Growing Up

This weekend was formal... always a great time. We all got ready during the day, headed out to dinner, then to formal to dance the night away. Formal in college is probably a little bit different than you might think. In high school, Prom is always such a big deal and it's so much fun to get all dressed up in formal dresses and tuxedos. I loved Prom in high school, that's for sure, but formal in college is very relaxed. Most of my friends all wore casual summer-ish dresses that we got for a low price on a random shopping trip. There are some people that wear old Prom dresses and things like that, but it's nice to just go to have fun, not just for the dress :). Formal is a great example, I think, of a change a lot of college students, including myself, have gone through. I only went to one of my Proms in high school, but even that was such a big deal because "you have to go to Prom." It's hard because there is such a social pressure to have the right date, the right dress, go to the right restaurant for dinner, etc. It almost seems as though people go to a lot of events in high school for the simple fact that your peers make you feel like you have to in order to fit in or be cool. Pressure like that fades a lot in college. People do things because they want to, not at all because people make you feel like you have to go. Everyone that was at formal bustin' a move was there because they wanted to have a good time and dance with friends. I think that college is a lot more fun because of that. Don't get me wrong - I loved high school a lot... it was a blast and definitely four of the best years ever, but since then I have had 3.5 even better years here at college because me and my friends do things that we want to do and things that we think are fun, not just things that everyone else is doing. I love that, and am so glad that it's part of growing up, and part of college. Man, I really love this place.

Here's to doing things YOU want to do,
Mary

Overwhelmed? Me too :)

So, I was thinking this morning about the job search. Yikes. It definitely makes me a little nervous. How will I find a job? How many resumes will I have to send out before I get an interview? Will I find the right job in the right city? So many questions seem to be flying around in my head, and I'm trying to keep telling myself that it will all come together the way it's supposed to - I just hope me and God are on the same page! I started thinking about how the job search and the college search carry some of the same questions with them. I'm sure right now you're wondering which college will be right for you, how you will know which one you're supposed to go to and whether or not you're going to be happy and successful there. I know that just like I see thousands of job postings on websites, you see thousands of schools out there - all look weirdly similar, but very unique at the same time. My advice, though, would be that somehow one of those schools will stand out to you. Whether they have the right community, are just the right size, offer the best classes for your major, etc., something will make a school pop out from the rest (I hope this happens with my job search too!). I remember being in the place where I had no idea which school was right for me. I had thought for a long time that I would end up at Bluffton, but was that what I wanted, or what my family wanted for me? I made the decision for myself that Bluffton was right for me, and that will happen for you too. The college search can be very overwhelming, but trust me in saying that your decision will come with time. You'll know where you're supposed to go and I hope that you'll be as happy wherever you choose as I have been at Bluffton. I hope you do come and visit Bluffton, though, because I have a feeling you see that spark here (i might be a little biased, but oh well!).
Hang in there - it'll all come together.

Here's to big decisions,
Mary

Long Weekend Recap

Hi Friends!

Well, it was a three-day weekend, and that always makes for a great time. Friday during the day Scott and I just hung out and relaxed after a long week. Friday night was Marbeck After Dark and we did a dance workout. Me and my friends have been known to do the Paula Abdul dance workout on a regular basis, so I decided to bring that to MAD... we had about 7 people do the workout together, and we even wore some awesome sweatbands. It was a really great time just laughing and getting a good workout in at the same time.

Saturday I slept in, which was really nice. Scott came over and we just chatted while I straightened my hair, then me and Carol went out for dinner and a movie. We went and saw "27 Dresses" which was super cute and then went out to dinner. It was nice to catch up and chat it up for awhile. After we got back Jill and Scott both came over and we all just hung around not really doing much. We watched another movie, played some video games and just relaxed.

Sunday morning me, Scott, and Jill got up and went to church in Pandora (a nearby town), then it was time for a Sunday afternoon nap (those are the best!). Sunday night Scott and I went out to dinner, watched a movie, and did our devotionals together. It was one year since our first date, so it was fun to look back at the past year and just spend some time together.

We had today (Monday) off because of Martin Luther King Jr. day, so that was really nice. Scott and I took a little road trip, then pretty much just hung around with the girls the rest of the day. I worked on my resume' a little bit (which is really weird), but mostly just enjoyed the extra time off. Back to classes tomorrow...

It was such a great weekend - these weekends of movies, chatting, and just being lazy are so awesome and one of the things I'm definitely going to miss about college life.

