Home & Habits

Moving away from home to come to Western Kentucky University can be a big deal, depending on how far away you live from Bowling Green. Personally, I live about two hours away, so I rarely traveled home on the weekends during the semester. I had to find a way to make WKU feel like home to me, and there were a few ways in which I did that.

The easiest way to curb the feeling of homesickness is to decorate or set up your room in a way that you enjoy and appreciate. You will spend a majority of your time at college in your room, whether that includes studying, eating, hanging out with friends, or sleeping, so it is important to make your room more than just a bed, desk, and concrete walls. Here is a picture of my bed, which I made as comfortable as possible because I wanted and needed lots of sleep!

Another way I made Western feel like home was by exploring campus and finding my favorite places to study. I often frequented the first floor of the Helm Library and sat at a table or in a chair in Java City, if it was not too crowded. I do love the smell of coffee, so that must be why I like to study there, as well as Barnes & Noble (one of my favorite places ever). During finals week, I went there nearly every day! It was always so peaceful and the atmosphere was great for focusing on the philosophy final I had to take.

A final way that I made WKU my home was by finding a church. I was invited by a friend to go to Woodburn Baptist Church one Sunday, and I felt welcomed and loved as soon as I stepped inside. The pastor was outstanding and truly loved the congregation; he knew every person's name, no matter if they were a guest or a member. I later joined the choir and even worked in the nursery a few times as I became more involved. I truly love Woodburn Baptist, and I think all college freshmen should try out different churches in town and see which one they like the best.

You may wonder why I feel so strongly about going to church while you are in college. Not only do I believe that anyone who is a Christian will want to go to church, but also that making the commitment to go now, even though you may love to catch up on sleep during the weekends, will lead to good habits later in life. If you are a religious person, but you think you are too busy to go to church, when will you ever start going? Life is not going to slow down after you get a Bachelor's degree. The habits you possess now will most likely follow you into adulthood, so if you want to change something about yourself, become better at something, or even stop participating in an activity, start now! If you want to stay active as you get older, start running and exercising now. If you want to become a better writer or singer, start practicing now. If you want to become a better Christian and grow closer to God, start going to church now and keep going while you are in college!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)
- Jennifer