Posts Tagged ‘Freshman’

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one. more. month.

Megan Monday, April 11th, 2011

One more month of my freshmen year. The last time I will ever be a freshmen… in my life. Crazy. This year has seriously flown by faster then I ever thought it would. I feel like I just got here, move-in day seems like it was just yesterday. By far, it has been the best year of my life. I have met people that I can’t imagine living life without. I have met people that have inspired me, encouraged me, and shown me what it means to pursue Christ with all of your being. There are people that I can never repay for the way that they have poured into my life. I have grown as a person, and even more so I have grown in my relationship with God. The way I have experienced God while being here is extraordinary.

It is insane to think of how originally APU was not on my rater of colleges at all. I had a whole different plan, but this was God’s plan for me. And it is infinitely better then any other place I could have ended up. This is my home now, these people are like family. This community is like family. For some people, picking a college is all about the city your in, or the look of the campus, or how great their food is, or even how good the school name will look on your resume. While I would fare to say that there are so many schools that rank better at those things then APU, I would also fare to say that in terms of community and the people, APU ranks number one. I could never imagine myself anywhere else, surrounded by any other group of individuals.

Besides school ending next month, I have a little over one more month until I leave for my mission trip to Tanzania. It is surreal at this point. The way that God has opened doors for this trip, prepared me and equipped me personally for this trip, and bonded my team is just so amazing. It has been a true testimony to how God will get you somewhere if He really wants you there. God really wants me there. If I ended up at any other place, I would not be going on this mission trip in a month. And that in itself is just a weird thought. This mission trip IS where I am supposed to be, and APU got me here. I haven’t even been on the trip yet and I already cannot imagine my life without it.

One more month until I move out of the dorms. Oh boy, that’s going to be a sad day. I will miss spontaneous trips to ‘The Hat’ or ‘Donut Man’ or ‘In-N-Out.’ I will miss beach days with my hall and waking up at 3AM to pillow fights outside and girls screaming in the hall (I know, weird thing to miss right?). I will miss Monday night cramming into a room and watching The Bachelor. I will miss constantly having my door open and never being able to get homework done because people walk in every 2 seconds. I will miss moving my mattress into other rooms and having sleepovers. I will miss spontaneous dance parties and movie nights. I will miss getting ready for GYRAD and walking into the bathroom every morning to see the whole bathroom filled with girls getting ready. I will miss spending hours on end in the study room during finals, but never having a dull moment because there are 10 other girls studying in there too. I will miss never having to be alone, unless I choose to be. I will miss sitting out on Trinity Lawn doing homework on a beautiful sunny day. I will miss every single thing about living in the dorms, it was hands-down one of the greatest parts of my freshmen year. Some of the girls on my hall will be my friends for eternity (seriously).

But there are so many things to look forward to:

  • I am going to be an ALPHA LEADER next year, which I could not be any more excited about. I am so blessed to be able to pour into the lives of incoming freshmen. I can only hope that I influence the lives of my “alphies” as my alpha leader influenced my own.
  • Next year I will be living in an apartment with two of the girls on my hall. They are some of the most caring, encouraging, and fun girls I have ever met. I can’t wait.
  • My schedule of classes for next semester…. THREE art classes. So stoked.
  • Spring Semester I am planning on studying abroad (either South Africa, England, Italy, or London!)
  • Much far into the future… my Junior year… I am going to pursue being an R.A. for the freshmen in the dorms.

If you are going to be a freshmen at APU next year I have one piece of advice for you… GET EXCITED. Your life will be changed and will look nothing like what it does right now (in a good way). You will grow, learn, experience things you never imagined you would, and make friendships that will last a lifetime. Looking back, I enjoyed high school, but college is a new level of enjoyment.

If you are not going to be a freshmen at APU next year, GET EXCITED ANYWAYS. Be in prayer about where God is leading you, be pursuing Him, and rejoice in all that you do have right now.

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APU Dictionary

Megan Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Alpha: A group you will be placed in the day you move in that includes a sophomore (sometimes a junior) alpha leader and about 8-12 other freshmen. You will all be in the same beginnings class (its a 350 person class that usually just has people speak about current issues) and you will meet one other time during the week to get to know each other and have fun. Its a great way to meet people and as awkward as it may feel as first everyone really does end up loving the program.

Biola: ……..

Communiversity: Community + Diversity, a program that plans events and makes the school fun (simply said).

Cookie Mill: One of our popular off-campus food options. They have amazing ice cream sandwiches with your choice of ice cream and cookies for cheap. It is right by the Mods (next to Stater Brothers), so it is in easy walking distance.

Crazy 8: A team of 8 extremely school spirited students that hype up the crowd and the athletes at sporting events.

Donut Man: A donut shop down the street (a car ride away, not really walk-able distance) that has the GREATEST donuts on the planet. It is basically legendary here at APU. Its open 24/7 and usually anytime you go there you will see other APU students.

