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It is almost the end of that time of year. People are being hired and re-hired for campus student leadership jobs. It is an exciting and nerve-racking process that teaches everyone something. One, it shows people where their strengths and weaknesses are. That will come in handy when it is time to step out into the world and get a big person job! Two, it teaches people how to create resumes, fill out applications, and participate in interviews. All of these things are so crucial when it comes time to apply for jobs out of college. It really gives you a taste of what you are going to face in the future.

The jobs on campus send out their applications at different times: Resident Assistants first, Peer Advisors second, Student Government Association next, and Spiritual Life Advisors last. They all run a little differently, depending on which job you apply for. Resident Assistants and Peer Advisors both require people to turn in their resumes and applications first, then they go through a group interview, and if you pass that, you move onto an individual interview; from there you find out if you have been offered the job. Student Government jobs work a little differently. All of the available jobs on the “Cabinet” come out with applications hung on a board outside of the Student Development office. Students pick them up there, fill it out and attach your resume, and then turn it back in to Student Development. You then receive an e-mail if you are offered an interview, and then you only go through an individual interview; there is no group interview for SGA. Lastly, the Spiritual Life Advisors run very differently. They are chosen by the Resident Assistant. Whoever wants to be an SLA fills out an application and a resume and turns it in to the Spiritual Life Advisors Coordinator. The Coordinator then separates them into each individual floor for the following year and gives them to the future RA. The RA then decides who they would like to partner with to lead the floor.

The interviewing process can be intimidating and difficult, but it also has its rewards. Practice for a future job is always a good thing to get! I would encourage everyone to just go out an apply! If you find a job interesting, then go for it. You really do not have anything to lose. You just get a learning experience and possibly a really cool job! So next year, Spring semester, go apply!

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We are all back at school after our wonderful week long Spring Break. Some went far away, while others hung around Michigan. It is always so interesting to see what people did because it really does vary so much.

There are some people I know who decided to take a vacation with friends from school. One group went to Florida and another went to the Carolinas. I know a few other people who went with family to various places, such as the Carolinas and Ireland! I bet these were nice relaxing vacations filled with fun in the sun!

Still other people went for sporting events. There was track and field nationals in the Carolinas. The tennis girls also went for an adventure together to bond. It is always nice to get away with your team, whether it be for fun or events.

Other groups of students went on missions trips. These varied in where they went, but a few examples are Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, and Hamtramck.  They touched people’s lives and definitely changed their own.

Lastly, some people just headed home and hung out with the old mom and pop. That was where I spent my Spring Break. I did some homework, observed at a school for my major, and was lazy every day haha! It was nice to relax in my home and spend time with my family. I know many other people who did that same and it was definitely hard for all of us to pack up and head back to the Arbor.

Spring Break is awesome, but many times it gives us too much of a glimpse of summer vacation and we don’t want to go back to school. The first week back is always the hardest, but it will get easier, and before you know it, it will be May 10th and we’ll be out of here!

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Online classes are a pretty cool invention. You get to get in the credits for a class, yet you get to choose when you go to class. Spring Arbor University offers many of their courses online with great professors. I have really enjoyed taking online classes. So far I have taken two courses online and it has been very nice with my schedule.

Here is how it works. You do have a schedule of when you need to turn homework and assignments in, yet you get to choose when you would like to work on the assignments, homework, and readings you do. There is no class to get to during the week; it is simply online whenever you are available to do it.

So far I have taken HIS142 online and I am still in the process of finishing SST200. It worked very well with my schedule to have these classes online. Since they are both pretty reading-intensive, it was nice to not have to go to class on top of the homework and assignments. I loved being able to do the work on my own time! Also, my professors have been great and are always understanding if there is a problem with your computer or Internet.

The only catch with online classes is that you have to be on your game. If you do not pay attention to when things are due or you simply forget about doing the work because you do not have a class to go to, then it will be pretty difficult to keep up with the online class. My advice in the situation where you are faced with an online class, but are not sure if you will keep up is to GET A PLANNER! I have a planner and write down everything for every class, but it has proved especially helpful for my online classes.

So, overall, I think online classes are great! They fit nice in schedules and make learning more fitted to your life. If you are ever offered the chance to take an online class with Spring Arbor, I would do it!

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Yes, we all have classes each week as college students, but did you know that some classes are only offered on the weekends? I got to experience this during Interim 2013. I am an Early Childhood Education major and part of that is taking a class on how to teach physical education and health. When registering for classes, I found out that this class, HPR201, was only offered Friday nights from 6pm to 10pm and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm. It is a weird set up, but that was my only option.

The Friday nights were difficult because it went late, so you would begin dozing off. Also, you really just wanted to be out and hanging with your friends. It was not very much fun sitting in a classroom in the Field House for 4 hours on Friday night. Saturday was difficult because it was all day. We got to get 30 minutes for lunch one weekend and then about 2 hours another weekend. Breaks varied in length. I will not lie, it was not fun to be there all day Saturday either.

