Posts Tagged ‘High Sierra’

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Key Points of the Year

Staphon Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Well, it has been quite a while since I blogged about anything, and like JP said in his post, College is a BUSY BUSY Place.

First, there is RA, which I feel is mostly a recharge for me, I love spending time with my residents, if I could simply be an RA without everything else, I would be set for life! Just building relationships and planning events and just being creative and there for my residents is the most amazing feeling.

Then there is Class, which is… well work. However, its nice to go somewhere and actually know what it is you are learning enough to give input whenever you learn anything new, to actually be a part of the dialogue and be able to practice the skills right after learning them… is that what it is like for all students? I feel like I am one of the worst students ever, I have never really felt like I was a part of a class, just simply taking in information that was forced at me, but here, I actually feel like I’m taking in things, actually learning. And after 2 years of Gen Ed Classes, its nice to find a major that I actually enjoy learning about, and that is why I am in my second year of Graphic Design.

Then Work. I really love what I am doing, working with computers, its the best when I get what we call Tech Aura where most every computer I touch gets fixed, but it sometimes gets frustrating, especially lately. There have been so many new problems with computers that its taking me a little longer to figure it all out. I am starting to feel like the worst manager ever, I can’t ever seem to get anything to work right. Luckily, I am surrounded by a very supportive and awesome staff, and team of Managers who are very helpful, making having an on campus job seem so worth it!

And Lastly, Track! We just got back from a retreat to the High Sierra campus and a hike up to Eagle Peak in Yosemite. It was so amazing and beautiful. This year, instead of rushing up the hike, I got a chance to just stay back and enjoy the scenery and take pictures, and get to know some of the new members of my team. And then on Saturday we did a fun ropes course and a canoe race. Sadly, the platform that we usually all sleep on was dismantled, so we just slept all over the top of Star Rock in random places, but it was still fun. All the pictures I took are located here: http://www.staphon.com/staphon.com/albums/Pages/Destination__Eagle_Peak.html

When we started: YouTube Preview Image

How the Arnold’s hike (My dad and I on the hike): YouTube Preview Image

Where we Ended: YouTube Preview Image

Conclusion: YouTube Preview Image

So, with all that, its a wonder I can every get anything done, but with all my APU friends, its not bad at all. The only thing I really have to keep my priorities strait is remember is our school Motto: GOD FIRST!

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When we say we barely have free time in College, we mean it!

JP Park Monday, October 12th, 2009

Hey, its J.P again!! Sorry I haven’t been blogging much, but as the title says, College is extremely busy!!!!

In case some of you readers don’t know already, I’m studying in the mountains near Yosemite for a semester long program called “High Sierra”, which is sort of like a study abroad program. For my Leadership class I have here at the “satellite campus”(campus that is not on the legit APU college) the 22 students here had to go on a 6 day trek in Ansel Adams(sp?) which is part of Yosemite. For 6 straight days, we have no classes, no internet, no phones, no showers, and worst of all, NO TOILETS!! It was a great experience; One of those things that you do once n a life time.My trek group for the grueling 6 day trek consisted of 9 other classmates and professors.

Here are some pictures from my 6 day trek!Me on the 6 day trek for High Sierra

Looking out to YosemiteSLab Lake in Yosemite

Some people from my trek group summiting a mountain!!

Some people from my trek group summiting a mountain!!

The 6 day trek was tons of fun!! I had a “Solo”, where I was by myself in the wilderness with only my sleeping bag and a few other things. I spent 24 hours by myself, and chose to fast the whole day by choice. In the 24 hours while I was on my “solo” time during trek, I have never felt more closer to God in my entire life. I spent the whole day in solitude, and spent a lot of the day appreciating God’s majestic creation and basking in the sun by the lake(a picture of it is above here).

Now, I’m back on campus with the 22 or so other students, and have been trying to transition back to the groove of the dreaded 6 classes I’m taking here at High Sierra. Don’t get me wrong, I love the classes that Azusa Pacific offers and I learn tremendously. The teachers here are amazing and are like mentors. A few of them that I can name off the top of my head are Dave Williams, Mike Robbins, and Tom Dunn. They are some rad professors!

I have had a difficult time trying to juggle my time wisely. In college, countless temptations get thrown your way and at times, it will be very difficult to turn them down. Instead of doing homework, I’m tempted to hang out with friends, watch a movie, play a game or sport, or even procrastinate on facebook! I barely seem to have time to call my parents and siblings back in Virginia, and even my roommate back on the APU campus.

All in all, College is the most amazing place on Earth, besides a church of course. :) I have met some quality friends here, and I have learned so much just as a person, and also as a Christian.

To close off, I’ll just explain what I did today to give you a taste of what college life is kind of like:

I woke up around 11 am because I didn’t have any  classes today, and then chilled with a few friends until it was time for lunch. I didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast since I woke up so late(Breakfast is around 8am here at the High Sierra). Then, my friend Rachel Eblin trimmed my hair with her own personal hair cuttery kit. After my trim, I went on a mini “field trip” with about 8 other students to Starbucks to study/work on homework. We could of just stayed on campus, but the track team from Azusa Pacific is here at High Sierra for a team building weekend or something, so there is constantly a lot of noise because of how much fun their having. The few of us who couldn’t concentrate, and the students who wanted to leave campus for a while decided to go to Starbucks and I got a lot of work done. It’s relaxing to get away from campus and the whole college environment for a while and just relax.

