I had a great weekend! It was one of those weekends that you feel like it’s been productive, relaxing, and fun. My roommate Katja and I decided to stay at Covenant while our other roommates went out of town for the weekend. We spent time studying at Starbucks, watching girly movies and eating cheese dip, and staying up late talking. It’s funny, even though when you’re at college it’s like having a never ending slumber party it doesn’t negate the fact that you still need those days to just spend with one of your closest girlfriends. Oh, and I got my hair cut…short. I went into the hairdresser and just said I wanted to go from long to short. The lady reluctantly put my hair back in a ponytail and chopped it off! I like it though…I needed a change. So now there’s a week left until Thanksgiving break and I feel like it’s never going to come. There’s just so much to do before then. Right now I’m in the library trying to get a start on a ten page paper due before I leave. It’s hard to focus on “The role of the teacher and the school according to Dewey,” when I’m already daydreaming of turkey, stuffing, and CHRISTMAS!! Classes around this time always seem to get extra busy with papers, tests, and projects. But it’s just a week, and then it’s over. Next week at this very moment I will be driving home sweet home!

Alright guys, this is not to stress anyone out and hopefully it will help some of you guys not feel so stressed. So it’s November of your senior year and your either freaking out because you haven’t even started thinking about where you want to go to college, much less applying to schools or your on the ball already. In any case, I know I never knew exactly how this whole applying to college thing was suppose to work so I thought a map might help. Here’s a map that will guide you through the next couple of months of where you want to be with your college search process. Most of the information is in regard to Covenant deadlines, but it will give you a general idea of most college deadlines. I really hope it helps! Let me know if you have any questions!

November Senior Year: Time to apply
- I know it’s stressful to actually start thinking about where you want to go to college but it’s better to start sooner then later. By starting earlier you have a better chance of financial aide and applying to scholarships. Don’t feel like the schools you apply to are only the one’s you will probably go to; apply to a wide variety of schools. You’ll be surprised at where God may bring you. I applied to Covenant never actually thinking this is where I would go; now here I am! So just start! Close schools, far schools, public schools, private schools…it will be good to see what each of these schools can offer you.
-Applications include ACT, general application, and sometimes essays. This is another good reason to start now. Don’t let the stress of writing college application essay’s stack up on you. Also many people think that they cannot turn in their application until it is completely finished. Although it is nice to send in a completed application don’t let the fact that you haven’t taken the ACT yet stop you from going ahead and starting your application process. Your ACT score can always be added when you get it back.

December 1 Senior Year: Scholarship Deadline
-Although Covenant does have a rolling admissions (meaning it doesn’t have an application deadline), if you are planning on applying for one of our merit based scholarships you must have both your college application as well as your scholarship application in my December 1. Don’t let this sneak up on you!

End of December Senior Year: Finish up Applications
-Most of your applications should be in my now. It’s important to get them in before January so that you can turn your FAFSA (free application for federal student aide) in early and have a better chance of getting federal aide.

January of Senior Year:
-You should be finding out now whether or not you are qualified for one of our merit-based scholarships. If you are qualified this means you will asked to attend scholarship weekend at the end of January for your interviews.
-Fill out FAFSA! The earlier you do it the better chance you have to receive financial aide. Unfortunately it’s not the easiest process to do, but in the end it most likely will be worth it.

January 22-24 of Senior Year: Scholarship Weekend
-Semi-Finalist for merit-based scholarships will be invited to Covenant for final interviews.

February of Senior Year: Time to Start Choosing
-You should have received results from schools on acceptance and scholarships, time to start narrowing down. Start your pros and cons lists, compare schools to the priorities you have in a college…whatever you do to help you make decisions.

March 1 of Senior Year: Last Day for FAFSA applications
-do it now if you haven’t!

March of Senior Year: Time to Accept
-Accept the school that you have chosen.

April-July of Senior Year: Get Ready for College
-The hard work is finished! Now it’s time to just have fun. Start looking for things for your dorm, what classes you want to take your first semester, etc.

Disclaimer: Don’t freak out if you don’t do everything according to this schedule. This is to just help you know what the general trend is.

Every year there is a night when the best of cinema is acknowledged. It is a night of laughter and tears. It is a night of glamor and poise. The ladies put on their designer dresses and the gentlemen pull out their tuxes. Whispers of who is going to get best actress or actor stir throughout the audience. Who will receive best editing or most impressive special effects? But most important who will win best picture? Most of the world knows this night as being the night of the Oscars, however here on the mountain we call this night MAC MOVIE NIGHT! Mac movie night is a dorm competition between halls to see who can make the best movie. Each hall videos, acts, and edits their own film. After they are all finished the entire school comes out for Mac movie night, many dress up to the 9’s. After the movies have been shown and the judges have handed in their results awards (PEZ containers) are given to the winning halls. Mac movie night is my favorite dorm competition! I can’t believe how good some of the videos are. I’m going to try and post one of them here, so hopefully it will work. This is the winning hall’s video. www.vimeo.com/2232900

Do you have idols in your life? These are the things that have replaced where God should be in your life. I once was told to think of all the things that would be dreadfully painful to lose and those are your idols. Christ longs for my attention though and finds ways to move my idols out of the way so that he can retain his rightful spot in my life. Oh how painful it can be in the process though; him stripping away those things that I love so dearly and hold so close to me. He takes away my worldly comfort and support so that I may realize that the only one to run to is him. He is the only one who will never leave or disappoint. He is the only one to can fill this longing I have inside of me. I can look forever for things to fill it but none of it will satisfy. Where are the idols in your life? Is it school, friends, a boyfriend/girlfriend, popularity, money, etc? Find your idols and allow God to replace them…let go of them! They will never satisfy!!

Last night I went with a group of friends to watch the Covenant production of “The Importance of Being Earnest”. It was hilarious! I am one who always enjoys a good play, but I think that this production would have converted even the most pessimistic play critic to optimism in the arts. I was impressed with the talent and ability: not only was it acted by students but the play director was a senior and the play was the product of her senior project. And I hope she gets an A because the whole audience left ranting and raving about how good it was. Although Covenant does not have a specific Theatre major, many students major in English with a concentration in theatre. I also have one friend who is highly interested in theatre and therefore has been taking classes down at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, which is a college about 15 minutes from the school, so that she can graduate with a theatre degree. Covenant has several plays during the school year and one large musical in the spring, which I have talked about in previous blogs. If you are interested in theatre you should definitely check out the link on Covenant’s website to help you understand more of what Covenant offers, http://www.covenant.edu/academics/undergrad/theatre.