Tag Archives: Emily Martin

La República Dominicana

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By Emily Martin

Over this past Christmas break I had the most amazing experience of my life… I was able to join my college group from my hometown (Round Rock) on an incredible mission trip with Makarios, a Christian organization in the Dominican Republic. While this trip was a great spiritual boost after a long and hard semester at Baylor, Missions2it also opened my eyes. Going into my fall semester of sophomore year, I had my mindset on going into health care administration after college. However, when I came back from this trip I suddenly realized that I had so many other options for my life after graduation.

I think this mission trip also re-opened my eyes to what the world has to offer. Growing up in Singapore allowed my family to visit many third-world countries, and to volunteer with many great organizations overseas. My family always went on “service” trips where we would bring medical and school supplies, or we would help to build houses or schools. I had never been on a “mission” trip before, but experiencing that in the DR was such an awesome experience! Seeing how different cultures worshiped the same God left me awestruck and in amazement of how great our God is! I always knew that other cultures had Christianity, but I had never really grasped the idea that they worshiped with some of the same songs that we do, or that their faith looked pretty much the same way mine did. Heck, they probably loved God even more than we do just because their lives lead them to lean on the Lord in ways we would never need to!

I tell you this to encourage you to go on a mission trip, or even just to travel or study abroad as much as you can while at Baylor. Seeing other countries and cultures can help you to better appreciate people that are different from you. It may even strengthen your faith to see how other cultures worship the same God as you!

I had my heart set on the only thing I really knew about; but after going out of the country it made me realize there are so many other options at Baylor that I hadn’t even considered before! If you know what you want to do with your life that’s awesome, go for it! But, if you are like me and are still unsure of what the future holds for you try to seek guidance from your advisors or even from older Baylor students. You should try and explore everything this amazing school has to offer and take advantage of trying out different courses to see what you like!

If you would like to know more about Baylor Missions check them out here!

Sic ’em missions!Missions1

Crunch Time

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By Emily Martin

As the semester comes to an end, everyone is frantically studying for finals in an attempt to pull up their grades. I don’t know about you, but that exhausts me and stresses me out to the max. When I stress, I get headaches, and when I get headaches, my brain is pretty much useless. To help myself cope with the stress of finals, I have come up with this fail-proof list of stress relievers. Feel free to use these tips in your own lives!

Tip #1: EXERCISE!

My favorite way to relieve stress during finals is to go to the discounted yoga classes at the Yoga Bar in downtown Waco. During dead week, they usually offer classes for Baylor students at a discounted rate, and your first class is completely free! Don’t have a yoga mat? No worries, they can provide you one! You don’t need to have yoga experience to attend these classes…but be warned, they are usually hot yoga classes, so the room heats up throughout the class. I didn’t think I would like hot yoga, but at the end, they always put a cold towel on your face. It is SO worth it! Another great thing to do is to check out the Bearobics finals schedule or just go for a run from time to time to get rid of some stress.

Tip #2: Don’t overdo your coffee intake!

Last year, I made the mistake of drinking too much coffee and not eating enough food. I got so caught up in my studying and trying to stay awake that I completely forgot to eat. I found out the hard way that too much caffeine and not enough food can lead to major migraines and an upset stomach. Try to limit your caffeine, and remember to drink as much water as possible. You can also try to substitute smoothies for coffee or even switch to decaf (I know…it’s hard to do, but it works!).

Tip #3: Take breaks!

If you can study for an hour or two and then take a short break, it will help you to be more focused! Make sure that you are being productive in your study time and not just passively going over material. When taking breaks, it is always good to exercise or grab food with friends! Another great idea is called the 50-10 Rule. The idea is to study for 50 minutes of every hour, and then take a 10 minute break to clear your mind. Just be sure that you are 100 percent focused during the 50 minutes of studying.

Tip #4: SLEEP!

This is probably the most important tip that I can give you. Getting a good night sleep before any test is always a good thing to try to do. While you are sleeping, information will move from your short-term memory to your long-term memory, making the information easier to remember. It also helps you to feel rested on the day of your test instead of being tired and falling asleep in the middle of it. Pulling an “all-nighter” may sound like a good idea at the time, but the next day you will definitely feel the repercussions of staying up all night.

