I Love This Place

By Courtney Roberts

Walking around campus these past few weeks, I’ve been stopping more than usual -stopping to take it all in, talk to passing friends and enjoy the warmer weather. I’m becoming quite sappy. When I think about everything that has happened during my Baylor years, I’m caught up in a wave of emotion. I feel happy, blessed, thankful, proud and overjoyed at the friends and memories I’ve made. I always seem to think, “I love this place!”

These past two weeks have been especially wonderful. As school winds down, I’ve gotten to spend more time with friends, wander through Cameron Park and goof off more than usual. I celebrated my 22nd birthday, went to numerous end of the year parties and attended my last class ever. It’s going by much faster than I thought, and I’ve found myself taking quick pictures of things on campus in a bout of nostalgia. If I could take a picture of the Pat Neff bells playing “That Good Old Baylor Line” one last time, I would!

It’s funny to look back at where I was four years ago, experiencing major senioritis as I was about to graduate high school and not giving much thought to what my life would look like at Baylor. To be honest, I almost didn’t go to Baylor. I was torn between the University of Oklahoma and Baylor, and I didn’t make a decision until April 30, a.k.a the day before I had to make a decision. I was definitely throwing caution to the wind.

But, I’m glad I didn’t have many expectations going in. Baylor blew me away. I was amazed at how easy the transition to Baylor was, and I frequently called my mom to tell her about all the things I was doing and how I was never coming home. Before long, I had a big group of friends that I hung out with most of my waking hours. We did all kinds of shenanigans together, from sneakily climbing into Pat Neff’s bell tower in the middle of the day to hanging a 15-foot-long balloon arch between the outside of our friends’ windows at Penland. Eventually, I buckled down and learned how to study, but that is a different story.

To make a long story short, there is no way to succinctly tell you what an impact Baylor has made on my life. I’ve made friends and memories that I’ll cherish for a lifetime, and I know so many of my peers will tell you the same. It’s been a crazy adventure, and I’m confident that this is just the beginning!

Below are a few pictures of my favorite Baylor memories.

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Celebrating my birthday with some friends from church!

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Kappa Alpha Theta’s member class of 2011. These four years have been such a blast with them!

 

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By far one of my favorite Baylor memories was getting to study abroad in Florence, Italy, with the Baylor journalism department. You can read about it here!

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After graduation, I will be working in the Texas Capitol as a legislative aid for a state representative. I’m thrilled to be working in such a fun place. I have no clue what life will look like in this next season, but God has provided so much already. Finding this job and finding a place to live in Austin just seemed to fall into my lap. I consider myself abundantly blessed when I look at all that has happened this year, let alone these last four years. But, I know that I’ll be back for football games in the new McLane Stadium, and I’ll make it a point to stop by campus when I pass through Waco.

I love this place, but “the old has gone, and the new is here!” So goodbye, Waco. Hello, Austin!

Why I Love My Italian Class

By: Courtney Roberts

When I switched into the College of Arts & Sciences, I expected nothing good to come from the four-semester language credit requirement. I was wrong. I’ve spent the last four semesters learning Italian. During my Baylor career, there are a handful of classes that stand out as my favorites, but I absolutely love my Italian class.

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Me looking Italian. ☺

My interest in Italian sparked when I studied abroad on the Baylor in Florence program in Italy a few summers ago. Since the trip is geared primarily toward journalism majors, we took courses in photography and magazine writing. (Sounds hard, right?)

I didn’t have any exposure to the Italian language before I went. I hoped to pick up some words, but I spent most of my time sightseeing, going on adventures with my friends and trying out every gelato shop in town. It was an entirely new cultural experience for me, and I loved every minute of it. So of course, I chose the bellissimo Italian language to fill my credit requirement.

Members of my Italian 1401 (1st semester) class at Verdi’s Aida in Dallas

Members of my Italian 1401 (1st semester) class at Verdi’s Aida in Dallas

The reason I have loved this class is because of the things we’ve done outside of class. We’ve gone to see the opera in Italian, watched movies, sung as part of the foreign language groups at Christmas on Fifth and made some good friends along the way. Many of the people in my class now were in my class last fall in our first semester of Italian. It feels close-knit and like a fun little family.

As part of my class this semester, all of the students have to contribute to a class blog where we write about topics that interest us. Some of the best ones have been picking the perfect outfit and describing our favorite songs by an Italian artist. (My favorite is “Ti Porto Via Con Me” by Jovanotti!)

In all seriousness, taking a foreign language is so valuable. It’s challenging but so rewarding! When every other class you’re taking can be overwhelming or sometimes dreary, the foreign language classes are a nice escape to somewhere fun and beautiful-like Europe. It reminds me that there is more out there than Waco, Texas!

