Posts Tagged ‘dorm life’

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10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming to APU:

Megan Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

1. It is really easy to make friends. The major difference between Azusa Pacific and other schools I looked into before applying to colleges is the people. If you try and sit alone at lunch, someone WILL come up to you and ask to sit with you. You have to really make a conscious effort to be lonely and bored. People are always surrounding you and they are the friendliest group of college students you’ll probably ever come across. Stressing out before getting to APU about friendships is unnecessary. All the freshmen are in the same boat, you will make friends faster then you can snap your fingers! Spend some alone time before coming to college… cause it might be a while before you get that again.

Alpha Group Bonding!

Alpha Group Bonding!

2. College is not like High School. The school work is challenging and time-consuming. Busy work is less common and tests and essays are more common. Don’t expect to be able to get off the hook easily and don’t expect for A’s to be easy to come by. Good grades DO take effort in college.

3. Roommates are one of the Best Parts about College. I spent endless hours worrying about what roommate I was going to be randomly assigned to and come to find out she’s the best roommate I could have ever asked for. 99% of my friends are completely happy with their roommate, whether they are now best friends or they just get along well living together. I wouldn’t have spent so much time worrying if I knew the reality of what I was worrying about. Choosing to get a randomly assigned roommate may be out of your comfort zone, but its worth it. Meeting someone new who you live with for a year out of your life is a priceless experience.

Roommate Love.

Roommate Love.

4. Facebook will Destroy your Life. Yes, you heard me. When it comes to homework and Facebook, Facebook always wins.

5. School Pride is Necessary. It is perfectly acceptable to know your school is better then every other school on the planet. It is perfectly acceptable to wear face paint and deck yourself out in the school colors to football games. It is not only perfectly acceptable, it is expected. College is not like high school. In high school there are few school-spirited people, in college- you are PAYING for this education, be proud of your school.

APU PRIDE.

Showing our APU PRIDE during a hall hike.

6. There is Nothing like Mom’s Homecooking. I promise you that no matter what college you end up going to, you will miss homecooked meals. Enjoy them while you can, for as long as you can. Eat the entire plate and lick it while you’re at it. Cafeteria food and fast food restaurants will never, ever compare.

7. Community Bathrooms are Part of the Experience. I remember having horrible visions of having to share bathrooms with 40 other girls. Being here, the bathroom situation is not a big deal at all. There are always open showers and stalls and faucets. It is a good way to see all my hallmates throughout the day and catch up with people while getting ready for class or getting ready to go to bed.

8. Bring Summer, Winter AND Crazy Clothing. Just a couple days ago it was 90 degrees, now its raining. I wasn’t aware this was Florida… but whatever the case make sure you pack a little bit of everything. Even if you live close it is best to just bring everything you might need for Summer and Winter weather.

Also, make sure to pack some random, crazy clothing. Every week each hall has a night that they go to the Cafeteria to eat a family dinner. Every week is a different theme, and there is often other events going on with different themes as well. You want to make sure you have a good variety of crazy outfits in the likely change that you will need it. Its not always easy to run out and buy an outfit for these events. They happen often and you probably won’t want to spent the money on an outfit you’ll only wear once in your life. From cowboys to animals to tie dye, college thrives on making average things UNaverage.

OLD LADIES Themed Hall Dinner

OLD LADIES Themed Hall Dinner

9. Sleep is a Privilege. An average night of sleep is about 5-7 hours for me. Depending on how much homework and studying I have to do, how much I have procrastinated, and how many activities are going on that night. It is hard to really prepare yourself to have less sleep then you are used to in high school, but if it is possible to prepare yourself, do it. In the end though, I like to think that a good college experience and having fun is worth missing sleep over. You aren’t paying for college to sleep a lot right? You’re paying to learn, get a diploma, and have fun.

10. Organization is Key. In order to make sure that you have time for everything and you have your priorities straight, it is absolutely necessary to get a planner or calender of some kind. My planner saves my life. Write everything down that you want to do or need to do and then make sure your priorities are straight on what is necessary for that day. Homework often gets forgotten about and then it is not done until 3AM, you don’t want to be that person falling asleep in class the next day. You are going to want to make sure your homework is done well, you have time for yourself and having fun, and time for God.

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A New Home.

