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Best Places to Study on Campus

A lot of your time will be spent studying and doing homework while at school, especially when you are just starting your college career, because you will want to get off to a good start. So, I will be giving you the best places to study on campus and the pros and cons of each study area.

Staley Hall of Arts and Letters

This is my go-to place to do work. It has a good balance of being social and being quiet enough to get all of your work done. This is the main academic building for the Calderwood school, which is the liberal arts school. You are able to sign out the classrooms and use them for studying from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. This is really helpful because you can get a room with friends and have a casual study session, or you can get a room alone and grind out a lot of work in one night in silence. This is the best for me because I like studying with friends so I can get a room and study without being a disturbance to others. There is also a common area in the lobby where you can do work at tables with friends, but that is meant to be quiet so it is good when you have a small amount of work to do by yourself.

Henry Buhl Library

Originally I would say that the Library is not the place to go to study, but with the new updates, it is great. They renovated the whole library, and even though it is not finished yet, it is a great place to study. There are new tables and chairs all over the place and it is very modern; however, if you like to study in groups and be loud then the library is not for you. There are now private rooms that you can get that allow you to talk a little bit, but those rooms get taken within seconds of the library opening. It is a good place to study and get a lot of work done.

Breen Student Union 

Do not come here if you need to actually get work done. I love the student union, and I spend a lot of time here throughout the day in between classes to get some casual work done while I am talking to my friends. It is very loud and kind of the hub for students in between classes. It does quiet down a little bit at night but it is still pretty loud and can be difficult to focus on. However, if you have a group project that you need to do then this is a good place to do that because you do not need to worry about disturbing anyone. The student union is a good place to catch up with people while doing some casual work, but do not go there if you have a huge exam the next morning, unless it is 3 a.m. and this is the only building open.

There are no bad places to study on campus, and these are definitely not the only places to do work on campus, but I thought that these are the most popular and they are some of my favorites. There are a lot of good places to study, and honestly, none of them are bad places to do work.

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When You Have a Significant Other and Your Friends Do Not

I have been with my now-fiancé for almost six years, so we have gone through the majority of high school together and now college as well. My fiancé and I are in the same friend group, we all have the same friends, and we hang out together almost every day. But this can cause some discomfort for our friends since we were the only people dating anyone for a while. It was a big challenge, and it took a lot of conversation and openness with our friends to be able to get to the point that we are at right now. I will be giving you some tips on how to handle this especially as you go into college, which is a big change from high school.

I think the first thing to know is to not be exclusive, but make sure to make time for one another. It is easy to be exclusive at school and just hang out with your significant other for the majority of the time. And do not get me wrong, it is a great thing to be able to hang out and spend quality time with your significant other, but get a good feel for how it is making your friends feel. If you and your significant other are in the same friend group already, then that is a huge bonus because that means you can hang out with your friend groups with your significant other at the same time. This allows you to build relationships with your significant other’s friends while also spending quality time with your significant other.

Also, just open communication with all parties is important. You need to be able to talk freely about the situation and not feel too awkward talking to your friends. Your friends, no matter the gender, will want to spend time with you by yourself, and that is a good thing. It may be hard at first to find the balance that works for your relationship, but being open with your significant other about the expectations you have with spending quality time with your friends will help your relationship with that person and also with your friends.

Coming into college, it is important to not only build your relationship with the person you are dating but also with your friends. It may be challenging, but if you gain one thing from this I want you to learn that open communication will only help you in the long run.

 

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A Letter to My Freshman Self

Dear freshman self,

There is something so special and life-giving about being a freshman. You have so much to learn and so much life to live in the next years. The excitement of all of the possibilities is overwhelming. You are in a new place with new people and new freedoms that you have never had before, but with all of this excitement comes a lot of responsibility. Through my four years at Grove City College, there are 10 things that I have gleaned from my experience, and I wish more than anything that someone would have told me these things when I was a freshman. But, freshman self, these are the lessons that God wanted and needed you to learn, and it is okay that you went through that pain and heartache because without that you would not have come out the other side a better woman. So here are 10 small lessons that I wish you would have known…

  1. God is in control, which means nothing is an accident.

It might seem like the things that happen are unfair or like God is not there, but He is. Always and forever. Trust in him no matter what.

