I’m Janice! I hail from the wonderful (but relatively unknown for some reason) little town of Flemington, NJ —
home of Liberty Village Premium Outlets and the courthouse where the Lindbergh baby trial took place. I’m a transfer
student, majoring in Social Work & Bible, and I’ve finally made it to my senior year! I may be a TKD black
belt... but I’m terrified of bugs.
February 4, 2010
Surviving PBU: Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Academics
A couple posts ago I created a "Surviving PBU for Dummies" handy dandy guide book. Now, I could very well have simply sat down and typed out long, drawn-out chapters filled with details that could be possibly helpful -- but after briefly speaking with the Head Honcho herself, I realized that the best advice I could give doesn't necessarily come from my overflowing source of wisdom, but from my peers! The very people who live, breathe and don't sleep alongside me at PBU :D
Sneak peek at Chapter 1, which is all about academics:
I will have you know that I just realized a minute or two ago that the end of the first FULL week of the semester is already almost over! I certainly feel as if though I've been racing around and keeping busy, but I can hardly believe the rate at which is sped by. If this had been a race, time would have won.
This video was taken last night, a documentation of the end-of-the-first-week-crazies:
Call me strange, but I'm already excited for all the knowledge I will undoubtedly end up cramming into my head this semester. It's only been a week and a half, but the classes have proven to be interesting and worthy of great expectations! I have a good feeling about this semester and I'm looking forward to making the most out of it -- academically, emotionally, spiritually and community-wise. It's hard to believe that this is where the previous three and a half years have lead me to... did I know when I first came to PBU that I would end up in such a good spot? I don't think I did... I really don't think I realized just how much PBU had to offer me. It was so easy to think of PBU as just one of the many Bible/Christian schools out there, but it became obvious very quickly that we are not like any other Bible or Christian college -- starting with the fact that we are the only biblical university in the nation, to the fact that everyone here is a Bible major (meaning we ALL graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in Bible) to the unique dynamics of community that is found on-campus. These things are just the start, but they were such incredibly influential factors that shaped and molded me into the person I am today :)
The spring semester has finally started! The first week is always interesting, as you test out your schedule and get a feel for how it's going to play out for the rest of the semester. More often than not, your schedule is manageable (since you're the one that creates this particular schedule in the first place) and you slowly but surely get into the swing of things after a few days... weeks... hopefully nothing more than a month~
With that said, I had this brilliant idea right before I fell asleep the other night about how I could [personally] minister to the student body. Doesn't every student need a guide of sorts in the beginning to help them get situated, reassure them that everything will be okay and give examples of possible situations and how one might deal with such? I THOUGHT SO. This is why I present to you:
That's right, folks! As a big bad upperclassman (by "big" I mean "old" and by "bad" I mean "totally helpful") I am willing to lend a hand and share my wisdom and expertise with all of you. You will not have to do this alone. The fact that the PBU community is one that is gracious and loving is irrelevant at the moment as I prepare this book :P
The semester begins next week. When did break pass me by? It seems like just yesterday I was lounging around at home, bored out of my mind. But now it's back to the books... back to midterms... finals... all-nighters... late night trips to Wendy's and WaWa... seeing old friends and making some new ones... THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD :D
I'm in the office today and it's been fantastic as I'm working with Anna and Bucky. We're all hard at work (I promise I'm blogging in-between phone calls) but there has also been a handful of humorous moments that keep our spirits up!
Random quotes heard around the office:
"Nooo, Jamie is making fun of me because I like donuts!"
"[This enrollment counselor] was talking to his daughter and making some weird noises and I accidentally made eye contact with him and it was super awkward. So yeah, my life is average."
"F as in fish?" "Yes, F as in Father."
Genius Ideas:
1. Create a "My Life is Average" site for PBU students. Other universities have them, why can't we? But instead of ending it with MLIA it'll be something like "MLIB" -- My Life is Biblical ;)
2. Figure out how to make a Harry Potter wand out of paper when I have access to a glue gun.
Random Tidbits:
1.Today I found out that a staff member whom I've known for the past three years and thought I knew fairly well has a secret side job. And she has her M.S. in Christian Counseling.. from PBU!
2. Maintaining golf course turfs is a major! (I didn't know) It's technically called "Golf Course Turf Management" and it's usually a two-year certification program. There's also a Professional Golf Management major in which you learn "basic management practices in areas such as finance and marketing alongside skills specific to running a golf course. These include everything from organizing tournaments to keeping members happy." Thank you, CollegeBoard.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! For some reason I feel that the hype over 2010 is at the level of Y2K. Hushed whispers and wide eyes over the fact that we've made it this far. But let me ask -- where is "this far"? I would like to know, especially since I am here too and feel that this bit of information may be vital to... sorry for rambling. Where was I?
