This past week was actually relaxing for me. I did not have a Materials lab report due. This meant a lot for an engineering guy! Usually I always spend 10+ hours on this kind of report every week. Also, there was no exam around the corner during this week. I joked with my friend, “Without labs or lab reports, I feel that I am just like an art major (no offense).” My friend is a chem major, and she spent all the time doing the lab reports, too.

Since I was pretty free this week, I was addicted to a soap show that I watched 10 years ago. It was so classic. I finished all the 30 episodes in one week… Thus, I did not sleep that much though I was free most of the time. Besides that, I tried to make some good food. Rice is not a primary food in America, bread instead. In my country (or most Asian countries as far as I know), rice, noodles and soup are major types of food every day. I really missed the Chinese food I usually had back to high school time. Thus, I spent the whole week learning how to make the best egg fried rice in my apartment.

I have to say life in an apartment is so great. I can get access to the kitchen every day. I can make whatever food I want (in my ability of course…). The problem is that I am not good at making fried stuff. To be honest, I never made any authentic Chinese dishes by myself. Though my mom did teach me before I went to college, I was actually watching instead of doing. Now it is time for me to learn it. There are many recipes online but it takes a long time to comprehend and make it.

Egg fried rice is a classic Chinese dish. The first time that egg fried rice was recorded dates back to 200 B.C. It was said that an emperor liked egg fried rice very much and he named it as Fragmental-gold Rice because good fried rice looks like gold. Anyway, I chose this because it was fairly easier to learn than other advanced dishes.

I steamed some white rice at first. When it was done, I waited a night to let the rice dehydrate. This is the most important part to make fried rice that many people are not aware of. If you make fried rice using the hot white rice, then it will taste like a pasta… It is kind of gross. After a night, the rice would be hard and dry. It’s not supposed to be that soft. There are two ways of making egg fried rice: egg WITH rice or egg AND rice. This is subtle because they are very similar but the result will be totally different. Egg WITH rice is like golden rice, and you can barely eggs. Egg AND rice may be white and there are pieces of eggs. The first time I made that was Egg WITH rice. Actually I think making them seperate is better.

To make Egg-AND-rice style, I put three eggs in the pot and after one minute, I added the dry white rice. Adding some other veggies like cabbage and carrot is a good way to make the rice colorful and healthy. Also, it will be better if the ham is added. After frying everything for 20 minutes over medium heat.

Cooking is such a nice thing.

We’ve all heard a lot of myths and rumors about college… But which ones are really true and which ones would it serve us better to ignore? Here’s my list of facts and fakes about college!

FACT: Every assignment matters.

I think a lot of students come into college with the idea that the only things that really matter are big papers, the midterm, and the final. Actually, there are tons of chances to earn a good grade in your classes and everything you do counts! I personally view this as a really awesome thing. Just in case you don’t do well on a big assignment, you still have many chances to earn a good grade with other homework!

FAKE: Everyone comes in to their first semester knowing exactly what they want to major in.

I have so many friends that came in to school undecided and I know plenty of sophomores who still have not declared a major. It’s okay. Everything works out as it should. Choosing a major isn’t something to stress about right away!

FACT: Paying for college is actually possible. Seriously.

Hope does a great job with their financial aid. You can also qualify for grants and loans through the FAFSA, and some people get more scholarships from other sources like their high school or organizations like the Elks Club!

FAKE: You won’t make friends if you don’t live on campus.

I know several people who commute to school, and they all have incredible friends even though they didn’t meet solely because of where they live. You can still get the full college experience even if you’re still living at home!

FACT: Living in a dorm can actually be awesome.

With that being said, I love living in Dykstra. The girls in my cluster are truly some of my best friends. Wherever you decide to live, you are going to form incredible, lasting friendships at school!

FAKE: You won’t know your professors personally.

All my professors know me by name and know several things about me. I have even had dinner at some of their homes, which I think is so awesome. The professors at Hope truly take an interest in their students’ lives, which is such a cool aspect of the environment here!

FACT: You will meet incredible people.

I have met such amazing people in so many different ways! Hope is truly a great place filled with outstanding people and opportunities. From faculty and staff to upperclassmen and people your own age, there are so many awesome people at Hope to build relationships with!

It’s finally the last week of February, everyone! This semester seems to be dragging along but also is going super fast at the same time. How is that even possible? Anyway, with the semester being halfway over, a program called Total Trek Quest is just beginning. What is Total Trek Quest? Well, let me tell you. Most people refer to it as TTQ and it involves coaches in the community volunteering their time twice a week for a couple hours to train elementary-aged boys for a 5K race during Tulip Time. Even beyond the running aspect, the boys that are involved will learn good life lessons through many activities and discussions that the coaches instruct. In addition, the coaches are there to motivate and be good role models for these boys. My friend Lauren and I are volunteering this season for the first time and we are really excited to see what these upcoming months have in store for us.

This past Monday and Wednesday we had our first practices and we covered quite a few things so far. Lauren and I are working alongside another coach but the three of us have learned nearly every child’s name so far (there’s 12 at the elementary school we are working at) and have developed pretty good relationships with each of them. There’s always going to be those few boys that are overly rambunctious and honestly, a headache, and I believe we’ve figured out who those boys are. Regardless, these boys are all super sweet and respectful which makes going to practice that much more fun.

During the first practice, we had to make a commitment contract with the boys that involved some rules they made up that they believe they should all follow such as having fun, doing their best, being safe and not using bad language. They also had to fill out a pre-survey about themselves and their athletic ability. In addition, this first practice consisted of a run to assess their level of ability and level of athleticism at the beginning of the season. Each practice involves eating a snack, doing strength exercises, stretching, discussions and a fun activity that teaches a lesson or covers a certain topic. If time permits, the boys are free to play (they get super excited when we let them loose to play Sharks and Minnows or whatever child game they make up).