  1. At the end of the day, Greek groups do not matter.

Yes, Greek life is so much fun. I loved being in a group so much. But it does not define who you are or who you can hang out with because after you leave this campus, it does not matter anymore. So do not let the Greek letters you wear keep you from being friends with people.

  1. Red flags apply to friendships.

If you see red flags in your friendships, listen to them.

  1. It truly does not matter what other people think about you.

This is still a lesson I am learning, but it is so true. It is a hard thing to put into practice, but you will enjoy your life so much more if you learn to not listen to the things other people say about you.

  1. If you trust your friends, then listen to their advice.

You take time to pour into the relationships you have, why would you not listen to the advice they have? This can relate to boys or clothes or anything. You need to trust that they have your best interest in mind.

  1. Do not be so judgmental.

Everyone is different and that is okay. Embrace the differences that you see instead of feeling insecure by them. If you learn to accept others rather than fighting, you will have more peace.

  1. Do not overcommit.

It is so easy in Grove City to stretch yourself soooo thin. Groverachieving is a very real thing and it makes it hard to say no to things. But fight the need to be involved in everything. You can say no, and it is okay. Please learn that saying no is not a sign of weakness, and it does not mean that people will not like you.

  1. Do not wish the time away.

The time in college is special, and your time here can never be replaced. Do not wish for it to be over. Notice the little things and appreciate the time you have to learn and grow and make special memories. Life is hard, and it will only get harder after you graduate so just soak in all the time you have at Grove City.

  1. Think about what is important.

Your priorities will always be changing, but at the core what are the things that matter the most to you? Knowing where your priorities lie makes all the difference in navigating life. If you do not know what is important to you, you will not stand for anything. So, formalize your priorities.

  1. Just Love.

Love other people and love your time. You will be happier if you learn to love first.

This list is not extensive, and it is not everything you will learn. Learn to fall in love with your life and do not worry so much. Take these lessons and learn from life experience. You are gonna grow more than you could ever imagine and that is good. You have amazing friends and a loving man and even though life is not perfect, it is so good. You will learn that life does not have to be perfect to be good. I hope these four years are a special time for you.

Love,

Senior self

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New Chapel Schedule

At Grove City College, every student must attend chapel a certain amount of times per semester, though the amount varies for commuter students and on-campus students. Typically, the normal student is required to attend 12 chapels a semester, which is very doable. For three and a half years, the schedule was chapel Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:25 to 9:50 a.m. and vespers on Sunday evenings. Vespers was a worship service held on Sunday nights for chapel credit.

They just changed the chapel schedule this semester. Now, the chapel schedule is Wednesdays from 11 to 11:50, and we have Formation Friday which consists of small groups that meet around campus and discuss specific topics. You sign up for your small group on Formation Friday, which lasts five weeks, and you discuss topics picked by a professor on campus. Some professors choose to do a book study where you read a certain amount of chapters per week and then discuss it in your small group that week. Small groups are a great way to get more personal with chapel and make it welcoming to conversation and relationship. On Mondays from during 11 o’clock, everyone has a free hour, which is nice if you want to meet with a professor or get some lunch.

After conversations with some of the upperclassmen on campus, a lot of people were uncomfortable with the change because it has been the same for our whole time at Grove City and suddenly has changed our last semester. However, this new chapel schedule leads to closer community on campus so that you can meet and connect with many different people that you would not normally get the chance to connect with. Chapel is a great thing that we have on campus and this new schedule should allow for a great impact on campus.

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What to Know About Hicks Hall and Memorial Hall

There are two men’s freshmen dorms on campus, Hicks and Memorial Halls. There are many pros and cons to each of these dorms, and before you have to choose your rooms, I will help you out in deciding which dorm to pick. My freshman year, back in 2018, I lived in Hicks, so I might be a little biased. But a lot of my best friends lived in Memorial, so I see the charm in Memorial Hall as well.

Memorial Hall

Memorial is no doubt the “nicer” of the two, depending on how you look at it. There is carpet in the hallways, and it definitely is a little bit more comfortable which makes it the more popular choice. There are a lot of perks to living in Memorial–you have a nicer living space, there is a nice green space out front, and the lounges in the building are nice and open so they are a great space to hang out with friends. However, you are a little farther away from the academic buildings and the dining halls which can be a con when you have to walk to dinner in the Grove City winters.