Megan Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

In a few days, it will mark the one month point of living here at APU. Its surreal how fast time has already flown by, and as much as it’s strange adjusting to life somewhere other then at “home,” my new home here at APU is remarkable. I have the privilege of living in Trinity Hall, and I have to say that it is nothing like I ever imagined. In a good way. I don’t think you can ever prepare for the ‘amazingness’ that is college life. Being able to live in a hall with 40+ SISTERS is more fun then I could ever put into words.

"STREET MEET" with some of my beautiful sisters!

"STREET MEET" with some of my beautiful sisters!

I am blessed beyond means with an amazing Resident Advisor (RA); an upperclassman that loves on us and makes our experience here even more fun. In addition, her roommate, our Resident Advisor Roommate (RAR) is equally involved and is constantly around the hall hanging out with us girls. It’s crazy how fast a group of girls can bond- I could not be more thankful for this hall. Being able to constantly have someone to talk to, pray with, study with, or go to dinner with is a blessing. God has placed me exactly where I need to be and its a comforting feeling. I can honestly tell you though, that every single one of the freshmen dorms are amazing. Although I proudly would  tell you that Trinity Hall is the best dorm at APU, there is always something to do and there is never a dull moment in any of the dorms. Friends of mine that are living in Adams, Engstrom, and Smith (the other dorms) love it just as much as I do.

ANIMAL themed hall dinner

ANIMAL themed hall dinner

I remember just a couple months ago contemplating how life in the dorms would be. I was so used to everything at home; the people, my house, my family, my friends, my dog- that I could not picture myself somewhere entirely new. I am happy to report though, that life here at APU is priceless. I am already developing friendships that I know will exceed much past college, the living situation could not be better, and even though I miss my friends and family, it is such a loving environment here and it feels like home already. I consider my hallmates like family… It’s kinda rad to have two families now.

Beach Day!

Beach Day!

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Busyness

Kelsey Bjugstad Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Ahh! It’s been such a busy semester! My unit load is the same, but my classes are harder this semester. Harder doesn’t necessarily mean bad though, all of my classes are interesting.  I decided I’d rather take classes that are a little bit harder where I learn a lot than take super easy classes where everything is simple and irrelevant.  Some days I feel like I regret this decision, but in the end I know it’s going to be way more beneficial.

This is especially true for my Christian Life, Faith, and Ministries class. ‘CLFM’ is a required bible class for all undergrad students. My professor warned us the first day of class to drop if we weren’t going to take it seriously and actually do the work. And he repeated that frequently. I’m so glad I stayed though! ‘CLFM’ doesn’t always have the best reputation because it’s a required class, but it really depends on the teacher. Mine makes the class so interesting! Actually, fellow blogger Ellie recommended the class to me :). I know I couldn’t do it justice by talking about everything we are learning about. Let’s just say the class is an hour and half long and I’ll think only 45 minutes have gone by. That is so much better than my three hour classes :).

Speaking of three-hour classes… that could also explain some of my busyness this semester. I planned out my schedule so I would have Fridays off this semester, which I love! The problem with not having Fridays is I have to make it up somewhere. For me, that is 7:30-10:30 Monday and Tuesday nights. I have a Philosophy and Fundamentals of Bio Lecture on those nights.  I’ve never been a big fan of Mondays, but I’ve definitely gained a new dislike for both Mondays and Tuesday. At the same time, my Philosophy professor’s goal is to teach us AND keep us awake and my Bio teacher lets us out a little early, so they are both do-able.  I just need to get some sleep Sunday nights, which doesn’t seem to happen all that often :)

My roommate and I (and another hallmate who often has slept over in our room) often stay up watching movies and TV shows pretty late. She has every episode of Friends, which I’d never really watched before now. We try to keep this habit going only on the weekend… but we sometimes just put it on to go to sleep, knowing we probably will watch the whole thing.  It’s a choice I make though; everyone can decide when they want to sleep.  I love staying up late and can rarely fall sleep before one but it gets hard to get up at eight in the morning.

Another reason I’ve been so busy is that I started working this semester! :) It’s an on-campus job, which is really nice when it comes to days off and finals week.  I also just really enjoy the office I work in, but it’s been a little overwhelming trying to adjust.  Its only 4 and half hours a week… but it starts at 8 in the morning, and that kills me :) On the plus side, I have discovered breakfast in the Caf is amazing. I get up a half hour earlier so I can get breakfast before work. Omelet’s and lucky charms cereal completes me. :)

In light of all of this.. I’ve been having a lot of fun too!!

