For many of you this is your first experience taking final exams in college. I want to give you three pieces of advice – things that I learned as a student over the past four years here at Georgetown.

1. Start now. If you studied well for exams throughout the past semester you will already have a leg up (remember this for next spring to those of you who didn’t). Commit yourself to studying 1-2 hours each night starting now. If you have particular classes you know will be more difficult, start with those first. Get yourself organized now on when your tests are and plan out chunks of time you can devote to studying. It is never too early.
2. Stay calm. Finals are not here to terrify you. It is understandable to accumulate slight anxiety over them, but do not let your fear of them affect your performance. It is like preparing for a big game. If you think too hard on it or psych yourself out before you even take the court, you probably won’t have the best game of your life. The same goes with the exam. Stay calm, breathe, and give it your best shot.
3. Have fun. Yes. It is possible to have fun during finals time. I remember specifically my first round of final exams here at Georgetown College was a blast – building gingerbread houses, driving around looking at Christmas lights, etc. Make time for the fun things. It will hurt you if you don’t allow yourself a break every once in a while. I am not saying do not take finals serious, I am just saying you need to learn how to give yourself a good break. Take advantage of Midnight Brunch (one of my favorite traditions here at GC) or visit Hong’s in the middle of the night to get some of the best donuts in town.

Remember – you have worked hard all semester. Do not let off the gas now. Push through finals with confidence, determination, and some fun. Good luck! You can do it!

Heather Norman is a 2011 graduate of Georgetown College. Currently, she is working as an assistant in the Academic Enhancement office here on campus.

One part of my ministry here on campus that gives me the most joy is hearing reports back from students who attend one of these trips who have some kind of huge spiritual or vocational breakthrough. That happens occasionally, but most of the students who attend one of these trips at least report learning something meaningful on the trip. This fact should not surprise us. Jesus once declared, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20b). We should not be surprised that when we spend time serving with the poor, the ones whom Jesus called blessed, that our eyes would be opened and that some of their blessedness would rub off on us. My hope is that you will seize the opportunity this Spring Break to take a step of faith, to go, to serve and to learn from folks in a different place where God is already at work.

Bryan Langlands serves as the Campus Minister. He leads the Campus Ministries Leadership Team, helps with various groups and initiatives around campus, and coordinates chapel services throughout the school year.

At Georgetown, we offer opportunities and experiences for you to step-up, do more and lead.  In order to get into this next level of involvement we have a program called Emerging Leaders.

Why should you consider Emerging Leaders?  Well, when you graduate from Georgetown you’re going to have an amazing education!  However, your future graduate school acceptance committees and future employers also want to see some tangible skills!  They want to know how you’ve lead other people, how you have initiated change, how you have supported others, and how you’ve worked on a team.  In the real-world, you’re going to be in charge of a work team, you’re going to plan events, you’re going to supervise individuals, and you’re going to be responsible for a group. Taking on a leadership position here at Georgetown will prepare you with real experiences that you can learn from, and gain those vital skills.

So what exactly is Emerging Leaders? This is a program developed to help students attain a variety of leadership positions on campus. These positions include:

• Orientation Leader
• Freshman Family Group Parent,
• Chapel Leadership Team Member
• President’s Ambassador
• Judicial Board Member
• Resident Advisor
• Peer Educator
• Directions Peer Leader
• Intramural Supervisor
• And more!

Now… this program does more than just connect you to these positions. Emerging Leaders offers workshops and sessions to prepare and develop you for this process. We will offer resume workshops and help you revise your resume before submission. Emerging Leaders will also offer workshops on interview skills and how to make you marketable.  This way regardless of the outcome, if you get a position or not, you will leave the program with necessary skills that you will need for the future!

The Emerging Leaders process occurs in the spring, during the month of February.  On February 9th, we will have a drop-in session in the Hall of Fame room for students to come in and ask questions about the different positions offered through Emerging Leaders.  Applications will go live that day, Feb. 9th online.  Workshops on resumes and interview skills will be scheduled throughout the month of February.

Keep your eyes and ears open in the spring for your time to step up into these great leadership opportunities!!  For more information about the positions offered through Emerging Leaders and more information about the process, visit our website here.

Feel free to contact me for more information. We’re looking forward to seeing the newest class of Georgetown leaders take their involvement to the next level!  Will you be one of the emerging leaders?