Right now, it’s about midnight and I’m typing this blog in the dining hall, which is filled with at least half of the guys and girls from the APU track team. I’m about to work on some homework(story of my life) and get some sleep.

I plan to blog more often, sorry for the abscence. Like I said, I barely have any free time, but I’ll make this blog job one of my priorities. :)

Night, J.P

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Stressed as a college student?? Same here!!

JP Park Friday, September 25th, 2009

Hey there guys!! J.P here again with a few words of wisdom!

Well in case you didn’t already know, I’m a freshman here at Azusa Pacific University. Ironically, I’m not on the campus (The campus is pretty dope!), I’m at the semester long program called “High Sierra” where we study in the mountains and get to do outdoors-y stuff like go on a 6 day trek in Yosemite (We leave this Thursday which means no school for 6 days! hah)

Here’s a picture of the 23 students and teachers/mentors/friends here at the High Sierra program. It’s an amazing community:

high, sierra, freshman, experience, jp, park, yosemite, trek,

high, sierra, freshman, experience, jp, park, yosemite, trek,

Anyway, even though I have only been in college for a couple of weeks now, I’m already starting to slowly get stressed and even more stress. STRESS  SUCKS!! In college, you tend to get so busy with countless things such as SCHOOL WORK, clubs, sports, extracurricular activities, friends, and so on.

The most helpful tips I found out were obvious, of course. Here are some of them:

1. PRIORITIZE!!!! Always start and finish the things that are most important like class work like essays and reading books. I procrastinate A LOT, so the faster you finish your work, the faster you get to all of the other fun stuff APU offers. I can’t “stress” enough about how important it is to get the most important stuff out of the way first.

2. Make a “To do list”/ Calendar —-I always make a to do list with my homework for each class, upcoming events, and planning what days I can go out and have fun and whatever else. It helps a lot to see what you have already completed but crossing them off the list, and what you still need to do.

3. DON’T PROCRASTINATE!!!!!!!—–It’s so easy for a friend to stop by your dorm and want to chill or go out to lunch or dinner. I know it is hard to say no when all of your friends urge you to do something, BUT there will be plenty of countless opportunities to hang out and socialize. You have 4 years to do that! Grades and academics come first!!!

I could say a lot more, but none can come to mind right now. Haha.

The faster you do your class work, the sooner you’ll be able to do this:

Me, (JP) sleeping in my dorm

Hahahaha! Naps are even more amazing in college, except when you constantly have people knocking on your door to hang. But I don’t have to worry anymore since I”m here in the mountains for High Sierra semester.

College isn’t all fun and games…Don’t get me wrong…I LOOVVVEEE college, but there has to be a balance between socializing and studying/doing homework.

Just last night, I had to read 5 chapters (50 pages worth) and while I was reading, my roommates asked me if I wanted to go kayaking in the lake. I really wanted to go, but I knew had to finish reading…. Being productive means making compromises. The more you say no to your friends, the more they will respect your studying time.

Hope this helped a bit, ha! I need to go work out for my Fit For Life class, so lataz!

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Greetings from a Freshman perspective!!!

JP Park Monday, September 21st, 2009
Me (J.P) at Yosemite!

Me (J.P) at Yosemite!

Hey everyone!!! First off, my name’s J.P and I’m a freshman here at Azusa Pacific University! I’m from Virginia, so deciding to travel all the way to California was a HUGE decision, but I can say it has been the best decision I have made in my entire life.

For those of you who don’t know, there is a program at APU called the “High Sierra” program. For a semester, you get to live on the mountains at Bass Lake, CA with other students who can be in any grade level. You have the chance to rock climb, wake board, trek, hike, and even conquer Yosemite!!

Here’s a picture of the sunset here at High Sierra. It is so amazing

Sunset at Yosemite

Sunset at Yosemite

Since I’m an out of state student, I really wanted to stay on campus and study there and make tons of friends and just live the “freshman life”, but through a series of countless events during my first few days at APU, I decided to do the “High Sierra” program.

So………here I am with only 22 other students up in the mountains!! I love being here. The community is just as awesome as it is back on main campus, just fewer people for sure! I literally went from having over 40 hallmates in the Trinity Hall dorm back on campus to 4 here at High Sierra!! But hey…it’s a good thing because you get to become so close with the few people here. I love each and every person that’s here with me, but unfortunately, I get extremely “campus sick” sometimes when I think of being on campus at Azusa

I find it extremely weird and awkward that I miss being on campus when I have only been there for a week and a half. But during that week and a half, I met so many amazing people. The community at APU is amazing!!! You are destined to make friends no matter what.

I have so much to blog about and I really want to give you guys still in high school and future transfer students a glimpse of what life is really like here at Azusa Pacific University, and not to mention the awesome things I’ve been up to!

For now, here’s a picture of my first football game at APU with my friends. I’ll definitely keep blogging!

Me and my friends before our first APU football game

Me and my friends before our first APU football game

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