it's funny that I've been looking forward to this for so long, and now that I'm here, I'm struggling to find where to begin.
I'm just going to blather until things start making sense in my head, so you'll just have to bear with me.
I'm sitting in my dorm (which is the top floor on the furthest building on the farthest side on campus. I walk up a lot of stairs.) at my desk, eating M&Ms and animal crackers and enjoying that I don't have too much work to do right now. My window looks out to the inner quad, and I can see all the little tete-a-tetes that go on down there...it echos, too...you hear some funny things from the quad.
Every day I wake up around 8, shower, eat breakfast for a while and mess around my room and usually study French...I'm taking French conversation [fun], western civ [a little deja vu, but eh], finite math [whatever that is..?], fitwell [which is basically exercise propoganda], sociology [fascinating] and public speaking [hysterical]. I love all of them. It's not super stressful...it's manageable. I'm really learning to live day by day...I just do all the work a day ahead and take things one step at a time. I think I'm getting better at time management
Random things about college:
-the peer pressure TO study. Usually, if you ask someone what they're up to, it will have the word study in it. And if you say LET'S PARTY AT WALMART most people here will say "aw, I have to study" and you'll probably end up going back to your room and doing some homework.
-There is also a bit of a pressure to eat healthy and to stay active, but not as much.
-Intervis. Short for intervisitation. Hours during the weekend when guys can come visit. There's all sorts of regulations and jokes and awkwardness (especially First Intervis, capital F capital I). It's just funny. Our brother hall (freshman halls get paired up and you do buddy-buddy things like go to bonfires and play giant duck duck goose. It can go incredibly right and incredibly wrong) is hardcore awesome. It's pretty neat for me, to be able to be friends with so many kind, chill guys without it being dumb or awkward or having relationshippy whatever attached. They're a real blessing.
-My hall SECOND FLOOR NORTH CHAPEL SIDE aka COSTA RICA is amazing. This weekend, we all squished into our RAs room and made cake in a mug and watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. We have 1am hallway study parties. We have the guys over and have giant worship jam sessions. All you have to do is read our Quote Wall to figure out that we are a sisterhood of awesomeness. This has also been a blessing, since I've never had a sister. Now I have, like, 40. Not to mention my roommate, Caroline, and I get along super well. we're like a married couple, except we're not married.
-I worked really hard on remembering everyone's names. Now it's a joke that I know everyone. I kind of do...it's cool.
-I remember, like, NOTHING of OB (Orientation Board) week. It was full of giant games and movie nights and dances and meeting 40000 people....I can't really actually remember it. I'm sure I had fun.
-You think weekends are fun in high school? They're like miniature MIRACLES here at gcc. People go a little crazy on Fridays...they dress up really fancy, and if you ask them what's up, all you'll hear is "TGIF."
-There's such a respect for the college here. Pretty much 98% of the students and faculty are totally thankful to be here. It's super encouraging. Sure, we all rag on the weather or chapel credits or the omelette lines. We all love it here. I'm so thankful.
-If you go here, you have to hate Geneva and make fun of Cedarville and Messiah. Don't even mention Wheaton. It's all in good fun....right?
-I live on campus. It takes about 7-8 minutes to walk across the whole thing, so it's not exactly huge. I'm either in MAP (giant women's dorm and cafeteria), HAL (Liberal arts building) or the SAC (Student union).
-Going to church is like magic. Especially when you remember that grandpas and babies and little kids and moms exist, and not just 18-22 year olds and professors. There's a baby that's one of the RD's kids, and you do a double take when you see the kid. Going to Wal-Mart is also like magic, although it's the crappiest, tiniest Wal-Mart you've ever seen. I walked off campus to get some coffee the other day, and it was just weird. Like, we're not trapped here? There's an outside world? Some friends from home took my out to dinner and I almost cried, I was so happy. Care packages have the same effect on me, HINT HINT.
-God is normal. My professors pray for me before class. Everyone is quiet at the table in the cafeteria for everyone to pray for their food. God is in class, in chapel, in the dorms, in conversation, heck, there are Bible verses taped to the doors in our bathroom stalls. It is so cool. I really like it.
-new addictions: Animal crackers, crystal light, pandora.com, banana+chocolate milk, sleeping.
Summary: life here is amazing. God has blessed me with new people, new things to learn...I can't wait. I miss home, but I love my new life. And I gotta keep being thankful and not lose sight of that "well done, good and faithful servant." I'm pumped. I'm off to dinner....where I scan a card to eat and I never do dishes. It just feels weird...I'm going to enjoy it anyway :P Love you all. Call. text. skype. snail mail. smoke signal. come visit.