Tip #5: Study in groups only if it helps you!

I know that sometimes I get roped into studying with a group of people even though I tend to do better studying on my own. If you know that studying with a group of people helps you to do well on tests, by all means go for it! However, if you are like me and you know that studying with other people distracts you, then my advice would be to limit your group studying time. Try to only study in groups when you have missing information in your notes or if you missed a class and need to get that information from someone else.

Tip #6: Make a study guide in advance!

Study guides are SUPER useful – if you make them in advance. Don’t wait until last minute. If you make your study guides a couple of days before your test, you will have more time to look over them and you can review instead of trying to learn all of the material the night before an exam. Doing this ahead of time will also allow you to know what you still don’t understand or what information you are missing. Then, you can ask your professor or class members for help.

Tip #7: Create a calendar!

It may sound silly, but having a detailed calendar of when your exams are can really help you to prioritize your time. You should also try to map out times to study for each exam and also times to take breaks. The idea should be to make sure you are 100 percent focused while studying, so that you can afford to take breaks periodically.

Tip #8: Quiz yourself!

Creating practice tests and quizzes can be a huge benefit to you. While making the test, you are forced to look over your material, and then you will also have a way to test yourself on the material! It also helps to quiz other classmates on the information. When they get one wrong, you can explain the answer to them (which will also help you to know the information).

Tip #9: Start early!

This one is a biggy. Don’t put off studying until the day/night before your exam. Not only will it be harder to learn all of the information in that short period of time, but it will also stress you out more than you would be if you had started studying earlier.

Tip #10: RELAX!

Now that you are prepped and ready to ace your exam, RELAX! Before your exam try to review your material, but then put it away and pop in some headphones. Listen to pump-up music (I usually jam to Taylor Swift…don’t judge me) and tune out your classmates while they frantically try to talk to each other before the test. Usually when people are talking before a test, it freaks me out and makes me think that I didn’t study enough. I have found that I am a lot more confident if I am listening to music before a test instead of talking with the people around me.

Fall Means Football In the South

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By Emily Martin

I have never been a huge fan of football. I lived overseas in Singapore for seven years, so the only “football” we had involving playing with a round ball and our feet. Attending Baylor has definitely changed my outlook on this popular American sport, and now it is one of my favorite things about this university.

My favorite football memory by far is my very first experience running the Baylor Line. I was in the very front of the Line, which seemed like a great idea at the time. However, as soon as the rope dropped and people started darting across the field, I was dragged down by a girl behind me and trampled until my roommate pulled me back up. It’s been a year, and I still have a scar from the turf burn. I love that scar because it reminds me of how much fun it was to run the Line. I never missed a chance to put on my Line Jersey and help to support my school.

This year is a little different now that I’m not running the Line, but it is still just as much fun to attend games! It is funny how you form such bonds with total strangers during a game. You’ll be high-fiving people you’ve never met before and bonding with your neighbor over a bad call made by the referees. Football definitely brings out a different side of people when the game intensifies!

Another aspect of football that I never really understood until I came to college is watch parties. I thought that football was boring, and I didn’t understand why people would want to waste four hours of their lives just to watch a game on TV. Now that I am a Baylor student, however, I absolutely love cheering on my team! My favorite watch party by far was for the OU game. All of the Waco Young Life leaders got together at my friend Sharon’s house and had a pancake watch party. Sharon’s husband, Ronnie, made us any kind of pancake we wanted (I had chocolate chip…SO GOOD!), and we all just hung out and cheered on the Bears! I think that is one of the best things about going to a Division 1 school – You have a team that you can actually watch on TV and cheer on even when they’re not playing at home. Of course, it helps when your school’s team is good, but it also gives you a reason to hang out and bond with the people you love.