D-Group “Discipleship Group:” A group that you can choose to be placed in that meets one time per week for 1-2 hours and talks about life. Some have Bible studies, some just hang out, some read a book together, it all depends on the group. Usually its 4-6ish people and they always have an upperclassman as a leader. It’s always same-sex groups. I am in one currently (I just started it this semester) and it is an amazing way to feel connected to the community here and feel as if you always have people to go to if you need anything. I always look forward to hanging out with my girls.

“Freddy” Cougar: The lovely school mascot!

GYRAD: “Get your roommate a date.” Self explanatory?

High Sierra: A “study abroad” opportunity in Yosemite for all majors that is mainly done by freshmen and sophomores (but juniors still do it sometimes!). It creates a very tight knit family and provides so many opportunities to do anything and everything in nature you could ever desire! I have many friends that have done it or are there now and they ALL claim it to be one of the greatest experiences of their lives.

Intermurals: Sports teams set up by us students! Currently, a lot of the girls on my hall are on a soccer team together and they love it.

Kaleo: A Wednesday night option for Chapel that is LOVED on this campus. It is a more intimate setting, less people, and the sermons usually relate and build off each other. I would highly recommend going when you start attending APU because if not when you do end up going to Kaleo you will wish you went from the very beginning (my roommate made that mistake haha).

Liturgical: Another Chapel option some Thursday nights that provides a service similar to Mass (lots of hymns) where it is very personal. I have never been, but many of my friends go and LOVE it.

Mods: A (mainly) sophomore living area that looks like little houses all around the area behind Trinity and Engstrom and the Baseball field.

My Tie: Often done in Freshmen living areas, all the guys will put a tie in a hat and the girls will pick one. Whatever tie you pick is your date for the night.

Resident Advisor: An upperclassman that lives on each hall (and mod or apartment complex) and regulates all their residents and plans events to bond the living communities. They also have a roommate (the RAR, Resident Advisor Roommate).

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A Birthday and A Roadtrip

Megan Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Last month, a couple friends and I decided that a road trip was much needed with all the craziness of school. So often we are so busy with homework and all the activities at school that we don’t get to actually GET AWAY much. We took a free day and drove about three hours to Salvation Mountain, a beautiful man-made mountain of art created by a guy that’s crazy about Jesus and Jesus’ love. I have to say, it blew my mind, and as an artist myself it was a huge inspiration of how our faith and our art can go hand in hand. All of my friends that went absolutely loved it as well. Pictures don’t do it justice, but all you prospective students- when you get a chance to attend APU it is a must see work of art that can end up being an amazing road trip with friends. It’s pretty liberating just being able to jump into your car with four friends and drive off for a day’s adventure.

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Then, earlier this month as a little celebration for my birthday I went out to dinner with a couple of my closest friends at school to Bucca Di Beppo. I don’t know how its possible for dinner to be that much fun but it was either the amazing Italian food or the great company, its a toss up.

Later that night I rang in my birthday with driving half way to San Diego to pick up a hall mate with some of my friends blasting the song by 50 Cent that says “we gonna party like its your birthday.”

Then I woke up to my roommate carrying in a chocolate cake singing Happy Birthday. As simple as this whole birthday sounds, it was wonderful. I came to the conclusion that good company is all you need to have an amazing birthday. Here’s to my 19th year of life!

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A Very Big Adventure!

Renna Nightingale Friday, February 11th, 2011

South Africa. The land of brokenness, the land of miracles. The land of natural beauty beyond compare, the land with the people who are hurting. The land where time slows down, the land where “love your neighbor” reigns. The land where God’s voice becomes louder than a whisper.

As the locals say, “This is Africa.”

This is where I currently am! I am blessed to be the only freshman among a team of 55 students studying abroad in South Africa. Even though I am a freshman, I have been completely welcomed into the group, as is often the way with Azusa Pacific University community.

Every day is a new adventure. I have only been here for three weeks and already, God has been molding me.

Do you remember when you were little and you began to grow? Often, you would experience growing pains. At the time, these pains are quite unwelcome, as they are at best, uncomfortable! But in the long run, these pains could be celebrated because they signified new growth, mostly in height.

Here, I am experiencing growing pains, but of the spirit. The Lord is shaping, pulling, creating, and growing me in ways I never thought possible! I am completely grateful to be learning and growing, but it can often be scary and painful at times!

I have never learned so much in such a short amount of time in my life. I have learned about friendships, confidence, myself, contentment, community, and most importantly, the Lord.

I know He has plans for me here. I feel like He has been preparing me for something this last month… I cannot wait to find out what it is!

Here I am, on a very big adventure. Care to join me?

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Amazing APU Moment #294585:

Megan Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

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You wait 18 years to finally move out and be an “adult” and then you go back to dressing like a little kid again.

