So it has only taken me four years to come to the realization that no matter how prepared you try and make yourself the first day of classes will absolutely always, without a doubt, completely and utterly overwhelm you. This year is no exception for me. I have also learned though that no matter how stressed out I get on the first couple days of classes, I have to give myself a week before I’m allowed to completely freak out. That usually gives me enough time to start taking my classes’ one step at a time. You can’t look at everything together. Take it one thing at a time and life will seem so much more manageable. It’s a good idea to have some type of calendar to put all of your assignment due dates in, that way you can look ahead and see when your busy weeks are going to be and when your slow weeks are going to be. It keeps you at a good pace with your homework and studying and makes sure you don’t forget anything.

A School Supply List for College Students

1. calendar
2. stapler
3. three hole punch
4. folders for each class
5. multi-subject notebooks –or- binder with paper
6. pens and pencils
7. sticky notes
8. highlighters
9. bag for carrying books and supplies in
10. coffee mug

This is a real basic list. All the essentials that I like to have on my first day of classes. You will soon find out your favorite things to bring to have for your classes though. Hope this can get you started though!

I know that many of you who have applied to Covenant will be starting your housing forms soon if you haven’t already. The forms can be a bit stressful as you try and decide what next year is going to look like. Do you want to live in a 2 person room or a 4 person room, do you want to live in Andreas or Founders, etc. If any of you are like me I was no able to come and visit Covenant before I got here and really had no idea what to do with the housing form so I thought hat I would give a little bit of an overview of dorms and room-mates in hopes to help you guys out a little. Click to continue »

Hey guys, I just thought I would drop a note for you who have not applied to Covenant yet. Right now Covenant is having free application month. So if you start your application before February 21 and end it before March 6 the $30 dollar fee will not be charged. Click to continue »

I know that many of you looking at colleges are looking for a place that is safe, a place to protect you from the typical struggles of the world. Although Covenant does do a great job at protecting it’s students against such temptations, one cannot depend on Covenant to be their own personal safe haven. Covenant is made up of individuals with all sorts of pasts. Some of them hard, and some of the individuals are still suffering from those pasts. Covenant does not erase the past, nor does it keep you from the present or future. What Covenant does offer, is direction. Direction in how to find healing from the past and direction in how to handle the pains that life often entails. Covenant is part of this broken world, and in it are broken people just like there is anywhere else. Click to continue »

Covenant requires students to have a cross-cultural experience before he or she graduates. This can look several different ways. You can go on a short-term mission trip. Many students go on the mission trips that Covenant organizes during Spring Break. They’re called Break on Impact trips and they send teams to places such as Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Huanta, Peru; Madrid, Spain; Mexico City, Mexico; and Yakama Indian Reservation. 

Some people do internships or research practicums with their chosen major. Covenant’s Chalmers Center has community development learning labs in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines.

Lastly, some students chose to study abroad. I have had several friends who have done this and loved the experience. One of my friends studied in Israel last semester and another friend is studying in Southern Africa. I love getting update emails from them! Covenant has teamed up with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Nizhni Novgorod, Russia; Oxford, England; Xiamen, China; Cairo, Egypt; San Jose, Costa Rica and many more to make it an easier process for you to study abroad.

I thought it would be interesting to include an email from my friend who studied in Israel last semester. This is just a glimpse of the type of experience you get by studying abroad.

Dear friends.
Life here in Israel is non other then amazing. Though I wish to return back and be on the mountain with everyone, I’m not going to lie, this has been great. There’s so much to tell about what’s been going on here in the Israel life and about the school and classes and the culture. It’s like a new world but not at the same time. I know that’s a contradiction in itself but you I know what I mean. I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here that it’s amazing to think that I was ever hesitant on coming out here. The people are amazing out here. My teachers are so great, hard, but great at what they know and how they teach. I wish we had a few of them at Covenant to teach some of the classes they have here. One of my professors is only 25years old and is teaching a life of Christ class and also working on his doctric. His name is Abner Chou. Most brilliant man I’ve met so far in college. He knows so much yet he’s so humble in how he presents his knowledge and wisdom to others.
Events: Well I have just returned from a week in Galilee. It’s way too much to put into this letter but as a summary we basically went everywhere that Jesus taught and historical sights. Anywhere from Tiberius, to Cana, to Mt. Carmel, to Caesarea Philippi, to the Jordan River…it was amazing seeing these places and understand the context of scripture that accompany each location. The ibex group was able to see so many sights and each day we ended our field trips with a beautiful sunset over the Sea of Galilee. One point while I was there I got to sleep outside on the beach and even fish the very next day.  Believe it or not I actually caught two fish during my 5hrs of swimming in the sea and be hopeful. It was intense.