Ah, yes, 2010. My family usually sits down together before the clock strikes midnight and talk about resolutions for the new year. This year, instead of discussing resolutions, we talked about our hopes and dreams for the new year. Now "hopes and dreams" may be seen to be interchangeable with "resolutions", but to me it signified something more. A bigger picture, perhaps. When I make New Year's Resolutions my list always seems to consist of things I need to improve on, things to better myself, and it can become more like a burden as the year goes on, especially as I reach the end of a year and realize I failed to meet my own standards. But when I expressed my hopes and dreams for this new year, they were of an infinite nature -- I was not limited to "this is me and I am not good enough" but rather "God has allowed me to be at this certain place at this certain time and look at all the possibilities that stretch out before me!"
2009, you were an interesting year. I learned a lot about myself and others, experienced things I never dreamt I would be exposed to, and realized just how much my Father in Heaven deems me to be a precious child, loves me, and would never leave me. During my times of trial and suffering, when I only saw one set of footprints, it was then I was carried.
Dear World,
It has come to my attention that Christmas is NEXT WEEK. I'm not sure when or how this happened, but it snuck up on me and for the past couple of days I've been running last minute shopping expeditions. Christmas shopping is definitely not something I look forward to -- I dislike being jostled around by crowds of fellow last minute shoppers who take on a "no mercy" attitude and will fight you for the very last "UP!" DVD, I dislike sitting in traffic for hours, I dislike feeling like I've aged ten years from the stress, and I dislike how I end up groaning every time I check my bank statement online. Tis the season, indeed.
But here's what I do like: I adore the fact that regardless of how spread out we [my family members] all are with our respective schools, jobs, schedules, etc -- this is the one time we will all come together without fail. I mean, even for Thanksgiving we don't have this kind of turn out! I know though, that for Christmas, that they will show up. Or that I will show up, I guess it's not fair to say that I'll be lounging around on my throne while they race over to see me :P
Even though the holiday chaos gets on my nerve and steals my last penny, at the same time I anticipate the moment where I thrust my gift in their face -- or their hands -- and see their reaction to the present I spent considerable time mulling over (while still in the store and asking random strangers who pass by what they think). It's the effort that counts.. thought is merely a bonus!
Welcome to finals week! Things usually get a little chaotic around this time as we students diligently study for our exams, forfeit sleep, run around in sweatpants, and eat random snacks at odd hours. My roommates and I (all PBU girls) live off-campus so we are not being fully exposed to the typical finals week experience this year, but there's enough craziness going on in our apartment as it is. To protect their privacy I will withhold their names.. but at this point I'm not sure how much good that will do them ;)
I PRESENT TO YOU.. ROOMMATES 1, 2, & 3 PERFORMING "LUCKY" (ORIGINALLY SUNG BY JASON MRAZ AND COLBIE CALLIAT)
Dear Friends,
Another semester come and gone! Is it strange that the days seem to melt into one another and the end has come before you knew the beginning was no longer the start? It's hard to believe how incredibly fast this semester has flown by -- it's even harder to believe how much I have learned and grown in this short time span. I can safely say at this point that this semester has been one of the most challenging but undoubtedly the best, as my skills, knowledge, and my faith were all put to the test. This past semester I found myself singing a particular hymn frequently, and at first I merely thought it was because it is a beautiful song... but it dawned on me how true the words held. The first and last verse of "In Christ Alone":
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!
"I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing."
Two things this week I want to specifically mention, folks.
1. This past Wednesday was a special day as we had a site visitor come on behalf of the accreditation body for our Social Work program. It was kind of.. no, VERY awesome because it also happened that the visit fell on a day where it was academic chapel, so our entire major gathered and we were given the opportunity to speak with her as she asked us questions about our journeys as individuals in the program/field as well as a collective group. I've known the Social Work majors to be ridiculously cool and all, but I was impressed with the eloquence and passion many of my peers spoke with that day.
CAREER FAIR also took place on Wednesday! The school I intern at was also in attendance among many other vendors, and I had a great time just walking around and being able to talk with various representatives from different organizations/companies/etc. It really gives you a good idea of what is out there and oh man, the possibilities and opportunities are endless. Love it, love it, love it.
Speaking of love... after all was said and done, four of us went out to eat Korean food at the local H-mart (a Korean grocery store).
Before:
After:
2. I went to see "The Importance of Being Earnest" tonight and let me tell you that this is without a doubt, the most amusing play I have seen at PBU, hands down. Rachel and I had gone to see it (and also work the refreshment table during intermission!) and we were cracking up the entire time to the point where we ended up hitting each other because we could hardly contain our amusement :P
THIS IS DEFINITELY A PERFORMANCE YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS. IF I HAD THE TIME THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT I WOULD GO SEE IT AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT AND THE NIGHT AFTER THAT AS WELL, THAT IS HOW GOOD IT IS.
To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right
To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left
Now kick, now kick, now kick, now kick
Now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself
Dear Prospective Student,
As you may or may not know, there are a handful of us within the Admissions department here at PBU known as "telecounselors" -- our job is to call and touch base with you, answering any questions you may have about PBU and/or telling you more about the enrollment process here. We have great conversations every night and love it when we actually get a hold of you, but once in awhile we need a break and just have the need to... rock out. See for yourself.
I present to you what Neema calls the "7:30 stretch" (a play on "7th inning stretch")