The redeeming quality of this class was the fact that it was only two weekends long. It was tough to get through during it, but after those two weekends, I had a class done and I got to meet a lot of fun people who made it interesting. So, my word of warning would be, do not get discouraged or upset if you end up having a weekend class. Just remember that it will probably not last super long and you typically meet a lot of cool people that make the class fun and interesting!

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I know that we are a few weeks into 2013 already (which is crazy!!), but I have been seriously thinking about News Years resolutions. We hear about them every year when the ball is getting ready to drop at midnight. “I am going to lose x amount of pounds.” “I am going to be a better person, friend, spouse, parent, etc.” “I am going to start being healthy.” The list goes on and on! I have always felt that New Years resolutions should be about something more than appearances, however. We should set a goal that is realistic and will be beneficial to us and those around us. I won’t lie, I have made the resolution to get healthy and lose some weight, but that is not my only goal. I have decided to take it a step further and make a goal to have a healthy spirit.

I believe that to be healthy, we must be healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. If one of the three is left out, a person is not as healthy as they can be. I want to give some tips to everyone about how to make your New Years resolutions a success so you can be a better you!

1) Physical. Make a realistic goal for yourself. Don’t say that you will lose x amount of pounds this year. Instead say that you will eat a healthy diet, restrict junk food/desserts, and will work out x amount of days for x amount of time each week. This is now a realistic goal that is tangible. You have the power to restrict bad foods and find healthy, yummy foods to eat instead. Pack your fridges with fruits instead of chips for snacks. Limit yourself to one dessert a week. Find a way to make fruits into a dessert that is healthier for you. A healthy diet can be delicious if you are willing to work for it. Also, having a schedule for exercise helps you to stay on track and gives you less of a chance to falter on it. REMEMBER, exercise does not just mean running. I personally hate running, but I can still work out and have fun doing it! There are a million workout tapes out now that you can buy and enjoy in your house, dorm room, etc. I love to do Zumba because it is fun and not running! Try to find what you love to do and seek it out. I promise if you type an activity you like to do into Google, you can probably find an exercise program with it. Type “Dance exercise program” into Google and maybe you’ll find a workout routine you will actually enjoy!

2. Mental. Make sure that you keep your brain as sharp as your body. Try doing Sudoku, crossword puzzles, strategy board games, or any other word/number games. They will surely keep your brain working and your mental health with keep up with your new fit body!

3. Spiritual. As Christians, we need to make sure we don’t slack on this one. It may seem menacing to take on, but it is very simple. Again, make a tangible goal. “I will read x amount of verses in this book of the Bible each day.” “I will take a month to go through this book of the Bible.” There are a number of goals you can set. Just get in some Jesus time! Reading our Bibles help us connect with God, get to know Him better, and feed our spirit with wholesome things. But REMEMBER, speeding through the Bible is not what it’s about. Take your time, it is not a contest to see who can read it the fastest. If you do that, you will miss the point of reading the Bible. Take time to listen as you read God’s words. He may have a secret message for you in there!

So remember this 2013, New Years resolutions can be awesome, but they take work. Don’t give up after a few weeks! It will most definitely be worth it :)

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The Walking Dead

Do you like zombies? Are you not sure? Try them out for a spin by watching The Walking Dead on AMC! Warning: there is lots of blood and guts, but among all of that is an amazing, twisting, crazy plot. I am pretty squeamish, but I can handle it; sometimes I just need to look away for a little bit. If you want to give it a try, some of the episodes are on Netflix, the AMC website, and I’m sure many other websites as well.

If you have been watching and are all caught up, come join the group of about 20 or so Spring Arbor University students who watch it in U-Hall every Sunday at 9pm! It is always more fun to watch shows with others. This group is especially awesome; not only do you get to experience the show, but you get funny commentary from the crowd as well. There are always lots of “ooo’s”, “wow’s”, and “I didn’t see that coming”. Plus, if you are squeamish, you will fit right in! I am always there and even some of the guys are squeamish as well. It is always a blast!

If you still need some convincing about this awesome show, I will give you a quick run through of the plot:

A virus has attacked the world. Power is out. Living off the land is again the norm. Most important, the dead are not really dead. When a person dies, you better back up because it is only a matter of time before they “come back” as a “walker”. You do not want to be around when this happens, but if you are, you better have a knife, gun, machete, or anything that can puncture or cut off a head. That is the only way to stop a walker, AKA zombie. Either the head must be cut off or the brain must be punctured somehow. Don’t worry, walkers are no longer people, they are more like animals. They no longer remember who they were. The group continues to shrink, then grow, then shrink, then grow as the episodes continue. For more, join the group this Sunday night, 9pm in U-Hall, or go on Netflix, AMC.com, or another site and feed your wild side.

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