When I was touring colleges, I visited several liberal arts and Christian schools. Among these schools were some that mandate chapel attendance, require student faith statements, avoid a core curriculum, and impede studying abroad. These examples give a very specific direction to students. Although these aspects can have positive impacts, such as a stable Christian …
Continue reading “Why Hope is Unique: Embodying Mentorship Instead of Direction”
Whenever I go home now, I inevitably get asked the same questions: “How is college going?” and “How has the transition been?” Thankfully, college has been lovely and the transition felt very natural. However, just because the transition was smooth, does not mean that my experiences as a first-year student have been uneventful. Orientation All …
Continue reading “First-Year Experiences: Fun Stories & Lessons Learned”
The days between Christmas and New Years are some of my favorites. I love the anticipation of a fresh start, the inclination to take inventory and set goals, and the hope of a new year lingering in the near future. At the same time, coming back for spring semester can be hard. Christmas break isn’t …
At Hope, you’ll often hear about how being here has changed people’s lives. While it’s become a bit of a cliche at this point, that’s because it’s true. You would be hard-pressed to find someone here who hasn’t experienced the aptly named Hope difference, and I am no exception. Here are just a few of …
Academics and coursework at Hope College can be overwhelming at times. So much to do and so little time. There can be many doubts: am I going to have enough time? Are my professors going to be helpful? Is there help that I can get? Let me reassure you; you will be okay. Hope College …
It’s that time of year again. The skies are gray, the homework is piling up, and the motivation to do anything but sleep is scarce. We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, the reality of college life is that you still have to get stuff done even when you desperately don’t want to. So, here are a …
Continue reading “What to do when you don’t want to do anything”
Just a few hours ago, I took my last exam and wrapped up my third semester at Hope. Three down, five to go. I’m almost halfway through my time here, which blows my mind! The majority of my college experience still lies ahead but I can confidently say that thus far, I’ve been transformed in …
I love that Hope provides flexible student employment opportunities for its students. Most of my friends and I have student jobs, which vary from tour guiding or overnight hosting to being a TA. Personally, I’ve worked in Campus Print and Mail for a little over a semester. From this experience, I would say that an …
The academic structure at Hope allows students to immerse in multiple academic disciplines, engage with an array of people, and stretch their minds in new ways. Here at Hope, I’m double majoring in Communications and Spanish with a minor in Social Witness Ministry. I’m hoping to work in a nonprofit or ministry setting post grad. …
For the majority of high school, my heart was set on being a political science major when I got to college. I had big dreams of getting my degree, working in DC, and eventually running for political office. Then I changed my mind. About a month after getting to college, I realized that I actually …
