Tips for move-in day!

I am sure that all of you incoming freshmen are getting anxious about coming to Western. Summer has finally began as of last Sunday and there are only two months left until students are back on the hill again! I am so excited for another year of meeting new people, challenging myself academically, working out in Preston, and eating Subway as much as I want (it is so expensive without a meal plan!).

If you are anything like me, I was literally counting down the days until I could move in and finally call myself a "college kid." My car was loaded down with anything and everything I thought I would need living on my own, and I had recruited my father to help me move it all in to the eighth floor of Minton Hall. I was prepared and ready to go, with new sheets on my bed and a new mini fridge ready to be put to use. Now the question is are you prepared to live on campus?

Some things you should do before arriving can be found in the following list I brainstormed just for you!

1. Buy a parking permit. This can be found on the Parking and Transportation website, or by clicking here.
2. Make sure you have all of the college necessities, such as a pillow and blankets, a mini fridge, microwave, desk lamp, school supplies, clothes, flip flops and a shower caddy, sunglasses, an umbrella, and an alarm clock. You get the picture. For a more detailed list, check out these links: The Definitive Freshman Checklist, CollegeBoard.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, OfftoCollege.com, or the College Moving Checklist.
3. Contact your future roommate and introduce yourself. It will also be helpful to decide who is bringing what, so you do not end up with two microwaves or irons.
4. Print directions to campus or use a GPS, so you do not get lost on the way here! Google Maps is my favorite directions site.
   
5. Plan to say your goodbyes before you leave home because move-in day is always a little crazy. P.S. It has been known to rain, so keep an eye on the weather and an umbrella handy.
6. Tell your parent(s)/guardian(s) thank you for helping you move in! Just think of how much you will appreciate it when you have to move in by yourself next year.

Those are just a few things to get you thinking about what you will need to do before coming to WKU this fall. Until then, I hope you are having a fantastic summer!

The Way You Make Me Feel

Well, hello again. It’s been about a month and I’ve been busy working away. I had to write to you today because something tragic happened yesterday. It had been a long day working and I was tired. I was working on the call list when one of the telecounselors yelled, “Michael Jackson is dead!” Everyone erupted and was so completely shocked. As the night went on I still couldn’t believe it. He seemed like one of those celebrities that would live forever. Even though he may have been weird as a person, as an artist he was definitely what they referred to him as, the King of Pop.

I can remember back in high school how we always wanted to dance to his music for our dance routines. Every year we put on a huge thriller production at the football games and we took almost all the moves from his video. Our makeup and costumes represented the dead. It was so much fun. Another dance routine we combined a lot of his songs and even had the silver glove and exposed our white socks. He was an icon!


I know every word to every song and it is so hard to not sing and dance when you hear them. His death was so sudden! It’s sad too because he was getting ready to do his comeback tour. That would have been awesome! As I think back to my moon-walking days, I will always remember the joy that MJ brought to my life.

WKLT 2009

Hey there! I know it’s been a while, but I have been super busy! This past week I have been a camp counselor for the Women and Kids Learning Together Camp through the women’s studies department. This is just one of the many ways to get involved at WKU. The week was jam packed and so much fun. I met some great kids and other students through this camp. The first day alone was awesome!!! Greenhouse poetry came to help the kids write their own poetry and I got to eat lunch with George Ella Lyon. You might recognize her name from the “Where I’m From” poem. We also made boomerangs to prepare us for the Australian culture because Tuesday we went to Kentucky Down Under. All the kids and counselors loved seeing all the animals and we even took a cave tour. Wednesday I got to teach all the kiddos a dance and it was so cute watching them. There were relays and water balloon tosses and I got soaked! Thursday was crazy because we were missing some counselors, but they got to see some cool explosions from a chemist on campus and we even got to dye our own goggles. Friday was the sad day because I came down with a bug and missed the graduation ceremony. Even though I missed one day, I loved getting to know each kid and will never forget the memories that were made this past week. I hope when you all come to WKU that you get involved in something as great as this!

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