Last Friday our hall had an event called GYRAD. GYRAD stands for Get Your Roommate A Date. Basically, you get your roommate a surprise date for a fun group date.  A lot of girls went with friends but a few brought their boyfriends too.  We went to Downtown Disney and played a game called  “Are You the Freak I Seek.”  Our RA organized a game where a few APU people dressed up in strange costumes and had passwords for us. The goal was to get all the passwords by finding all of the ‘freaks.’ The catch was that we had to perform a task for each password.

Activities included making giant pyramids, doing the ‘Single Ladies Dance,” introducing yourself to someone you didn’t know, singing Backstreet Boys and even a fake proposal. All of this was in the middle of Downtown Disney. We definitely drew some crowds and made some Disneyland visitors laugh :). It was a lot of fun and a great way to spend a Friday night with the 3rd North girls and their dates.

We are a talented bunch :)

We are a talented bunch :)

Last weekend we had a hall event called ‘Lazy Dayz.’ We all slept in and then our R.A. and R.A.R. (Our resident advisor and her roommate) made us pancakes :) It was nice to have a relaxing day with the girls in my hall. We ended in by dragging pillows, mattresses, and blankets into the Study Room and watching a Chick flick.

This Saturday I attended Mugs and Muffins. Mugs and Muffins is an event for all Trinity girls.  We’ve had two other ones, and everyone has really enjoyed them.  We always start with worship, although I missed most of it because I was running late. Have I mentioned I don’t love mornings? :) Then we have a speaker come. We had an admissions counselor and a science professor, and both had really great stuff to say! There is something about being able to just hang out as girls and talk about God that make getting up early (well… okay, 10:00) so worth it. This time we had the RD of the Shire/Mods. She was so great! She talked about getting through our fears with some great example! :)

Well.. back to the busyness of classes :)

-Kelsey

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APU All Access Weekends Are My Favorite :)

Kelsey Bjugstad Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

If you are even considering coming to APU, I would highly encourage coming to an APU All Access campus preview. I love APU All Access. I love it so much that I went to two of them and now host students who come. :)

I went to my first APU All Access my junior year.  My best friend and I had wanted to go to APU for years. Jana’s Dad is an alumni of the college so she had been here for Homecoming many a few times but want to experience APU as a student.  I had never been to APU and was hoping it would live up to Jana’s stories and what I’d heard from others.

My best friend Jana and I hanging out on West Campus in March 08 :)

My best friend Jana and I hanging out on West Campus in March 08 :)

I had so much fun my first preview weekend!  It was fun to experience dorm life, go to a chapel, sit in on classes, and just learn more about APU.

Jana and I again :) Seems like so long ago!! The background is the Darling Library (West Campus)

Jana and I again :) Seems like so long ago!! The background is the Darling Library (West Campus)

So why did I go to a second APU All Access? I know, it seems kind of strange. One of my best friends moved away in junior high and called me to tell me she was going to an APU All Access campus preview in January of my senior year.  I only get to see her about every other year and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a weekend. :)

Lainey and I at the January All-Access. We are sitting in the front row for a basketball game!! It was so much fun!

Lainey and I at the January APU All Access. We are sitting in the front row for a basketball game!! It was so much fun!

I was accepted in December because I did “Early Action” but I thought that another APU All Access could confirm my discoing. It definitely did! You may have heard that APU has great community and that everyone is really friendly, and its true! The best example that I experienced while I was visiting occurred after sitting in on a Journalism class.

We watched the Women and Men's teams play! It was pretty awesome. APU Basketball is kind of a big deal here :)

We watched the Women and Men's teams play! It was pretty awesome. APU Basketball is kind of a big deal here :)

The professor talked to me and the other preview student before starting class. He asked us where we were from and if we were interested in Journalism. The class was interesting but after it was over a girl in the class stopped us and asked us why we were interested in APU.  She shared her experience in the Journalism program and then asked us where we were headed next.  It was lunchtime so she offered to drive us back to East Campus even though we said we could easily walk or talk the trolley.  While driving us back she shared more about why she loved APU and how much she enjoyed her classes.