Between both Monday and Wednesday we covered the broad topic of getting to know one another and recognizing similarities and differences between everyone.  It was surprising how much I learned from this simple game. For instance, one of the boys speaks three languages, one lived in Florida, everyone enjoys playing video games except one and nearly everybody likes soccer. Although Lauren and I have only had two practices so far, we can tell that our group of boys are going to be awesome and they seem to all be friends and get along so far, which is really nice. Hopefully there is minimal conflict within the next few months as we train for further distances and eventually get in shape for the 5K while learning some positive behavior at the same time!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.

Going away to college is an exciting time! New people to meet, classes to start, and independence to develop. However, while all those things are wonderful, there’s one new thing that not everyone is as natural at: being a roommate. So, because all of you reading this either currently have a roommate or will soon have a roommate, I thought I’d share five tips to being an great roommate.

1. Communicate
2. Organize
3. Clean
4. Balance
5. Respect

Communication is key in every relationship, especially one where you live with the person. When there is a problem, it’s better to openly talk about the issue than suppress your feelings inside. Also, good communication allows each roommate to have reasonable expectations of each other. A lot of frustration can be diminished if you communicate about your schedule, how clean you are, if you’re shy/outgoing, or even when you like to go to bed.

Organization: Stay organized. You’re living with another person now; you cannot just throw your things anywhere and everywhere.

Going along with organization is being clean. Whether you’re a Type-A clean person, or just slightly messy, it is important to maintain a certain level of cleanliness. This includes: doing your laundry, making your bed, changing your sheets, and putting your things away. Even though it might seem annoying to always be cleaning, it makes life a lot easier when living in a small space.

Living a balanced life is also important. It’s important to have a good mix of studying and having fun, and hanging out with roommates and spending time with other friends. In general, you’ll find yourself to be more successful if you balance you time, academics, friends, and money.

Finally, show your roommate respect. If you have early morning classes and your roommate doesn’t, make sure you do as much as you can the night before so you won’t wake your roommate in the morning. If you are going to set your alarm for early make sure you get up with the alarm and don’t hit snooze for hours. Also, respect your roommate’s privacy. Not every one lives life as an open book. Respect the personality of those you live with, because it will make a huge difference.

We should’ve known we’d be in it for the long haul after that gosh danged polar vortex swept through. I’m going to drop some honesty here – I hate snow to begin with. That being said, I’ve had to get creative to keep myself busy this winter. I’m going to share this valuable info with you today free of charge.

1. READ

There’s nothing better than books. Settling in for a good novel and some hot chocolate is probably the only thing that could potentially rival pizza as the best thing ever. I prefer novels because they’re easier to sink into, which in turn helps you ignore that white junk outside!

2. Go on a run!

This one’s weird, but hear me out. Ice level permitting, a nice jog could possibly be considered a vital part of your life when trying to survive the winter. The air might feel a bit crisp at first, but you’ll warm up in no time. If you have an iOS or Android device, check out the cool meta-game Zombies, RUN!. It gives you a fun and exciting story to listen to as you escape the walking dead.

3. Tackle that video game backlog!

Alright, I know this one’s not for everyone, but this is MY LIST! I recently went back to finish Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and I ended up buying a sweet title called the Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection for PS3. It packs in Metal Gear Solid 1,2,3,4 and Peace Walker. It only cost me $30! If that doesn’t get you through the winter, you probably need to start going to class or something.

Well, there you have it. Three tips on surviving the tundra that Hope College has become. If you have any of your own tips to share, feel free to leave them in the comments!

If you follow me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17!), you might have periodically noticed me tweeting about something called WyldLife. I lead at Black River Public School and it is such a joy! In case you aren’t familiar with it, WyldLife is the junior high version of Young Life, which is an awesome ministry that I was involved in all four years of high school. The philosophy of WyldLife reads as follows: “Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them to grow in their faith.” Plain and simple, but so important!

One of the coolest things about WyldLife and Young Life to me is that a huge focus of the ministry is going to where kids are, spiritually and physically. Leaders don’t wait for kids to come to them, we go to where they hang out, like JP’s Coffee, middle school basketball games, and sometimes even dances as chaperones. Kids know that their leaders make an effort to be involved in their lives in many ways. Leaders also make sure to discuss Christ with kids and to lovingly encourage them to pursue him. If a student is not ready for that, then we just continue to love them as we have been and encourage them likewise. We make sure not to force anything on students, but to make sure they know that they are loved and wanted by us, but more importantly by Christ.

On Monday nights, we have WyldLife club, which is known by some as “a party with a purpose.” We have music, games, pancakes, and a short talk about what it is to seek Jesus. It’s an awesome, welcoming environment where kids can come to feel safe, loved, and invited into a relationship with Christ. On Friday mornings, we have Bible study at the school before classes start. It’s an awesome way to get to know the students and hear what they have to say about the Bible. They have such awesome insights and it’s such a cool way to spend time with them! Sometimes we also have extra things on Saturdays, like meeting as a big group and just watching a movie and eating.

I also worked at Timber Wolf Lake in summer 2012, where I served WyldLife groups at meals for 3 weeks (and a Young Life group on one other week). That was one of the best months of my life and definitely gave me a soft spot in my heart for WyldLife!

I love my WyldLife kids and my team and I couldn’t be more thankful for all of them! If you have any questions about WyldLife or Young Life, feel free to leave a comment, send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu, or tweet @hopekathryn17!

Thanks for reading! Have a great week!

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15