One thing that I love about college is that I have so many things at my disposal right now that might never be provided again. With one phone call, my driveway gets plowed, and I do not even have to pay for it. A visit to the library allows me to use an HTML-writing program on the computers there when classes are in session in the computer science labs. That way, I do not have to take up precious space on my overloaded laptop in order to use the program. There are so many services and offices on this campus that I am sure I still do not know what all of them do, or even that they exist, but here are a few that I visit or make use of most often!
Campus Ministries
Campus Ministries is full of wonderful people who have helped to make my experience at Hope so great, and they have helped shape me into a person that is friendlier, more positive, and most of all, more invested in my faith. Campus Ministries is in charge of Chapel and Gathering services, so the worship team that I am on runs through them. They send out several immersion trips every spring break that give people awesome experiences in new communities. They also host Men’s and Women’s Nights Out every semester, and they put together a whole bunch of Bible studies that I have had the privilege to take part in. All the chaplains are also always available for coffee, pizza, or a chat. I have loved getting to know them all throughout my time at Hope!
Health Center
The Health Center is super great because it is right on campus, and if you are sick, they can help! I cannot count how many times I have gone there throughout my time at Hope. They can provide you with medicine and give you advice on how to recover from whatever you are dealing with, or if they think you need to see another doctor or a specialist, they are great about making referrals to nearby physicians.
Print and Mail Services
I love Print and Mail services for many, many reasons. The print services are super inexpensive and they’re really nice. Last year I purchased a big poster of a photo I had taken. I think it cost me about five dollars, and it looked like a really high-quality print, especially for that price. Mail services is great because it prevents me from having to walk or drive to the post office, which isn’t really all that much further away, but it is nice to have something right on campus. Sometimes people will leave cardboard boxes there for free so you don’t even have to buy one to ship a package. Mail services will also sell you stamps, help you pay for postage on whatever you are mailing, and best of all, it’s the place where you pick up the packages you’ve received in the mail.
Klooster Center for Excellence in Writing
The Klooster Center is great because it offers (free!) services in editing, proofreading, outlining, and developing papers. I took a really long paper there for a class last semester, and even though we didn’t have time to go through the whole thing, I told my assigned writing assistant which parts of the paper I was concerned about, and she helped me to make them stronger. She also helped me to feel a lot more confident about parts of the paper that were already good, even though I wasn’t sure about them yet. Additionally, when you go to the Klooster Center, they send the professor of your class an email saying that you used their service. That way, your professor knows that you have been taking advantage of every opportunity to write the best paper you can.
Career Development Center
I’ve been making appearances at the Career Development Center quite a bit lately, because I learned that they have drop-in hours during the afternoon. These are super convenient, because sometimes I don’t know when I’ll be available for a full appointment, so I can just drop by for help whenever I need it and whenever I have time. The CDC has helped me to lay out my four-year plan to make sure I’ll graduate on time, and has helped me to choose a major that will allow me to work in fields that I will enjoy. Lately, I have been asking the employees to help me perfect my resume so that I can send it off in applications for the Chicago Semester program that I am hoping to participate in this fall. They also do headshots for people from time to time, mock interviews, and a ton of networking events!
Library
I also spend a lot of time in Van Wylen Library for obvious reasons. They offer a lot of great services (they house the Klooster Center), like the TechLab, which will assist you with any technological needs you have. They also have a lot of programs preinstalled on the computers there in case you need them for a class but do not have them on your laptop. Of course, they have a ton of really helpful books and research tools, and the people who work there are always willing to assist students with anything they may need!
There are many more offices and services on campus, but these are just a few with which I am the most familiar. Hope offers a lot of really great opportunities to succeed in college and to make the most of your time, and I am really thankful for all of them, such as the things I have mentioned here!
Thanks for reading! Keep up with me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Instagram (@kathrynekrieger), Etsy (LakesPointCollective), or send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu.
“For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
—Zephaniah 3:17