Rebekah Fry, Author at

Posted on July 12, 2016May 3, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

How to Make College an Adventure

When considering colleges, the biggest question in my mind was “Is it all it’s cracked up to be? Will this really be the best four years of my life?”

Well, yes …or no, it depends really.

I’ve realized that college is only as good as you make it. You could lock these four years away in a cage of nonstop schoolwork, you could waste them tossing frisbee on the lawn all day or you could master the art of making college an adventure.

There are plenty of small adventures to be found on the day-to-day, adventures that won’t take all of your study time but in fact provide the perfect amount of excitement. Like salt and pepper in the perfect ratio. Find the time to conquer the unexplored corners of campus: grab a friend and go for a bike ride, relax in your hammock or simply read a book under a tree (preferably not a textbook). The point is this: adventure will not serve itself to you on a silver platter and the grass is definitely not greener anywhere else, instead of drudging around in the “same-old, same-old,” grab life by the horns and make it good.

Here at Grove City College I have found many adventures that have made my time worthwhile. Some days I will go out and climb a tree or ride my bike by the creek, other days I will find my way to the coffee shop downtown or to nearby Pittsburgh for an urban experience. Adventures are out there, every day, and they don’t necessarily involve climbing mountains. The trick to becoming a real adventurer is learning to enjoy the little things.

Learn to enjoy the little things. Learn to find adventure every day. Learn how to prioritize your time. If you can learn to be an adventure maker then college can be all that it is made out to be.

Posted on June 21, 2016May 3, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

What Walter Mitty Taught Me About College

To see the world,
things dangerous to come to,
to see behind walls,
draw closer,
to find each other, and to feel.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

To see the world …to see behind walls. To pull back the curtain. To discover. These words, with their simple message, have caused me to ponder what it means to take part in ‘seeing behind walls.’ It challenges its listeners to lean in and peel back the layers of life – discover the deeper parts of existence.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is, for all intents and purposes, my favorite movie. It challenges its viewers to dive into a more purposeful reality. To shed to monotony and embrace life’s hills and valleys.

College will be an exciting, challenging and growing time of your life. You’ll have beautiful moments of joy and, at times, days of unfortunate struggle. For some, they’ll thrive during the bumps and curves, but others will succumb to simply holding on. I want to challenge you to embrace the mistakes, learn from them and continue to give it your all. Pay attention, be curious and trust that the Lord goes before you. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

So be encouraged to see this world, things dangerous to come to …and to feel.

All the best!

Posted on May 10, 2016May 3, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

Behind the Scenes: The Unexpected

A friend and incoming freshman recently asked me a great question: What surprised you about Grove City College? Or in other words, what did you not expect and how did you adjust?

No matter your level of preparedness, you will experience a learning curve when moving to a new place. Grove City is no exception. Though there’s a sense of adventure in the unexpected, I’ve come up with a few things to keep in mind (just to help that transition run a little smoother)!

1. The Weather

Grove City weather is a wonder in itself. You’ll experience every season quite thoroughly and certainly want to be prepared.

During the winter months we experience quite a bit of snow, so you’ll want to invest in warmth: a coat, snow boots, hats, scarves, gloves, etc. I promise you that walking to class or downtown for coffee will be a lot more enjoyable with a few extra layers!

But fear not, spring does come! Rain boots and an umbrella are a must, but soon we’ll approach our summer weather and hanging out on the Quad, having class outside, going on a stream hike or playing Frisbee are essential.

2. The Community

All of our students are required to live on campus (with the exception of local commuters) and it adds to a fantastic sense of community! One of my favorite aspects of living at Grove City College is knowing that I have a family away from home. I certainly did not expect to find such a beautiful community, but I treasure its gift to my life!

3. The Need for Time Management

Grove City offers an abundance of opportunities for extracurricular activities, ministries and fun! Freshman year is often a time for students to develop good time management habits. Getting involved on campus is a great way to integrate yourself within the student body, but it does require some organization.

I did not quite understand how essential it was to create good habits early on, but I would certainly recommend it to any new college student. I promise it will make life a lot more enjoyable throughout your four years and allow you to truly get everything out of your experience.

4. The Intentionality

Coming from a large public school, I was not expecting how personable the staff, professors and administration would be during my time here. I was immediately blown away by their ability to remember my name and evident passion for our success.

I’ve had professors invite my class to dinner at their home, vouch for me in the job search and grab coffee with me just to ask about life.

You are certainly not alone on this campus and it’s quite reassuring to know!