Jesse Hines is a 2009 graduate of Georgetown College. Currently, she serves as the Resident Director for East Campus and the Area Coordinator for Leadership Development.

• Reduce: The best treatment is prevention. By choosing to use fewer resources it means less to end up in the trash, down a stream or in the air. Whether its the number of napkins you use in the grille or the time you spend cleaning your belly button in the shower, there are many small ways to decrease your impact. Heck, just make sure you turn off your TV and lights when you leave your room!

• Recycling: We have paper, plastic and aluminum recycling bins in academic buildings and residence halls. Our awesome Building Services and Grounds staff collects the recycled materials and drop them off at the Georgetown Recycling Center. So what can you do? All that paper from class you don’t need put it in the bin. Done with your Pepsi from the CStore? Drop it in one of those huge bottle recycling bins!

• Composting: A group of dedicated students (part of the Campus Ministry Creation Care team) collect pre-cooked food waste from the Caf and take it to East Campus where we have compost bins. The idea is to take the waste from food that would go in a landfill and use it to create compost for gardening instead! If you’d like to help drive the truck that loads the food to East contact Bryan Langlands (plus you get to learn to drive stick).

• Community Garden and Orchard: During spring, summer and early fall the garden provides lots of produce that we’re able to take to the Amen House and local food pantry. In the next few years the orchard will expand and provide lots of fantastic fruit! Many classes and student groups help out at the garden throughout the year. Or just swing by on a nice day and enjoy the rocking chairs – it’s a great place to read or study if you like being outside! The garden was started in 2010 and is located on Jackson Street in between the McCandless House and the Business Building. If you’re interested in getting involved with the garden contact Dr. Homer White, or Bryan Langlands.

• Other ways to be sustainable as a college student:
  • Remember the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. Try to do it in that order.
  • Carpool, or if your destination is close by walk!
  • Take the GC sustainability pledge (Link provided soon)
  • Limit your shower to 5 minutes (a 10 minute hot shower can generate as much as 4 pounds of CO2)
  • Purchase Energy Star products
  • Shop (and donate) at places like Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore (It is a great way to furnish their rooms in a more sustainable way with low-cost furnishings.  It is also a great place to donate items that students don’t want to pack and take back home at the end of each year).

Helpful Sustainability Links:
Sustainability at Georgetown College
Blue Grass Pride – A non-profit dedicated to providing environmental resources and information.

If need help with deciding on what to major in, our Calling and Career Center can help. Simply visit here for more information. You can visit your academic advisor to help you think through career options. We also have some resources on our advising web-site that can show you a four-year plan for a specific major or the requirements for the Foundations and Core program – click here.

Finding a major is a common concern for new students. However, we don’t want you to get stressed about this. We have plenty of resources to help you SURVIVE! Don’t be nervous and take advantage of them! We want to help you be happy here at Georgetown College.

Dr. Gretchen Lohman is the Associate Dean of Academic Enhancement.

I encourage you to visit the Graves Center for Calling & Career but don’t wait until junior or senior year. This is an excellent resource on our campus that will help you discern your calling and career. Make sure to make an appointment with Ray Clere, Director, Holly James, Associate Director or Alice Ward, Graduate Intern.

I asked Ray Clere to share a little bit about himself and why the services at the Graves Center are so very important. Here are his thoughts:

Tell me a little about yourself?

“I just began my new job overseeing the Graves Center for Calling and Career at Georgetown.  Before coming to Georgetown, I directed the Career Services Office at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. I’m excited to be at Georgetown and I’m looking forward to the beginning of the fall semester and the arrival of the students.

A few interesting facts about me:

• I’m a dog lover.  I have a wonderful four-year old golden retriever named Huck.
• I’m from a big family. I’m the second-oldest of five boys.
• I grew up in Georgetown (Indiana), so this is a homecoming of sorts.
• I enjoy camping and hiking and most outdoor sports.  After finishing college I worked for the summer at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming/Montana. That was a great summer.
• I enjoy going to the movies and I also enjoy theater and live music. My all-time favorite band is U2 and I’m determined to see them in concert one day.”

Why do you enjoy working in career services?