It seems like such a small gesture but looking back it really meant a lot to me as a preview student. A college student not even related to the All-Access program took time out of her day to spend time with, talking to, and talk about APU with some high schooler who, in way, interrupted her classes and routine. It just showed the honest friendliness and community at APU.

Honestly, if you have any interest in APU, come to an APU All Access campus preview.  I’ve heard the best way to choose a college is to go to the campus and envision yourself there. Personally, APU definitely fit that description and I easily ruled out others by visiting campus.

I had an awesome time hanging out with the girls who stayed in my room for All Access :) I’m so glad they enjoyed their weekend here.  Both are planning on coming to APU next year! Can’t wait to see you guys! :)

-Kelsey

P.S. Just a helpful college hint… ALWAYS randomly hit the “Control/Command S” button while typing ANYTHING.  While writing this blog and outlining the entire book of Exodus my Microsoft Word decided it would be funny to have “an unexpected error.” Not so funny when it only recovers half of each document. Sigh. Oh well :)

Also, if you are interested in an APU All Access campus preview you should go here:

https://www.apu.edu/admissions/undergraduate/visit/

(It gives dates, cost, and all the fun events that you’ll do :)

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Finally a Video!

Kelsey Bjugstad Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

I promised the next blog would include videos.. so here you go!

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This is Karissa and Purple (Michelle) singing at an event called ‘Color the Night.’

Color the Night was an event to show APU creativity through student artwork and music . It was fun to see APU students play fun music and see all the beautiful artwork. :)

The next video has a story behind it.

Smith (the all guy hall) started dressing up for family/hall dinners.  Family/Hall Dinner is where you eat with your entire hall in the Dinning Hall. Not only do you dress up as the theme, you are supposed to act the part.  I believe the first theme for the Smith hall was Egyptians but it’s since been sheep, beggars, and other crazy ideas. Trinity 1st South has been waiters and first graders. Trinity 4th North have been really funny nerds and babies.

3rd North decided we wanted to go all out for our first ‘themed’ family dinner. Our theme was Safari, which meant we dressed up as wild animals. Yes, its a little bit crazy but it was a whole lotta fun :)

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Week In The Life Of A Freshman

Kelsey Bjugstad Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

So this blog is a few days late, but the bonus of it being late is that you get it with pictures and an example of a normal week in my life. My week has been pretty random, so here are my awesome APU highlights! :)

Sunday: We went to a beach bonfire with our brother hall.  We celebrated their RA’s (see note below) birthday with hotdogs and cake. It was fun, but I was definitely tired. Note to self: Get more sleep before going somewhere. Actually, getting more sleep in general would be a pretty good idea.

The mix of wind and fire made it hard to heat our hotdogs!

The mix of wind and fire made it hard to heat our hotdogs!

Huntingtons Beach at night with Meredith, Libby, and Susie :)

Huntington's Beach at night with Meredith, Libby, and Susie :)

Monday: My Mondays feel generally pretty crazy. I have three classes on Mondays, which isn’t too bad, but one of them is 3 hours long and chapel starts at 9:30.  Something interesting probably happened, but I apparently can’t think back a week :) I’m sure there was homework involved. Oh, and this is the day I locked myself out of my room so I studied in our Study Room until Rachel (my roommate) got home.  (By the way, RA’s can unlock the doors for you, but it costs $5) I love the Study Room.

Tuesday: The Freshman had a “Street Meets” which was called a Lumberjack Dance. I don’t really know what the point of the whole thing was, but it was similar to a hoedown with plaid/checkered flannel. The highlight for me was when the RA’s from each dorm performed group dances. I wish I had would have been able to video it! Engstrom was the most amusing, but the Trinity RA’s had the most skill.  I wasn’t able to stay at the dance long though because I had a test the next morning as well as an Alpha meeting. We had our Alpha meeting at 10:30pm after getting coffee at the Cornerstone Cafe because it is the only time that fits our whole group’s schedule. Alphas group are a required once a week meeting with a random group of people from the Beginnings class, lead by an sophomore who volunteered to be an Alpha leader.  It was a very informal meeting and we just had a lot of fun sharing stories and eating delicious Pizookie (an ice cream and cookie dessert) that our Alpha leader Jen made for us.