5. Spiritual Growth

Before coming to GCC, I knew that it was a Christian college. However, I did not expect how much I would be encouraged and challenged to grow in my faith. Yes, it is “Christian” by name and we offer countless opportunities to be involved in ministry, but it is so much more than that. Friends, professors, and staff inspire me to pursue Christ in a vibrant and deeply genuine way. Though we come from various walks of faith, I have found unity within the body. We’re all learning and growing, but we recognize the value in doing it together. And for that, I am forever grateful.

All the best 🙂

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

Thinking Made Visual

Grove City College seeks to foster intellectual thought in all aspects of study. Its challenging liberal arts education provides students with unique educational experiences that touch various facets of learning. As our college grows, we are continually pursuing knowledge in new areas and expanding our existing departments.

One such feature that has developed in the recent past is design (within the Communication Studies and the Visual Arts department).

Five years ago, design classes were a mere idea. They are now a reality.

Professor of Design, Nate Mucha, has led the charge to expand the department through introducing a variety of classes at a high learning level. A graduate of the MFA Visual Communication Design program at Kent State University, Nate has brought a vibrant vision for the department and is actively integrating design within the campus community.

“Being image-bearers of God, design is an essential topic of exploration for Christians. There are underlying design principles that govern the universe and the way in which humans understand ideas, each other and creation. Through the study of design, students explore the way these principles interact in the pursuit of creating and sharing thoughtfully and effectively while at the same time understanding more thoroughly the mind of our Creator.” ~Professor Mucha

He and senior design student Rebekah Fry are working to bring an AIGA student group to campus in order to offer design students a supportive out-of-class atmosphere as they grow in their knowledge and passion for design.

Through a series of comprehensive and well thought-out design classes, students will build foundations for design thinking, gain a solid understanding of essential design principals, expand their knowledge of industry-leading Adobe design software and complete projects that will challenge them in areas such as print material/layout design, web, branding, 3D interactive design, etc. They will master form while learning to collaborate, develop strategy and understand the people for whom they are designing—we call this human-centered design.

The program is an innovative and exciting look at how design integrates with the world around us and is a beautiful application for visual communication.

“A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist and evolutionary strategist.” – Buckminster Fuller

We seek to innovate in a beautiful and tangible fashion. It’s exciting, thrilling and present as we look to a future of meaningful visual communication.

Posted on April 13, 2016April 29, 2016 by Rebekah Fry — Leave a comment

When You’ve Reached the Block

In recent years, friends have asked me what the work load is like at Grove City. My brief response is that it is challenging, but not all consuming. Sometimes the simple solution is to just push through. Nights of writers block, lack of motivation, and tiredness will come. But in the midst of it all, I pray that you find peace.

Friends will encourage you, that wall blocking your thought process will eventually leave, and late night food/coffee runs to the Student Union will brighten your spirits. But as you prepare for/begin to face those times, here are a few thoughts on the matter:

When You’ve Reached the Block:

Have you ever experienced the block? The moment you sit down intending to complete a job and you hit a wall? … A tall, thick, immovable wall.

Yup.

I am well acquainted with this feeling and it always seems to come at the worst time. But in my short years immersed in collegiate studies I discovered a helpful tip. Don’t stop. Too simple? Allow me to explain.

I often want to throw in the towel, crawl under a blanket, and forget about all the work ahead of me. Netflix calls my name and taking a nap sounds just about perfect. But when I reach that wall, I’ve tried something new. I just keep going. I pull out some paper and doodle, write, sing, plan, anything that might inspire something bigger.

So next time you find yourself in that rut, grab another cup of coffee (or tea if that’s your style), and just do it.

Writing?

Forget the introduction. We often labor over the perfect opening so long that we lose our passion for the body. Start typing those thoughts and organize them later. One time I wrote an entire page of nonsense until the ideas started pouring in.

Research for added inspiration. Have a conversation with a friend about your topic. Take notes. You’ll make it, I promise.

Studying?

Pick one topic and learn it well. You do not need to tackle it all at the same time. You can pace yourself. Start somewhere. Often times I find myself procrastinating, because I’m hesitant to begin the process. Maybe I think I’ll fail and just throw in the towel too soon or maybe I don’t understand the content. Whatever you’re facing, don’t hold back. Go to your professor’s office hours, study with a friend, or change your location to a more inspiring place. The most harmful thing you can do is to quit too soon.

So pull out your notes and settle in. You’ve got this!

–

As you’re considering how to manage your time, remember to breath! It will come together. And you don’t have to do it alone. Grove City has a beautiful community of people who are eager to come alongside and encourage you through!

All the best 🙂