My Final Farewell

It’s official - I have successfully completed my freshman year of college! Whew! It seems hard to believe. Today I had my last final exams at 8 and 10 A.M. It’s been a very busy and stressful week and I now feel relieved that it is all over. It’s exciting to just sit back and think about the past year. My first year of college was a good one. I learned many new things, from study habits, to knowledge in general. I met a lot of new people and made some great friends. I’ve also took part in some memorable events throughout the year, from ALF in the fall, to the most recent, the Hinder concert, Phi Eta Sigma, and Colie and Alex. In general, my first year was a great experience!

I was delighted to have the opportunity of blogging for all of you this semester. I hope I have given you some insight in to what C.U., Reinhard Villages, and college life is like and have answered some questions that you may have been wondering about.

So, for my final farewell, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2007, whether you are a high school or college graduate, wish the students the best of luck in their future endeavors, and most importantly I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful summer!!

Thank you!! =)

Best regards,

Jennifer

Summer Vacation is almost here!!

I’ve been one busy person since the last time I blogged. This past week and a half I have been preparing and studying for my final exams, which will be taking place next week. I can feel the pressure … ugh! I will feel very relieved once Thursday of next week comes and I will finally be done with my finals and … and my first year of college! It’s hard to believe! Today marked the end of our classes.

So, throughout my preparing and studying for my finals, I’ve managed to fit in some time for myself. Three exciting things took place! Last Saturday night I attended the Hinder concert with my boyfriend and some other friends. I had a lot of fun and for the most part enjoyed the concert. The concert was sold out and the line was HUGE! For those of you who also went to the concert, you know what I mean, for those of you who didn’t and know where the tennis courts are on campus, the line started at the Tippin Gym doors and swirled all the way back past the tennis courts. Crazy!! But, we did manage to get inside before the concert at 8.

~ My friends and I infront of the Hinder tour bus!~
Me, Jessica, & Courtney

On Sunday, I was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Freshman Honor Society. It was a very nice ceremony that took place in the Gemmel Multi Purpose Room on campus. My parents came down to watch the induction and afterwards we went out to a nice dinner.

For my final exciting event of the week, Tuesday night a few friends and I met Colie and Alex from The Real World Denver. They came to Hart Chapel, amongst the stormy weather, and basically interviewed each other so we could get a feel for who they were. After they played their “20 Questions” they took questions from the audience. I hadn’t seen multiple episodes of The Real World before I’d gone to this and was a little unfamiliar of who Colie and Alex were. All in all it was neat to meet some “celebrities!”

~Group shot with Colie & Alex~

That’s all I have for now! For those of you at C.U. taking final exams, best of luck!!

3 More Weeks!! =D

I cannot believe that my first year of college will be over in 3 weeks. This year has gone by so fast and I’ve learned so much. We have 2 more weeks of classes and then a week of finals. I still have yet to find out when my finals are, as they have not sent out a finals week schedule.

This week has been pretty eventful. The most exciting news of the week, is the beautiful, sunny, warm weather that we are now having. I just hope it stays around this time. On Monday, I purchased my Hinder concert tickets. I am very exited!! Hinder is coming to Clarion next Saturday to play their “Door-to Dorm” Music Door. Days of the New and Operator will be opening for them. I have never heard of either one of them, but I’m sure they'll be great! My boyfriend will be coming down from his college in NY to see the concert. I think we’ll be going with a bunch of my friends, so I’m sure it will be tons of fun!

The final eventful thing that happened this week was scheduling. Oh yes, it is that time of year were the upcoming sophomores get to register for classes. I found this time to be quite stressful, but I got through it and am patiently waiting. You see, there weren’t a lot of class openings for us. I got to schedule three, but am still waiting for openings in a couple more classes. I’ve heard that next week they will be opening more seats, so I must keep checking the online “schedule of classes” listing, which is updated every hour. I would like to offer a little advice to any incoming freshman OR another student considering Clarion. If you have the opportunity to take college classes or credits in high school take as many as you fell comfortable with. I’m not sure how scheduling goes for other colleges, but at Clarion you register based on how many credits you’ve earned. So therefore, say you have 3 or 6 credits transferring in from high school. You will most likely get to register before the rest of your class. It’s a nice benefit, but if you don’t have the opportunity, that’s okay, too.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and has the opportunity to go out and enjoy this beautiful weather! Until next time, Jen

Pets at Reinhard? Why did I choose C.U.??

Hello everyone!! =)

Well, Spring break has come and gone, springs definitely not here, and for the past few weeks I have been overwhelmed with schoolwork. I enjoyed my few days off for break. I spent time with my family and boyfriend, and did some studying, too.

I received a question from an incoming freshman of CU. They have decided to live at Reinhard next year and were wondering if there was a policy on pets. To answer the question, yes there is, unfortunately. I’m a HUGE pet lover, having 2 dogs, 4 cats, and a guinea pig at my home. My roommates and I have talked about how nice it would be to get a kitten or puppy to live with us. But again, there is a very strict policy. No animals, including cats, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, reptiles, etc. are allowed. Fish are the only pets allowed. I have talked to friends that know of people who have gotten caught with animals in their apartment and some hefty fines have been given. So, to whomever asked the question, I’m sorry, your puppy has to stay at home. =(

Since I’m on the subject of pets, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce my pet that lives with me. My Betta fish!! He’s a great companion even though I can’t touch him. I have had him for about a month now and he still remains nameless. (Does anyone have any name suggestions??) I first bought a Betta fish at the beginning of my fall semester; he lived until Winter break. It was sad to see him go, but I think he died of some kind of fungus.