TIffanys view from the dance

TIffany's view from the dance

Wednesday: Wednesday morning I thought I was going to have my first APU test. My teacher told us to study two chapters in our book. After staying up until 3:00am, studying the two chapters and one wrong one, I felt pretty prepared. Unfortunately, I was a bit over prepared.  My professor’s version of a ‘test on the chapters’ ended up being essentially a 15-question quiz worth 5 points. Needless to say, I realized I should ask for more information on ‘tests’ before studying in that class.

My hall had Family Dinner together! Family dinner consisted of as many 3N Girls going to the Caf together and fitting into one long table. The Caf was reasonable full when we got there at 6:30 and finding a table for 20+ girls was difficult.  The only tables available near each other were in a huge corner that made it hard for anyone to move around. A few of the girls resorted to climbing under the table so they could get more food. It was pretty funny and possibly a bit gross, but we were all able to eat as a ‘family’ (and that’s what counts :)  Every Wednesday Night we have Kaleo, which is my favorite chapel service.

Almost all of the 3N Girls

Almost all of the 3N Girls

I love Kaleo with all of my heart.  The services have been getting so crowed that people have started to line up as early as 8:15 to be sure they get in for the service at 9:00. We are going over the book of Daniel in a way that it is applied to our lives directly connecting to scripture.  Instead of going story by story, we are taking a chapter or two at a time and digging into it while making it personal. I’m sure I’m doing a terrible job at explaining it, but I promise, Kaleo really is awesome.

Thursday: I’m pretty sure something exciting in our hall on Thursday but again, the days seem to blur a bit.

Friday: Friday was a really exciting day for me! I had my normal classes that were great, but the highlight of the day was seeing my friend Lainey. I haven’t really been able to see anyone I know closely for a month and I was so happy to see her face! She goes to a different school about 45 minutes away, but neither of us have cars which makes it difficult to hang out.  Lainey and I have been best friends since 4th grade but she moved to Illinois in 8th grade. Seeing her was definitely a blessing.

My mom made me promise wed take pictures but my camera is broken. My used Photobooth instead :)

Promised my mom we'd take pictures but my camera is broken. My used Photobooth in my dorm instead :)

Saturday: I went to the football game vs. the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. It was fun to cheer them on and even more fun when they won 23-7. There were some awesome fumble returns and an amazing field goal!

Libbys view of the APU football game

Libby's view of the APU football game

Wearing our Blackout at the football game :)

Wearing our Blackout at the football game :)

Sunday: On Sunday I pretty much slept all day. I’ve never been able to go to bed early and college definitely didn’t change that habit. I use my weekends to make up for the 5/6 hours of sleep I get during the week. I basically spent all day in bed but I attempted to do homework too. I wrote my speech for Public Communications and almost started this blog :). I took a break of doing nothing to go celebrate my hall-neighbor’s birthday at Tutti Fruity, a local frozen yogurt place that is not only delicious but also gives APU students 15% off!

Wishing Meredith a Happy Birthday at Tutti Fruiti!

Wishing Meredith a Happy Birthday at Tutti Fruiti!

Monday: My Monday was a crazy day again which is why this blog didn’t get posted this morning.  I love my Exodus/Deuteronomy class but it sometimes causes a brain overload. The hardest part of the day was Public Comm because I was second to give my ‘Story Speech.’

My speech was a fairytale story I made up for the girls I nannied for this summer. I’m not a huge fan of public speaking even though I talk too much. The formality too it is a bit daunting for me and I was definitely nervous.

After Speech I saw a friend from my Into to Communications class and had a fun time hanging out in her hall. Unfortunately when I got back to 3rd North after 10pm I realized I had a quiz in my Health and Wellness class. A neighbor of mine has that class too so we attempted to study in the hall kitchen but we were very easily distracted by pretty much everything and anything. During our ‘study breaks’, which there were more of then actual studying, I started this blog. By the time I got to bed I realized like I hadn’t learned very much, my blog wasn’t finished or proof-read, and I had to be up at 7:45 for my Walk/Jog/Run class.

Tue: When I woke up, the day wasn’t looking too promising. I was tired and was worried about my quizzes. Thankfully, my Health and Wellness test was very easy for me and since we could leave as soon as we were done, I had time to eat and study a little bit more for my Into to Lit quiz. Now I plan on either watching something on Hulu or taking a nap before starting homework. Good day :)

Feel free to add comments or ask any questions!

-Kelsey

*Resident Assistant- An upperclassman who is in our hall all year to support, counsel, and love on us

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