Hicks Hall

Hicks breeds men. At least, that is what my friends and I freshman year would tell ourselves. Hicks is not as cozy as Memorial. There is no carpet, except in the lounges. However, there is upgraded furniture in the lounges in Hicks which is a big plus. The rooms are generally the same size in both buildings which makes the decisions a little tricky. Also, Hicks is much closer to all of the academic buildings on campus, and you live right above the cafeteria, which at times is amazing but other times can be a nuisance because your room might start smelling like onions or whatever they are making that day downstairs. To the naked eye, Hicks might be the worse residence hall, but there are plenty of perks to living in Hicks that will make you want to live there.

Both of these residence halls have many perks, and there is not a wrong choice when you are picking where to live. You will find a great community no matter where you decide to live. But, if you want my opinion, I would lean towards Hicks, but Memorial is great as well.

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How Greek Life Has Prepared Me for Life After College

Coming into college, I had no expectations of joining a Greek group because I was expecting to be fully invested in playing sports. However, after talking with my friends and going to rush events in the fall, I found that Greek groups here are very different than the stereotypical fraternities and sororities at larger schools.

They are very organized and respected on campus because they put on the majority of the fun events that happen at school. I decided to join a fraternity, and it has thoroughly prepared me for my life after college. There are positions within Greek groups that are voted on and people get elected to. These positions are the same as any other club, with a couple of exceptions. I held the role of Interfraternal Representative, which means that I am the representative for my fraternity at meetings with every fraternity. I had to learn to be responsible for a large group of people and represent the group well. This position is also an executive position within the group, which means that I and four other people are chosen to represent the group at a higher level and vote on important things for the group.

Along with having to deal with a large group of people, I had to plan events for the whole school and make sure that they all ran smoothly. For example, we put on multiple fun events every year, including the Monster Mash dance which is a big costume dance for the whole school. It is one of the largest events on campus, and it is our responsibility to coordinate everything with the sorority we put it on with and with the school so we can follow guidelines. We must be able to work with many different groups and people to coordinate large projects.

Another large reason why I am prepared for life after college was because I had the opportunity to meet and interact with many different people. Being in a large group like a fraternity enables you to become comfortable with dealing with a lot of different kinds of people and interact with different personalities, much like what you will have to do in the workplace. I have also found a great community of people that I would not trade for the world, and I know that they will support me in all my stages of life.

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Inner City Outreach: A Leader’s Perspective

Over Spring Break, I was blessed to have the opportunity to lead ICO Arizona. ICO Arizona is one the many opportunities students have to travel around the United States to serve a local church and community. My first exposure to ICO was my sophomore year. I knew an upperclassman through my fraternity that was leading a student led trip to Tucson, Arizona. Looking back, I have never really been able to figure out why I exactly went but attribute my participation to God. My first year I was able to participate in the trip as a regular attendee but was later asked to lead the trip. The following is an account of my leadership experience and the unique opportunity ICO provides to students across campus.

ICO is one of the best things that has ever happened to me on this campus. The ICO (Inner City Outreach) program is such a unique way to serve the Lord along side people on campus you maybe would never talk too. What makes it so unique is that is completely student led. While the ICO and chapel department at the school help train the leaders, it is up to us when we get down their to be spiritual leaders to the rest of the people on our trip. The task is daunting! To know that you are responsible for a large amount of students is not an easy thing to accept. But what ICO provides is not only the lifelong relationships with your service community but also an opportunity for students to go out of their comfort zone and lead fearlessly into an unknown area. A lot of times students have natural abilities to lead but are not often exerted out of fear or lack of opportunity, but the ICO program provides opportunities for leaders and non-leaders to serve the Lord as well as find a church community that can pour into you, even if they live across the country.

A lot has been said about “short-term” missions but I can confidently say that ICO programs should be considered by all freshmen when coming into Grove City. There are endless opportunities for you to serve God on and off campus, but the ICO program has been one way that has personally affected me, and I want to see as many people have the same experience I did. While it might not be Arizona, every ICO program offers a fresh look at God that can be extremely fruitful for college students. I cannot wait to see you all out there serving!