Football never used to mean much to me, but now it is one of my favorite things about being a Baylor Bear. I have the privilege to go to an amazing school that has a wonderful Christian heritage, great academics, a beautiful campus, friendly students and an awesome football team! It’s hard to find a university with all five of those things, and Baylor definitely beats them all. Sic ‘Em Bears!

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Balancing a Part-Time Job and a College Schedule…It’s Possible!

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By Emily Martin

In high school, I always dreamed of having a job. I wanted to be able to make money for myself and not always have to rely on my parents. However, our family moved around a lot, and we were always traveling over the holidays. Because of this, a job wasn’t really an option.

When I went to orientation before my freshman year at Baylor, someone spoke to me about working on campus. I figured this would be a great way to make some extra spending money in college, so I looked at the available positions in the Student Life Center. I applied to work at the front desk and the Fitness Center. After a few weeks, I got a call back from the Fitness Center telling me that I was chosen for a phone interview. I was so excited! Someone called me about a week later, and then I was selected for a second phone interview. I couldn’t believe that I was actually interviewing for my first job. I had babysat all throughout middle and high school, but I had never had a “real” job before.

I ended up getting a job at the SLC Fitness Center and began working in August of my freshman year. I loved working at the SLC because it allowed me to meet more people, and it also allowed me to become close to my co-workers and boss.

At the end of my freshman year, I heard that the Baylor Visitors Center was looking to hire more campus representatives, so I immediately jumped on the opportunity to apply. The first interview was with a group, which intimidated me a lot. I knew that I would have to get over that intimidation if I was going to be giving tours of Baylor to large groups, so I toughened up and got through the interview. After a few days, I was called back for another interview. I felt awful about pursuing this new job while I still worked at the Fitness Center, but I knew that my heart was set on being a campus representative.

I decided to tell my boss at the Fitness Center about my interviews. I thought he would be furious with me, but instead he was extremely understanding and even offered to write me a letter of recommendation! He also prayed for me before I left his office.

Before I knew it, summer was over, and I began my sophomore year as a new employee at the Wiethorn Visitors Center. I absolutely LOVE my new job. I was sad to leave the Fitness Center, but I think I am better suited for my new job where I get to interact with my coworkers more often and get to help prospective Baylor students fall more in love with our school.

The moral of this story is to get involved on campus as soon as possible! Having an on-campus job is a wonderful way to meet new people and to get involved. There are so many wonderful opportunities for an on-campus job, so there is bound to be something perfect for you! Jobs range from library assistants to Starbucks baristas to Baylor Outdoor Adventure staff.

Having a job while also keeping up with school work and social activities is tough, but it is also extremely rewarding. I definitely recommend thinking about applying for an on-campus job!

A Healthy College Life is a Happy College Life

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By Emily Martin

Being sick is never any fun, but being sick in college is even worse. In general, college students have extremely hectic schedules. On top of being a full-time student, I am also involved in Waco Young Life (which includes two weekly Bible studies, intramural sports once a week and a College Life club on Sundays), I work at Baylor’s Visitors Center, I write for the Baylor Admissions Blog, I manage a small business called Calligraphy By Emily, which is currently helping me raise money for a mission trip I am going on in January, and I volunteer in the Pre-School Ministry at Highland Baptist Church. Life is pretty crazy for me, and I know that many other students have even crazier lives. When life is this busy, you are bound to wear yourself out, which eventually causes you to get sick. That’s exactly what happened to me last week. I overworked myself and ended up with migraines, a sore throat and an awful cold.

I promised myself that I wouldn’t let myself get to this point ever again, so I made a list of things I am going to do to prevent stress and sickness. Here are my five tips on how to stay healthy in college:

#1 – Find time to work out!

I am usually a pretty active person. I love running, yoga, hiking and pretty much anything that gets me moving and active. However, with a schedule that is this busy, my workouts are typically the first thing I cut. In an attempt to better my health, I have tried to schedule specific days and times of the week to work out in some way. Whether this means going to a Bearobics class at the SLC (Student Life Center) or running the Bear Trail, I am going to make sure that I work out at least five days a week. You can do the same! Find something you love to do that keeps you active! It will help you to stay healthy, AND it will relieve stress!