My Betta fish in his home - a vase!

A close up. Maybe he likes his picture taken!?

On another note, I’m sure most Seniors in high school have narrowed down their college choices and have decided where they will be going next year. It’s a tough decision, I know, but most of us experience it. I began my college search during the fall of my Senior year in high school. I chose to attend Clarion for a couple of reasons; here’s my college searching story:

I first applied to a few colleges and then decided to take a tour of them. It was hard to decide between a private and state school, but the first thing I took into consideration were the majors that were offered. I was really looking for a school that could give me a dual major in Elementary and Special Education. One of the private schools I looked into didn’t offer Special Education. So one of the main reasons I chose Clarion was because of the Special Education major. I decided to take a tour of Clarion in early January. The people I met during my tour seemed very nice and helpful. That’s always a much needed thing! After my tour of campus, I headed over to Reinhard to check out the apartments. I definitely was impressed and told myself that I definitely wanted to live there. To be honest, that was my second reason for coming to C.U.

That’s all for now!! ~Jen

Is it worth the cost to live at Reinhard?

Last week I received a comment from someone who was considering living at Reinhard next year. They mentioned that it was hard to keep up with the changing prices of the apartments. So today, I am here to give you some details into the pricings of the apartments and tell you my feelings on living here.

First, the application fee. When you initially decide to live at Reinhard you must apply. When you send in the application you will need to enclose $225; $25 for the application fee and $200 for the service fee. There are opportunities for your fee to be waved or for discounts. If you are a returning resident of Reinhard your application and service fee are waved. If you apply before January 31^st, the service fee is waved; therefore you will only need to pay the $25 application fee. There are also opportunities to get discount coupons.

Second, the rent prices. You have a choice to sign a lease for the academic year or the extended academic year. If you sign a lease for the academic year, you will have your room from August – May, and will move out at the end of the spring semester. If you choose an extended academic year, you will have your room from August – July. I think the extended academic year lease is a big benefit. If you decide to take summer classes, you are able to stay for the summer, or you can leave your stuff in your room and not deal with the hassle of moving back in if you decide to return the following fall semester. There is a slight price increase if you do choose the extended academic year.

There are 4 different unit types to choose from. Starting with the least expensive is the 4 bedroom x 2 bath flat, followed by the 4 bedroom x 2 bath townhouse, 4 bedroom x 4 bath, and 2 bedroom x 2 bath. If you are a new resident and sign a lease for an academic year, prices start at $2,685 a semester ($537 a month). If you are a new resident signing an extended academic year lease, prices start at $2,830 a semester ($566 a month). To obtain all the updated leasing prices for the 2007-2008 year, you can go to Reinhard’s website: http://www.aoinc.com/proppages/index.cfm?fuseaction=floorplans

Finally, back to my title question. I would personally say that I feel it is worth the cost to live at Reinhard. Although Reinhard may be slightly more expensive than other off campus housing, it’s worth the money to come home to your own room and other amenities. The apartment and rooms are fully furnished, all utilities are paid for, the grounds are kept up on a regular basis (including snow removal in the winter), and a recreation area is also available for use.

If you would like to find out more about Reinhard, you are welcome to ask me, or I would recommend visiting their website. Also, if you haven’t taken a tour, I would recommend that you do that. Tours are given on a daily basis.

Spring has Sprung ... I think?

Ahhh … warm temperatures and the smell of spring is in the air! Wednesday kicked off the first day of spring and from then on, we’ve had the typical springtime weather. Warmer temperatures, the sun shinning, and the smell and sound of springtime in the air – spring is finally here!!

On Monday, we resumed classes from our week off. All in all, my winter break was pretty good. I was glad to be home. Also on Monday, they closed the parking lot beside Pierce Science Center and Davis Hall, and began breaking ground for the new and improved science center. Now, when you drive by the parking lot it looks very naked, because of all the trees cut down. It’s kind of sad, but we all know that something good will come out of it and more landscaping will be done once the project is completed.

Thursday was a pretty cool day. C.U. was hosting a high school Science Olympiad competition in the Gemmel Multi Purpose Room. My friend, Tiffany, and I were eating lunch downstairs in the food court and we saw a bunch of people from our alma matter, Cochranton High School. It was quite a surprise to see some old friends, but it was certainly nice to talk with them. Also on Thursday, the University Activities Board (UAB) had a table set up in Gemmel regarding the upcoming Hinder concert. Tiffany and I decided to check out the table and now we are highly considering buying tickets to attend the concert on Saturday, April 28th. Tickets are only $15 for students and $25 for the public. Not a bad deal.

Have a great weekend everyone!
~Jennifer

Mid-Terms are over and Winter Break has begun!

It’s hard to believe this semester is half way over. Once again, the last couple weeks have been busy for me with lots of studying and projects to complete.

Last Thursday night I arrived back home and was very happy to be back. I have been looking forward to a week off for quite awhile and now it’s finally here. Students who had the opportunity to take a vacation during their winter break are lucky. I’d love to be somewhere warm and sunny. =) My winter break is consisting of interviews, observations, papers, and studying. This past weekend I had some time to relax, but on Monday it was back to the grind.

In another 2 ½ weeks we will have our spring break, which is another break to look forward to. I don’t have too many things planned, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty to do. After spring break, we have 3 ½ weeks of classes, a week of finals and we’ll be done for summer vacation! YAY! That’s even more exciting to look forward to. Things are starting to wind down.

If anyone has any questions about Clarion or anything in general, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them!

Until next time,
Jennifer