We’ve had several speakers come to the campus and tell their stories here also. One man was named Meno who is a Christian here and is the head pastor of a church down in the Jerusalem area. It was amazing hearing him talk and share his passion for the Lord. It was also astounding to hear the trials and persecution he has undergone from being a Jewish believer. Furthermore his father Vi came talk with us just other the night and gave his testimony about being a Jew during the Holocaust. That man had a story to tell, which is very inspiring, especially as a Christian. He was originally from Poland then moved to Germany and then was moved again to Israel, where he has been for 60years. It was amazing to listen to his testimony.

Well people I have to go now because I now have to get to reading some satellite maps of this place for class. I have a big test this coming Friday, so be praying for me. Hope all is well back home.
Take care.

Studying abroad stretches an individual in ways one can’t even imagine. I studied abroad my junior year in high school and never before have I been pushed so much. I think the best thing a studying abroad experience gives you is it reshapes your worldview. I really appreciate the value Covenant puts on having a cross-cultural experience. For many people this is the only time they will ever have to go on a mission trip or study abroad. I just encourage you guys that wherever your planning on going to college to make it a priority to do some type of cross cultural experience, trust me you won’t regret it.

Financial Aid is often a big deal for a lot of students looking at colleges. I want you to know though that Covenant, along with a lot of colleges, have several different ways of helping you out with the money situation. One way is through scholarships. We have 8 main scholarships here at Covenant, which you can find out more about at http://www.covenant.edu/admissions/trad/application.php. You can also receive grants, how these work is that the school will receive money requesting that the money goes to a student with certain qualities, for example a female who is interested in teaching or a male who plays the violin. There is also Work Study. This is where you work for the school and in return receive a regular paycheck throughout the year. There are other types of government funding that can be given by filling out the fafsa. So please guys, don’t get discouraged quite yet because there are definitely some possibilities with helping you pay for school.

I want you to be aware of some facts that might help you. Covenants 8 big scholarship deadlines will be due December 1. These scholarships include our Maclellan and Leader Scholarship, Donaldson Scholarship, Community Development Scholarship, Emerging Artist Scholarship, Future Teacher Scholarship, Genesis 1:28 Business Scholarship, Computer Science Scholarship, and the Wilberforce Scholarship. So I would just encourage you to start the application process ASAP if you haven’t already. When one gets accepted to Covenant College, Financial Aid works hard put together a financial aide package within two weeks. I would encourage to fill out an application for all of your main colleges, just to see what type of financial aide you might get from them.

Working in admissions I talk with a lot of high school seniors who are just as lost as I was when looking for a college. The stress of it all can overwhelm you. I talked through some of these stresses with one senior and she graciously agreed to let me share our email conversation with you guys. 

Email from Senior:

Thank you for your email! Maybe you could just give me some advice, though?  Like, what should I look for?  Did you attend Covenant and if so, what made you choose it above others?  And how should my three best friends and I deal with the fact that we may all be in different states?  Seriously, I think it’s really strange, the four of us have been best friends forever and none of us are even interested in any schools the others are looking at. We are all opposites, it is true.  We balance each other out well.    But next year will be an experience, for sure.                Click to continue »

Only a month and a half left before I head back to school. As the time grows near I am beginning to think of repacking again. I remember last year as I began to pack I was in a daze. What do I bring? Do I bring it all? So I thought I would help you by listing a few essentials that really helped me. Click to continue »

Roommates, as I have said before, can determine the kind of year you experience at Covenant. I remember last summer waiting for my letter from covenant telling me who my roommates would be. Will they be fun? Out going? Quiet? Will we get along? Will they like me?  I had no idea what process they used to determine room assignments.  If you are anything like me, you might like to know.
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The other day someone asked me, “Did Covenant meet all your expectations?” What a question! I stood there for a moment reviewing the past year. Having been asked that question in the past, I found it easy to answer it with a quick “yes”. This time, however, the question seemed to sink in.

I reflected back on my first days at Covenant. I had such a stereotypical idea of what college was going to be like. I purposely tried not to form expectations because I didn’t want to set myself up for possible disappointment. I simply had no idea what I was getting myself into. All that I knew for sure was that I was ready to be where God wanted me to be.

With this in mind, I was able to answer the question. Of course Covenant did meet all my expectations. Sure there were surprises that caught me off guard, but that’s life. I cannot have a checklist of expectations for all of my experiences. I need to align my expectations with God’s will for me in that experience. If I continue to do this then all my expectations will be met, because my expectations will be God’s expectations.

YES! Covenant has met my expectations. I know that this is where God wants me to be. So when there are surprises, I am able to see them as perhaps the very reason God has me at Covenant.