#2 – Maintain a balanced diet!

This is a great way to ensure that you are staying healthy in college. It is so easy to pick up some Chick-fil-A on campus (something I am frequently guilty of doing…) or to grab five of Ms. Mei’s cookies at Memorial Dining Hall (Also guilty…). If you start thinking more about eating healthier foods, then you will be less likely to become sick. You can do this by incorporating more fruits and veggies into your diet. The next time you make a trip to the grocery store, try to substitute some of your junk food purchases with apples or carrots. Something that I have tried this year is buying miniature bags of carrots. These are so convenient because you can grab one and walk right out the door. It’s not messy, and it’s healthy! You can also try to drink more water and less caffeinated drinks, such as sodas and coffee. I drink two to three cups of coffee a day, so I could definitely replace one of those with a glass of water. Decreasing your caffeine intake will also help you to sleep better at night!

#3 – Sleep sleep sleep!

I am pretty good about doing this one, but I figured I would keep it on my list so that I remember to keep doing it. Everyone makes fun of me, but I usually go to bed around 9:30 or 10 p.m. every night. Sometimes I have a lot of studying to do so I stay up later, but normally I try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Everyone’s body needs different amounts of sleep, so try to listen to your body and give it the rest it needs for you to stay healthy. Sleeping enough at night also helps you to remember all of the information you learned that day, so when you have a big test make sure to get enough sleep the night before!

#4 – Find time to de-stress!

Yoga is something I have found helps me tremendously when I am stressed about school or life, so I am trying to go at least two times a week. I can be stressing about a million things, but if I go to a yoga class, I am completely calmed and ready to take on the world afterward. I know that this might not be the answer to everyone’s problems, so find your own “happy place” to go to when you feel the weight of being a college student bearing down on your shoulders. You could also try taking a short nap, going for a run or going to a Zumba class at the SLC – anything that will get your mind off of your problems and will allow you to refresh and calm down. Staying healthy usually starts with living a stress-free life!

#5 – Give it all to God!

I start off every single day by spending 45 minutes to an hour with God. During this time I read my Bible and then reflect on what I read. Then, I talk with God about all that I have to do that day and ask Him to guide me through all of it and help me to stay focused on Him. It comforts me to know that in reality, all of our “big problems” are usually really small in the long run. Anything is possible through the Lord, and we just have to be willing to give all of our problems to Him. By doing this, you will be less stressed, healthier and happier!

I know that these tips won’t always prevent you from getting sick, but hopefully by making a few adjustments in your daily routines and habits, you will be able to live a healthier life!

 

Let God Take the Wheel

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By Emily Martin

Sometimes, we don’t get what we asked for in life, which can really suck. But I have learned something really important since becoming a student at this great university: God’s plan for your life is so much greater than your own. Yes, I know that this is not new to many of you. However, lately I have been seeing more and more of how true this statement really is.

I came to Baylor thinking that I was going to fit right in and automatically have a ton of friends. In high school, I was never the most popular girl, but I did have a good amount of people that I could always count on to do things with. All of my best friends decided to go to UT Austin and A&M, so coming to Baylor was a courageous move on my part. I didn’t know a soul at Baylor. Even my roommate was a girl that I had only met a few times.

Because I didn’t know anyone yet, the first few weeks of my freshman year were rough. The only friend I had was my roommate, and we felt excluded and invisible to the rest of the freshman class who seemed to have college life figured out.

Eventually things got easier, and I started making more and more friends. But then Rush week came along. I decided to go along with all of the other girls living in Collins and go through Rush week. I honestly thought that I would easily get into the sorority I wanted, and I didn’t prepare myself for if I didn’t. Because of this, Bid Day was a train wreck for me. I remember thinking to myself, “God, why in the world would you do this to a girl like me? Am I not good enough to be a part of what all my friends seem to easily fit into?”

Looking back at these thoughts now, I know that I was being completely ridiculous. Of course God didn’t think that I wasn’t good enough! He just had something better planned for me that I was too blind to see at the time. Sororities are great and that is how God chooses to use some girls, but He has a different plan for some of us.