Here's to three-day weekends and good times,

Mary

Nerves Are Overrated

So, I remember being really nervous about college classes when I was in high school. "Yikes," I thought, "I'm going to writing and reading all the time." Let me be honest with you... college classes aren't that bad. Sure, they're different than high school, but I really wouldn't say that they are all the bad news people make them out to be. College classes generally consist of lots of reading, a project or paper or two and maybe a test or two. In the lower level classes there are usually a few more assignments, but they are smaller, less time-consuming tasks, and when you reach the upper level classes, it's usually just two-ish papers and maybe a test. The work is generally very applicable and you get much less "busy work" than in high school... everything is assigned to help you understand a concept, theory, or practice better. The work also tends to come in waves... there will be a few weeks of the semester when it feels as though every class has a paper due and you're super far behind on reading, and then there are weeks when there's hardly any homework to be doing at all. It's great to be living with friends at college, though, because everyone has those weeks where homework is crazy and me and all my friends will work on stuff together, and then when we all have those low-homework weeks, we hang out and just spend quality time together. I really enjoy classes in college alot because you take courses in your major, which you choose, so you are learning about things that interest you and will hopefully prove to be beneficial in the future. My favorite class in college has been Interpersonal Communications because, as a communication major, I found the class to be very interesting and something that I will use in years to come when I have a career in the communication field (hopefully!). Basically, my point is: don't be nervous. It seems like you've heard "well, just wait till you get to college... those are some hard classes," your whole life and really, I find college classes to be a lot more interesting and it's more exciting to go to classes that you're interested in. Nerves about college classes are overrated and unnecessary... trust me on that one.

Here's to being over your nerves,
Mary

The First Week Back...

Well, the first week back proved to be amazing, as expected. I am pumped about this semester because I am just so much less busy than I was last semester. I am still involved in all of the same activities, but not having the two internships that I had last semester has freed up so much time. I also have an easier course load, so that's been great.

This weekend was a great one. On Friday MCB had "The Office" Marathon and Lock-In. We showed the entire 3rd season of the tv show "The Office" and people could spend the night in Bob's place if they wanted. The event lasted from 10pm on Friday night until almost 8:00am Saturday morning. The whole time we were there I just kept thinking "only in college..." which always makes for a good time. I love that we stayed up all night watching a tv show and spent the night in Bob's when our beds were a 5 minute walk away! Me and about 8 or 10 other people stayed the whole time - I will admit that I slept for awhile though... there were lots of people that didn't get any sleep at all, so I was glad I had the chance to lay down and sleep through a few episodes. Scott was one of those "stay up all night" people so on Saturday we pretty much just hung around and did nothing all day. We napped, watched a movie, and just hung out. We went out to dinner and to Wal-Mart, then we went and talked at the park for awhile. We had what we like to call a "life pep-talk" where we just talk about life after college. We set some goals for ourselves with jobs and stuff and we're anxious about what 2008 will bring for us - it's exciting stuff.

On Sunday my roomie and friend, Hannah, spoke in Sunday Morning Worship, which was awesome. The rest of the day I just hung out and watched the Colts lose... which was a bummer. After the game me and my friends went shopping and made dinner to take to Lima where one of our friends that graduated lives. We spent the evening there and the five of us just caught up on life and laughed a lot. It was a great way to end such a fun weekend. I am so thankful that the last 3.5 years has allowed me to make such amazing friends. The relationships I've built here are unlike anything I could have expected and I am so blessed with such wonderful people in my life.

I loved playing games, watching movies, watching lots of "The Office," catching up with friends and just spending time with my friends and Scott all weekend. It was so great.

Here's to good conversations, tv shows, and "only in college" events,

Mary

pics: me and LeeAnne at "The Office" lock in and me and Scott at the park

Well Hello!

This is my nephew while working on some Christmas cookies

Well, here we go! I cannot believe that we are a couple days into second semester. It’s just crazy how time has flown and no matter how many times I tell myself, I still just can’t believe that I am in my last semester of college. It has been an amazing 3.5 years and I can’t wait for this semester to see what memories it will bring and what adventures I will go on.

Christmas break was amazing. I spent a lot of time traveling and got to see a lot of people. I started break off at home for just a day and we got a major snow storm – me and my parents stayed in and just watched football and laid around while we watched the snow build up outside. After just a day the roads were safe enough to drive on, so I went to Indianapolis for about 4 days to spend time with my brother and sister. I had a great time hanging out with them and my niece and nephew, and even got to spend an evening with Scott and his friends that were down there visiting some people. It was a great way to kick-off a three week break. After my time in Indy I came back to Bluffton for a couple of days because I was the hall director on duty, but my mom came with me and we just had a good time hanging around here. When we got back home my brother, sister, their families and Scott all came to our house and we had Christmas. It was wonderful to spend the weekend with my favorite people! After everyone left me and my parents just spent Christmas Eve quietly – going to church and checking out Christmas lights. I went to Scott’s house on Christmas and was there for a few days hanging out with his family and friends. After that we went to St.Louis to have Christmas with my extended family. We had a good time meeting each other’s extended families and spending time together. We got back home and were just back for one night before we headed off again. We went to Northern Indiana to spend New Years with some friends and we spend the night up there and had a blast celebrating and just hanging out with friends. After that we just watched a bunch of football and Scott and his friends headed back home. From there I just had a couple of days left at home and then I came back here. It was so awesome to travel around and spend so much time with family and friends. It was such a great break and a much needed rest after a crazy semester.

This is my brother, dad, and uncle playing the Wii

I am so excited about this semester and I feel like it’s going to be a great time to soak up our last few months at Bluffton. I’ve only been back for a couple of days and I know it’s going to be less busy and so much fun.

Here’s to great breaks and promising semesters…
Mary