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Baylor in Florence Girls with our Journalism Professors in 2012

 

Running the Good Race

By Courtney Roberts

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1

Lately, I’ve been feeling like my life has become all about running, literally and figuratively. After Spring Break, I helped with the toughest half-marathon in Texas, the Bearathon, which is comprised of both a half-marathon and 5K. I’ve also been interviewing for jobs and trying out figure out my post-graduation plans. It’s exhausting!

I’ve hit that point in the semester where I’m kicking it into “survival mode.” Every day, my goal is to simply make it to tomorrow. As long as I can get all my homework and to-do’s done on time, I’ll be OK.  From there, I can keep going, hence the running metaphor.

If you’re a high school senior reading this, I can bet we’re in the same boat. Are your parents asking you every day where you’re going to college next year? (Come to Baylor! You’ll love it.) There’s definitely a level of stress that comes along with figuring out what the next season holds. When I see my friends getting jobs or enrolling in grad schools, I get overwhelmed. It’s hard to watch! I couldn’t tell you why I don’t have anything figured out yet, but I know God works on His own time, not mine.

One of the ways I de-stress is by running. Whenever I get anxious, I like to run in the cemetery by my house. (It’s not as weird as it sounds.) It’s quiet, peaceful and really pretty. In the midst of all the craziness, it’s nice to do something good for yourself rather than something that just adds to the stress, like staying up till 3 a.m. in Moody Library.

My advice is this: find whatever it is that you love, and do it often. It’s so easy to get swept away with to-do lists and planning at this point in the year.  If you do, you’ll be much more joyful and able to see what God is doing in your life and in that season!

Passion 2014 in Houston

By Courtney Roberts

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On Valentine’s Day weekend, I had the privilege of traveling to Houston for Passion 2014 with my younger brother, Connor. (I joked with him that he was my valentine, but I think he was weirded out by that!) Passion’s tagline is, “The Jesus generation united,” which sums up nicely what it is all about. Passion is a gathering for 18-25 year olds to come together to worship, hear speakers and connect with other believers that are the same age. This was the first time Passion has ever come to Houston, as it is usually only in Atlanta, Georgia. Passion is no small thing, either – there were about 17,600 people in Houston’s Toyota Center.

On Friday, I picked up my brother from his apartment in College Station, and off we went. If nothing else, it was wonderful to be able to experience more of who Christ is with my only sibling. It was great to have time to bond with him and play games as we traveled a few hours south to Houston.

Over the course of two days, we heard messages from Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, Beth Moore and Judah Smith. Most of the messages were centered on Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. Each speaker spoke on the topic from a different angle; some of which included: earning God’s love invalidates Jesus’ sacrifice, don’t waste your time on this side of Heaven and choosing to follow God daily. I’m so thankful that I spent the weekend away from campus to reconnect with God and take a break from the routine. Between All-University Sing, schoolwork and applying for jobs, a healthy break was definitely overdue.

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I also love the rich community that we share at Baylor. I ran into so many other people from Baylor: sorority sisters, study abroad friends and alumni. The three universities with the largest presence were Texas A&M, Baylor and University of Texas, respectively. During breaks between the sessions, all the Texas schools did their school chants, and you could identify where everyone went to school based on what chant they yelled. I loved knowing that though we’re all rivals, we all love Jesus, and that unites us!

Passion 2015 is going to Houston again, and I recommend going if you can. Grab a couple friends, take a road trip and have a blast learning about Jesus while getting lost in downtown Houston. You won’t regret it! Passion 2015 in Atlanta is January 2-4 and in Houston January 30-February 1.

Find out more about Passion here.

My Baylor Bucket List

By Courtney Roberts

I’ve been thinking about this list a lot lately: my coveted Baylor Bucket List. Now that I’m in my last semester, it’s time to knock these all out! I hate to say it, but I forgot about it in the craziness and busyness of the last few years.

This has really been more of a running mental list I’ve had since my freshman year. I recently decided to finally write them down. Thankfully, I’ve got some time to do them this semester. I’ve gotten close to doing some of these, but I’m treating them as a “pictures or it didn’t happen” kind of thing. So, here it goes!

1. Go to Church Under the Bridge.  Mission Waco holds church for many of Waco’s homeless population every Sunday morning under I-35 across from campus. I’ve heard wonderful things from those who have been.

2. Climb the rock wall at McLane Student Life Center. This is something most Baylor students probably intend to do before they graduate. The SLC renovated their climbing wall in the last year, making it taller. So much for my fear of heights!