I didn’t know it at the time, but God was calling me to be a Young Life leader. Young Life is a Christian organization that is dedicated to bringing the Good News of the Gospel to high school students. I had been involved in Young Life for all four years of high school, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I worked at a weekend YL camp right after Rush Week. It was then that I realized God was calling me to put all of my spare time and energy into ministering high school students.

Immediately, I called Sharon, a woman who helps out with Waco Young Life, and we started hanging out. Sharon is probably the coolest and most loving human being on planet earth. When I told her my story and about how I felt God calling me to come back to Young Life, she instantly invited me to go with Waco YL to Colorado that summer.

Long story short, I went to Wilderness Ranch in Colorado last summer and had the time of my life. I am currently in the process of training to become a leader here in Waco, and I am loving every minute of it. The people are so inviting and caring – I genuinely feel at home every time I am with all of them.

My point of telling everyone this story is not to turn girls away from Greek Life or to convince people to join Young Life. My hope is that students know how important it is to follow the path that God has paved for you. I tried to go off and do my own thing, and it did not turn out well for me. There are so many incredible organizations to be a part of here at Baylor, so there is bound to be one that you will fit perfectly into. Don’t limit yourself to doing what everyone else is doing. Whatever God calls you to do in college may not be the coolest or the most glamorous thing in the world, but it will definitely make you a lot happier than just following your friends. Pray about what God wants to use you for during your years here at Baylor, and then get out there and do it.

Shamelessly Addicted to Coffee

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By Emily Martin

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Coffee has gotten me through a lot of rough days during my Baylor career, so I guess it’s a good thing that there are about a million coffee shops in Waco. This past weekend my best friend (and her adorable puppy named Dixie) from Texas A&M came to visit me, so obviously we had to try (literally) every coffee house in Waco.

Disclaimer: DON’T DO THIS ALL IN ONE WEEKEND. Seriously. We were so jittery and my heart was beating so fast that I thought I was going to die. Space out your coffee shop visits. Maybe just do one per weekend? Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

First, we went to Common Grounds. CG is my all-time favorite place to study in Waco because they have great drinks and the atmosphere is different from any other coffee shop I have ever been to. Also, the people who work there are extremely inviting and kind. They even know my order, which is a plus for me!

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The second place we went was the Olive Branch (located underneath Spice Village). This is my favorite place to go to for breakfast. They have amazing pancakes and even better coffee. Their 254 roast is to die for! Hannah and I ended up each buying a pound of it so that we could have it at home. So on top of already being hyped up on Common Grounds and Olive Branch coffee, my car even smelled like a coffee shop because we left out bags of coffee in it.

We decided to take a little break from our Coffee Excursion and headed over to Junque in the Trunk, a little antique store on La Salle that is only open Friday to Sunday. Of course when we walked in we were offered free Dr Peppers (who can resist that??), so we gladly took them and poured even more caffeine into our bodies. I had never been to Junque in the Trunk, but it was definitely worth the visit! We also visited Magnolia Market, the shop that Joanna Gaines (from HGTV’s “Fixer Upper”) owns. Her shop is worth a visit! I love the show Fixer Upper because the couple met at Baylor and are doing some pretty amazing things to the homes of Waco.

Back on the Coffee Tour, we headed over to Outdoor Waco to test out their coffees. I was surprised at how good it was! I didn’t know how it would be since it was made in a bike shop, but I ended up really enjoying it! Plus, while you’re there you can walk around and check out their shop.

Our coffee day came to an end at Dichotomy, a small coffee shop in downtown Waco. Their coffee was a little pricy, but it was tasty! Hannah and I both got iced mochas, which I would definitely recommend. I would also recommend going upstairs to sit and enjoy your coffee. They have a balcony that is really pretty.

We may have missed a couple of places, but I honestly don’t think that either of us could handle another ounce of caffeine that weekend. On the positive side, however, Hannah now wants to transfer to Baylor because she loves Waco so much…mission accomplished.

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