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 …

“Hope”ful Living

Spring is in the air, birds are singing, the sun is shining, and there are scattered showers. Along with this beautiful weather there are so many exciting ways to “live it up” at Hope. Whether you are an incoming freshman or a graduating senior, you want to enjoy your college experience. Here at Hope, you …

Keeping up with the Coursework

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 …

Working Student

Often balancing school and a social life is enough. There is already a packed schedule of homework and friends that is swarming over your head. So how do you manage this with a job? Do you need a job? Busy Schedule When life is buzzing around you it can be hard to find time. Any …

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 …

Adjusting to Holland

I can’t wrap my head around the idea that Holland feels small to some people. To me, as someone who grew up in a small Upper Peninsula town, it feels almost limitless. It has so much that my hometown doesn’t have, such as a freeway (seriously, there are no freeways in the Upper Peninsula). This …

Undergraduate Research at Hope College

Among institutions across the nation, Hope College has received recognition and high rankings for the research opportunities that the College offers students. For instance, Hope “is one of only 54 colleges and universities including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Michigan, recognized for providing outstanding undergraduate research/creative project opportunities.”  For me, participating in research has bolstered …

Navigating the journey of living away from home

With the seemingly dark, dreary, and cold days of ‘swinter’ (spring + winter) amid this point in the semester when days feel longer, mid-winter break is over, and the heap of homework, projects, and exams seemingly competes in height with that of Mount Rushmore, feelings of homesickness inevitably creep in. Especially as a first-year student, …

What to do when you don’t want to do anything

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 …

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 …