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IM and IF Sports

If you are a retired high school or even college athlete, like myself, you will find yourself itching to get back on the field or court and play sports again. Grove City has some of the best intramural sports out of any school in the country. The College offers almost every sport you can think of, and if the sport is not offered then you can get a group of people together to try and get it organized for the upcoming season. I have personally participated in football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, and dodgeball.  There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in IM sports because there are two different seasons during the academic year. Also, another great thing about IM sports is that not everything is a physically demanding activity. There are also IM sports for Euchre, bowling, spikeball, and even a couple of video games. IM sports have become a very inclusive thing here on campus and allow all students to enjoy some friendly competition.

There are also Intrafraternal sports for those that are in fraternities. IF sports are just like IMs but on another level of competition. There is an IF cup that is awarded to the winning fraternity after the IF season, which lasts all year long. The sports that fraternities will play in the fall are football, basketball, and volleyball. This fall was pretty condensed so there might be more sports in the fall of 2022. Then, in the spring semester, there is softball, dodgeball, and soccer. The competition of IF sports is much greater than IM sports because you are playing for your fraternity and competing towards winning the IF cup at the end of the year.

Whether you are competing in IM sports, IF sports, or both you will have a great time and as a freshman, it is an amazing way to go out and make friends. I made a football and basketball team with some guys on my hall who I did not really know and we are still friends in our last semester of college.

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Athletics at Grove City College

There are so many ways to find community at GCC, and one of those is by participating in varsity sports on campus. I played on the baseball team here at GCC, and that was a great way for me to find an instant community and friends on campus. A couple of the questions that I would get were if I had time for other things on campus, and what the commitment level is for sports at the Grove. I am going to try my best to give you some perspective on what it is like to be an athlete on campus and what else you can do while at Grove City.

Do you have time for anything else on campus?

As an athlete, there are many opportunities to get involved on campus, both within the athletic department and outside of it as well. While playing baseball, I participated in Greek life, Orientation Board, Homecoming committee, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You have a lot of time throughout the season and the offseason to participate in many things on campus, that way you are not just subject to one activity during your time at college.

What is the commitment level like?

The majority of athletes on campus have a practice every day and then will have a time set to go to the gym and lift with your team. However, there are activities that each team will do for team building, which can help with gaining a great community early in your college career. As for the commitment level of collegiate athletes, I am a firm believer that you will get what you put into it. No matter what you invest in on-campus you can gain a great community and get a lot out of it. If you decide to put all of your time into your team and sport then you will get a lot out of it, but if you want to prioritize other things while playing sports that is definitely possible as well. Grove City athletics are great, and when you participate in them then you will have a community that you will cherish for a long time.

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Green Meadows: A Golf Course Review

Spring at Grove City is one my favorite times on campus. The cold and snowy days are quickly replaced with the warm and pleasant breeze of Western Pennsylvania. As the weather becomes more lively, so does the campus. There is a surge of students outside to enjoy the warmth, either by studying outside or just hanging out with some friends.

One of my favorite things to do when the weather shifts is to find some friends and play one of Western Pennsylvanians many golf courses. Last week, I ventured to Green Meadows Golf Course in Volant, PA. Green Meadows is a short 20-minute drive from campus and offers a fantastic golf experience for golfers of any skill level. Green Meadows was first opened for play in 1960, so its fairways and greens have had time to reach maturity.

Green Meadows provides a test to every golfer. The course layout is a tight course with four dogleg fairways and some grass bunkers. There are sand bunkers that come into play on most holes. The sloped greens are fast, and three of them are undulating. Par for the course is 72. From the forward tees the course measures 4,680 yards and around 6,500 from the back tees.  The longest hole on the course is hole 12, a par-5 that plays to 587 yards. The shortest hole on the course is #9, a par-3 that plays to 170 yards from the back tees.

From my experience, I would recommend watching out for #7, a 438 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. Hole #7 provides a tee shot that favors a high draw due to trees that line the left portion of the landing area and dogleg fairway. It can be tempting to cut down the fairway and play over the trees but attempting this is dangerous and can often make your second approach shot more difficult. My success on this hole has been from playing a long iron to widest part of landing area and playing another long iron into green.

My favorite thing about the course is its lush fairways and rough. Last week was not my first time playing Green Meadows, and every time I have played in the past, the greens have been rolling and well-kept, and fairways are manicured and always lush. For $15 for 9 holes, the experience is unbeatable.

In the next coming weeks I will be providing more course reviews of local Grove City golf courses. Playing recreational golf is just one of the many ways that students can get off campus and enjoy the beautiful weather. I cannot wait for more students to experience the great time that Green Meadows offers.