself. I am incredibly attached to my family and friends back at Hope and didn’t know just how much I missed them until I reached American soil. My heart is still aching for them as I haven’t seen many of them yet. This semester has been anything but comfortable, and it will be good to see friends that make me feel comfortable with who I am.

These were just my initial reactions to coming back home. In coming posts, I’ll talk about the program that I went through in Ireland (IES) and some things I learned while there.

Until next time!

What Are the Chances of One Making a Career in the NHL?

In the recognition of the start of the 2016 NHL playoffs, which is highly popular on Hope College’s campus, since the Red Wings made it to the playoffs 25th in the row, here are the mathematical odds of one actually making it to the NHL.

Every parent of a hockey player likes the idea of their kid playing in the NHL or how hockey players say “in the show.” Hockey is one of the hardest sports to master because body is doing a lot of different movements at once. But what are the odds of making it to the “show”?

They made the 0.02% cut.
They made the 0.02% cut.

The study is focuses only on Ontario, Canada, but we can apply it to the general hockey audience. In the study were 30,000 players. Out of all 30,000 players in Ontario, only 48 were drafted, which is 0.16%.

Out of the 48 players who got picked by some NHL team only 39 got signed to entry-level contracts. This means that players sign for example 2-year, $750,000 contract, but they get the money only if they play certain amount of games in the NHL. So if one get drafted, the chances are 81.25% that one will get signed, not played in the NHL.

But only 15 out of 48 players actually make carrier in the NHL. When I say career, I many 400+ games played in the NHL, which gives us percentage of 0.02%.

So the chances of making a career (400+ games) in the NHL are 0.02%.

Cornelius, Emily. “How Hard Is It to Make It to the NHL?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Hope College Athletics: 2015-16

The school year, including our varsity athletic seasons, is slowly but surely coming to the end. In recognition of athletic events, Ben Lemmen, 2014 Hope College graduate, directed and produced a highlight video called Hope College Athletics 2015-16. In the other words, here is what it means to be a Flying Dutchman!

Credit to Ben Lemmen.

How Do You Make Summer Internship a Reality as an International Student at Hope College?

Internships are part of the college experience for many students. A lot of students do not start to think about it until later in their college careers, so it is unique for me, since I am only a freshman. At least that’s what the Career Development Center said when entered their office in October 2015. Nevertheless, here is what does it take to make a summer internship a reality from the international student standpoint.

All international students studying in the United States are on a student F-1 Visa, which strictly disallows work outside of campus. This is because the primary purpose of the student is to study, not to work, which make sense, but it just makes things complicated for international students. So in order to have summer internship outside college campus, the international students need to plan the internship through school and make it part of a class or/and major requirement.

Firstly, students need to declare a major. Without declaring a major, international students are unable to “connect” the internship to a school experience. When the student declares a major, one gets a adviser.

Secondly, the adviser within the major helps the student pick the summer internship class. Also, this adviser is the college official that evaluates and grades student’s work.

Thirdly, the international student gets one page CPT (Curricular Practical Training)* from from the International Office. The student fills it out together with the academic adviser.

Next, the student registers for summer internship class, ranging from 1-4 credits.

Lastly, the company or firm sends a letter confirming details of the student´s employment, which is required with as part of CPT form. So when student gets the letter, one turns it in together with the CPT form to the international student office.

And there you go. Internship is all set up.

*CPT is a “a work authorization that will allow you to do internship”

Sukumar, Raghuram. “What Is the Difference Between OPT and CPT?” Happy Schools. Happy Schools, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

The Seven Wonders of Someone Halfway Done With College

I often find myself wishing that time would stop, or at the very least that things would shift into slow motion for at least a week or maybe five minutes.

When they say that your time in college flies by fast, they aren’t lying.

It’s scary yet exciting to know that in the same amount of time that I have already spent at Hope, I will be leaving and venturing off into the real world.