A few weeks ago we had an amazing event called “broomball” where South Side of Trinity dressed up as little kids “school kids” and the North Side of Trinity dressed up as the elderly “retirement” and we faced off in a game of broomball (hitting around multiple balls on an ice skating rink with regular shoes on trying to get it into a goal). In case you were wondering, OF COURSE South Side won! WOOOOO

It was yet another amazing night of being with the girls on my hall and all the people living in the Trinity Dorm. I can’t put into words how much fun freshmen year is (I am trying to compensate with pictures cause they are worth a thousand words, right?)

P.S. I wish I could document the look on peoples faces when we walked into In-n-Out afterwards for dinner… I guess onesies aren’t in style anymore.

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All-Access Weekend ALREADY?

Megan Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

It seems like just yesterday that I was walking onto the APU campus for All-Access weekend. I was timid, shy, and confused, to say the least. I remember the feeling exactly. You feel like you look so much younger then everyone else and that you stand out like a sore thumb. It feels like yesterday, but a year seemed to fly by between then and now.

This past weekend I got the chance to host All-Access students as an Ambassador. Being an Ambassador means you get the opportunity to host All-Access students and other prospective students throughout your freshmen year. It is not a paid position or anything, just something to do if you want to get involved with the school from the get-go. It is a good way to get students hyped up for what APU is and what it has to offer.

Incase you haven’t heard of All-Access, heres a brief lo-down on what it is. Basically, All-Access Weekend takes place four times throughout the year, twice in the Fall and twice in the Spring, and lasts from Thursday afternoon to either Friday night or Saturday morning (depending on if you want to spend one or two nights on campus). You get to attend fun events, informative sessions, and stay with a Freshmen student at APU so that you can get a good feel for what a typical weekend is like. It is a good way to see the campus, meet some faculty, and begin to bond with other prospective students that might (…hopefully) will end up at APU with you. You get to go to chapel, attend a class, eat on campus, and get to know your Ambassadors.

My experience last year at All-Access was SO worthwhile and made me 100 times more excited for going to APU. I encourage you to look into All-Access weekend, and if you cannot attend any of those weekends, try and schedule a night or weekend to stay at APU in the dorms and experience it individually. I promise you its worth it.

Here are some questions I thought it would be helpful to cover that I got asked regularly by the All-Access students I hosted:

1. What is an R.A.? Each hall in the dorms, and each general living area in the apartments or Mods has an R.A. (Resident Advisor). An R.A. is an upperclassman- typically a junior or senior, sometimes a sophomore. Basically, their job is to make sure rules are followed, and even more then that make sure your experience is amazing.

2. What is an Alpha Group? The second you move into APU you are going to be placed in an Alpha Group. As a Freshmen, you are required to take a .5 Unit class called Beginnings your first semester that consists of about 300 students. The students in that class are divided into the Alpha Groups (about 8-12 people) and throughout the majority of the first semester you meet with your Alpha Group weekly to bond, talk about the class material, and have fun. This is one of the many ways that APU makes sure you do not feel alone once you step onto the campus.

3. How much homework do you get? It really depends on your major(s), if you procrastinate, and what professors you get. It varies heavily. Usually, I get roughly 2-3 hours of homework a night. Now, keep in mind this does not include procrastination. However, you can balance a social life and school for sure, you just have to be smart about it.

4. How do you like it here? Considering I am writing on the APU Blog and I am an APU Ambassador, you can infer the rest…. YES I LOVE IT HERE AND I INSIST ITS THE BEST COLLEGE ON THE PLANET.

5. Is there anything you would change about APU? Honestly, no. (And I am not just saying that because it’s on this blog.) The thing that I looked most forward to at APU was the people. In being here about two months there is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for the community here. People genuinely CARE, the love of Christ is so evident here its mind blowing. I love that I am surrounded by these people every single day. The school aspect of it hasn’t let me down either. My classes are amazing, the professors care about students more then I have ever seen or thought was possible, and I am learning so much. I never dread school, I enjoy it. And I haven’t always been like that, thats for sure. I love both campuses and I never find myself bored here. Two months and no boredom? Its true. (No wonder why its on the list for the best first-year experience!)

6. How much financial aid can you get? If you are struggling financially, do NOT rule out APU. I know many people that cannot at all afford this college but they ended up with enough financial aid to be able to go here. APU really helps you out in finding ways to afford school here, and if you put time and effort into getting financial aid, it will prove to be hugely beneficial.

7. What is there to do around Azusa on weekends? There is always something going on on-campus or somewhere to go or someone to hang out with. Donut man is a short drive away, and is one of the most popular hangout spots for APU students. It is delicious. Likewise, Cookie Mill is a hot spot that everyone goes to, you will always find an APU student in there. The most amazing ice cream sandwiches… ever. A lot of students go to the movie theater or out to dinner at Chipotle. Girls on my hall will go running on the track frequently and there’s a lot of just hanging out in a dorm room socializing. There will never be a dull moment, that I assure you.

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