3. Study at Armstrong Browning Library. It’s rumored that this library, which is named one of the country’s most beautiful college libraries, is the inspiration for the library in Beauty and the Beast.

4. Bowl at the Student Union Building. Did you know the SUB has a bowling alley and game room in the basement? It has a few lanes, perfect for gathering a group of friends for some on-campus fun.

5. Run through the fountain at the Baylor Sciences Building. Every time after working out at the SLC next door, I think about running through the fountain. But it’s been way too cold.  Now that the weather is warmer, I can’t make any more excuses for chickening out!

In addition to these, there are quite a few things I could add to my bucket list for the sake of crossing them off. A few of those is getting a picture with Ken Starr, running one of the Baylor Line flags at a home football game and climbing into Pat Neff’s bell tower.

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Whether they are planned or not, there are so many opportunities to explore the adventures of Baylor’s campus and community. I’m thankful for all the wonderful, spontaneous, unplanned memories I’ve made, and I’m looking forward to the next round!

Finding the Perfect Job

By Courtney Roberts

“So what are you doing after graduation?”

That dreaded question. Now that I’m in my last semester at Baylor, this seems to be the burning question for every senior. To be honest, I still don’t know. I have applied for a few public relations jobs in Dallas and Washington, D.C., but I haven’t heard much back yet. I’ve reached out to old supervisors, networking contacts and friends who might know of any potential jobs, but it’s terrifying! No one likes rejection. And, I know I’ll probably get rejected plenty of times before I land my first job.

Thankfully, Baylor has great career resources. This week, I made a stop in to Career & Professional Development to get my resume reviewed and to get some advice on where to find viable jobs. Baylor has a website called Hire-A-Bear that lists hundreds of companies looking to hire Baylor grads. You can search by city, company, major, etc. It also includes links to other job search sites that are great resources.

Career & Professional Development (CPD) also holds mock interviews and provides us with tons of interviewing tips. They also have booklets on writing resumes and cover letters. It’s a lifesaver. Now instead of running to my roommates’ rooms at midnight to have them proofread my emails and cover letters, I can keep meeting with Kat at CPD to help me increase my chances of getting the job.

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When I get anxious, I remember that God is in control, and it will all work out. I like to tell myself that I’m smart, accomplished and have something of value to offer potential employers. Don’t give up, friends!

How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Break and Still Get Homework Done

By Courtney Roberts

Unfortunately, there’s only one week of classes between Thanksgiving break and the study days before finals. Often times, that last week of classes is the last push before finals, and many classes still have tests. I realized last week that I have two tests and a 5-page essay due during that week. How am I supposed to enjoy my Thanksgiving break and sufficiently prepare myself for these exams?

For my 5-page essay, I tried to pace myself through a 250-page book about Communist China for my world history class. I actually started this book the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so I blame myself for that one. It was a dense read, but I annotated and highlighted important lines as I went. By Friday night, I had an extensive outline typed. I may not have completely finished it, but it’ll be smooth sailing on Monday afternoon when I start putting the essay together for Tuesday.

As far as my other two tests, Italian and Organizational Behavior (a management class in the business school), I’ll just have to put together study guides and study groups on Monday. I’m not worried about it because those are later in the week, and the essay is my first priority. But for right now, I feel pretty accomplished!

As for enjoying my break, I definitely still got to spend some quality time with my family. I ran errands, shopped with my brother, cooked with my parents and decorated the Christmas tree. To me, Thanksgiving break feels like a teaser for Christmas break. But at this busy point in the semester, it was much needed!

Why Going Potluck is the Best

By Courtney Roberts

Right after I graduated high school, I remember worrying about what to do for housing. I was full of anticipation for what lay ahead of me as a college freshman, but I was worried that I would get a roommate that I wouldn’t get along with. I like to think I can make friends with almost anyone, but hey, you never know.

I was originally supposed to room with a girl from high school, but, in July, I found out she decided not to come to Baylor. I was without a roommate for about a week, and then I got a call from Baylor telling me the name of my new roommate: Kristen Click. Honestly, I spent the rest of the summer being sort of indifferent about it. When I thought about sharing a room with a total stranger, I shrugged it off and assumed it would end up for the best. Little did I know that it would end up better than I had hoped!

The best part of this story is that Kristen and I became best friends. I’ll admit that I was surprised that we took to each other as quickly as we did. On some levels, we were opposites, and on others, we were a lot alike. We made the same friends, went to an Antioch Community Church lifegroup together, stayed up late doing homework and did all kinds of shenanigans together.