Here are seven things I wonder as I think about leaving Hope in two years:

  1. What’s the real world really like?
    • Let’s be honest, we all wonder this.
  2. Are there other places like Hope?
    • I like the welcoming and supportive atmosphere that Hope has, but will I be able to find that somewhere else?
  3. Will I find the same faith community?
    • This is one of my biggest worries about leaving Hope. I’ll have to venture out and find a faith community, perhaps even create one, instead of having one built and placed right in my lap.
  4. Will my best friends stay my best friends?
    • I’m really crossing my fingers for this one. I know some pretty great people here and I hope they’re my friends for life.
  5. Where will I live?
    • Will I go back home? Will I make somewhere new my home? The world may never know. Until I graduate.
  6. What will my job be?
    • Really though. I have my plans but the more I talk to alumni, the more I realize that you often don’t end up doing what you thought you would.
  7. Can I just stay here a little bit longer?
    • The answer is, yes, you can stay here two more years. Maybe it’ll be enough, but right now I love Hope and wouldn’t trade it for any other place.

I’m sure that incoming freshmen and graduating seniors are also wondering some of these things. Being a sophomore in the middle of it all can make the end seem blind, like it’s never coming. But it is and I have so many thoughts about it.

Thanks for reading,

Brooke

The Final Countdown

It is my last few days in Ireland and I can hardly believe it. I come home Saturday and will get to see my family and friends for the first time in four long months. There are so many emotions and feelings swirling around in my head that I’m going to take some time to sort through them if you don’t mind.

I want to stay here…

These past four months have been incredible! Admittedly, I was unsure if I would like being away from Michigan for so long when I got here in January, but the Lord provides and turned my heart for the better. I’ve made such a connection with Dublin City and now think of it as my home away from home. I’m going to miss the little bakery I get a sandwich from every Thursday afternoon and the walk down Grafton Street at night… there are so many things that I’ll miss.

But Ireland, in general, has been nothing but wonderful to me, and I’ve seen some of the most amazing sites my eyes have ever beheld while here (let’s think back to the Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay, and Giant’s Causeway). I will miss being able to see these sights by just hopping on a train that costs ten euros.

I’ve also learned more about myself than I have anywhere else. I am more confident in who I am and in whom I find my identity, and I want that growth to continue and the changes I’ve implemented in myself to stick. I’m scared they won’t when I go back home. For these reasons, I want to stay here forever…or at least, a few more months. I want the relationships I’ve made with people to continue and thrive in the country of their origin and I don’t want the life I’m living (and currently loving) to change.

…but I want to go home.

As I gushed about previously, Ireland has given me wonderful, enriching experiences. But that isn’t to say that those great experiences haven’t been sprinkled with low points, a few hiccups. Namely, homesickness.

I don’t think I realized how much of a blessing my home, in every essence of the word, is. Home for me is my family, friends, and original surroundings. My family loves and accepts me for who I am – they are the greatest examples of God’s love personified I can think of. That was wholly missed here while I was struggling to put a finger on who I really was, quirks and all. This goes for my friends at Hope, too. They love me deeply and show me grace every single day. I had gotten used to being loved well by people and that was something different that I struggled with.

It was less noticeable at the beginning of the semester, but the past few weeks there would be triggers that made me think, I miss that. I want to go home. The carpet of my living room at home compared to the hardwood floors here. The friendly Hope community compared to the chilliness of Dublin city strangers. My mom’s cooking compared to my buttered noodles every night. (I’ve seriously been eating buttered noodles for dinner for three weeks straight, but that’s another story.) All small things that have been making that twinge of homesickness turn into a spark of excitement to go home.

It’s only four days now until I board that plane. There’s still so much to do – goodbyes to be said, last scones to be eaten, and clothes to be packed. But the next time you’ll hear from me, I’ll be back on American soil – exciting!

(Just so you all know, this is what I’ll be listening to on the plane home. It’s a patriotic song for Ireland, and it already has the power to make me cry whenever I hear it.)

Expect some debriefs about my trip upon my return on what it’s like to be home, why the IES Program was the best, and some of my favorite adventures I had.

Until next time!