One of my favorite memories from our freshmen year was the infamous Christmas party we hosted during finals. We’re proud of the fact that people still talk about this party. But, I guess if you invite 70 people to your dorm room, it would seem pretty ridiculous, too.

What I loved about getting a potluck roommate was that I didn’t just make a great friend; I met my best friend. And, it didn’t stop after our freshman year. We still spend a lot of time together, and we still have just as much fun as we did three years ago. I’m glad that we’ll be friends for the long haul, and that’s something people don’t expect from potluck roommates!

The Art of an All-Nighter

By Courtney Roberts

The fact that I know the “art” to pulling an all-nighter should tell you I’ve pulled way too many. I thought I learned from my irresponsible freshman ways, but here I am again, in my senior year, doing it again. Between classes, an internship, sleep, organization meetings and other homework assignments, there isn’t always time to study in advance. When you have three or more tests in one week, all-nighters (or at least partial ones) can be unavoidable.

Here are some basic rules I follow:

  1. Always nap in the afternoon. It sounds counterproductive, but you’ll need it! I usually try to sleep for an hour and a half, so I can stay up later that night.
  2. Get organized. Make a list of everything you need to do for that day, no matter how small. You’ll definitely feel more focused. Is there any time in your schedule to multitask?
  3. Get out of the house. The worst thing you can do (and I do this a lot) is get too cozy at home. I have the tendency to avoid studying, give up and go to bed. All-nighters take a special kind of commitment! I like to go to Moody Library in a relatively quiet, well-lit area where I can see other people studying.
  4. Take breaks. This is the best part of the night! I’ll admit that I usually get distracted by something and tend to take longer breaks than anticipated. Give yourself 10 minutes or so at the end of every hour to walk around, get refreshed and take your mind off your upcoming test.
  5. Give yourself rewards. I try to make goals for when I want to have certain parts of my studying done. For example, read chapter one by midnight, read chapter two by 1 a.m., etc. If I finish faster than I planned, I allow myself longer break times, or I tell myself I’m going to get my favorite coffee drink at Starbucks before my first class.
  6. Listen to music. It’ll help keep your brain alert and (hopefully) keep you from drifting off.
  7. Get some sleep. Reward yourself with a nice, long nap when it’s over! Some sleep is better than no sleep.

As a disclaimer, I will say that I don’t resort to all-nighters too often. It takes about a week for me to recover. It can also make you more prone to getting sick. I only advise using this method as a last resort! Good time management and planning will help you steer away from arduous all-nighters.

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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

By Courtney Roberts

The week before Homecoming is always one of the most stressful of the semester! Every year at this time, I always think to myself, “Could I be any busier?” There’s so much that goes on the week before homecoming that most people don’t see. I’ll use myself as an example.

At the beginning of the week, I was seriously stressed.  I had a major group presentation to give in one of my public relations classes on Thursday, so my group and I camped out in Moody Library until 1 a.m. Monday through Wednesday night. Believe me when I say, Homecoming week equals midterms galore. You can tell when the library is crowded by judging the line at Starbucks. It was practically out the door until midnight every night.

Once the presentation was over on Thursday, I relaxed by enjoying the beautiful weather on campus. It was finally sunny for the first time all week. My friend Anna and I are riding a tandem bike in the parade on Saturday for Student Foundation, so we test rode it around campus for an hour. We received several the puzzled looks and comments such as “Hey, cool bike!” The campus felt alive. People were setting up for the Friday night bonfire, and decorations were being hung around campus. Students were outside walking dogs, playing frisbee and running the Bear Trail. It was glorious.

To end my hectic week, I watched Pigskin (last year’s top eight acts from All-University Sing) with my Theta sisters, Lizzie and Tarah. All the acts were fun to watch, but I especially loved getting to see my friends who were nominated for homecoming queen walk onto the stage. To make things even better, my sorority’s president was crowned Baylor’s 2013 homecoming queen!

Shortly after Pigskin, I went to work at our float site, where I stayed until 3:30 a.m. Judging always takes place early Friday morning, so Thursday night is crunch time for everyone. Basically, every group with a competing float pulls an all-nighter to put on the finishing details. It’s a tradition of sorts, and it’s a blast! My sorority is creating a float with Phi Kappa Chi this year.  As a past float chair, the night before float judging is one of my favorite. We had some praise and worship time, plenty of dance breaks and bonded over decorating rolls of chicken wire. I slept for four hours last night, and the cycle begins all over again when I have to be on campus at 3:30 a.m., tandem bike in tow. This may be one of the craziest weeks of the year, but it is by far the best!

Sic ‘Em Homecoming week!