“I’ve worked in career services now for almost eight years.  One of the things that I enjoy most about career services is that your work is also changing and evolving and every day is different.  I also enjoy assisting students with their career development.  It’s immensely rewarding when a student that you’ve worked with is successful in securing a job/internship or admission to a graduate program or an inspiring post-graduate program like Teach for America, Peace Corps or the Student Conservation Association.”

What advice would you give to a first-year students regarding career preparation?

“I would say that it’s important to begin considering career interests early in your college experience.  I recommend that they visit the Graves Center early and often and that they get involved on campus and in the community in leadership programs and service activities.  Every employer wants job applicants with good grades, but they’re looking for much more than a good academic record.  They want candidates who have internship and volunteer experience, and most employers really value community service.”

What services does the Center offer?

“We offer a wide range of services ranging from one-on-one career counseling to mock (practice) job interviews and information sessions and interviews with visiting employers.  We also provide career assessment tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Strong Interest Inventory and TypeFocus Careers which are designed to help students identify career interests and preferences, and develop a career action plan.  We maintain a large collection of print resources in the Graves Center resource library and we offer a web-based career library called “Career Insider” that you can access from the Graves Center website at any time.  We also post jobs and internships to the TigerNet system and we’re happy to meet with students to review resumes and other career documents.”

I also asked a recent alumna of Georgetown College to share a bit about her experience at the Graves Center for Calling and Career. Here is what she had to say:

“The Graves Center was very helpful in my search for an internship during my senior year. I only wish I had taken the opportunity to utilize their expertise earlier in my college career. Even though I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for in an internship, the Graves Center was able to take my interests and my educational background and help me see what my options were. The Graves Center knows what opportunities are available to students because of past internships they have helped arrange and the contacts they have maintained with students and companies. I currently have an internship at a company where numerous Georgetown graduates work. It has helped me realize how important intern experience is to gain a competitive edge against other job applicants. It also helps that most internships give class credit and some are even paid.”

Don’t forget to take some time to visit the Graves Center for Calling and Career and get to know what services and resources they have to offer!

Angela Taylor is the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life and Student Accountability.

So let’s take a look at a few important things to note about parking. First off, whenever you have questions you can consult the Campus Safety Website; it has information about parking, http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/safety/parking-permits/.

You can also get in touch with Ms. Melanie Lucas who works in campus safety. You can reach her at, 502-863-8110. So let’s address some common questions and mistakes regarding parking. First off you’re not required to buy a parking pass, however you will be ticketed if you park in designated areas without one. Did you know there are designated areas for first year students? There’s a map online for each area of campus, just check out the parking policies section of Campus Safety’s website. I’ve had a lot of conversations with students who are frustrated if they can’t find a spot specifically in Knight or Anderson, you need to keep in mind that while you bought a parking pass for campus, that pass doesn’t guarantee a specific spot.

Sometimes you’ll have to park further away, and if it’s late at night I highly encourage you to walk back to your residence hall with a friend or call campus safety for an escort. You can call the following number, 502.863.8111 for an escort at night or if you have a situation where you are injured or have a reason to be afraid. You may have to wait a few minutes but our safety officers are awesome and one of them will come to assist you! Another point to keep in mind when it comes to parking is recognizing which spots are public city owned space and which spots are owned by the college. If you park on a street on campus and you’re parked in an illegal space, maybe in front of a yellow line you’ll get a ticket from the city. If you park in a space illegally within a college owned parking lot you’ll get a ticket from the college. One key here is don’t ever park in front of a yellow line, you’ll save yourself the headache of a ticket!

Let’s say you get a parking ticket and feel you want to appeal the ticket? Here’s some information from the website about the appeal process: “Students who feel their car has been unfairly ticketed have the right to file an appeal with the Campus Safety Office within 5 business days. An appeals committee which is comprised of faculty, staff, and students meets monthly to review parking appeals.” If you have additional questions you can find more information about the process on the website listed above!

When did you decide that you wanted to study abroad?

I knew I wanted to study abroad before college — that was one of the selling factors of Georgetown for me.

What programs were you interested in?

At first, I was interested in the Oxford program, but as time progressed and I had my interview with the president of Regents Park, I knew Oxford wasn’t the study abroad experience for me. That lead me to look into programs in Greece and London.

What program did you select and what made you select that particular one?

Primarily, I chose a program in Thessaloniki, Greece. While I was away at camp for the summer, however, I found out that Greece wasn’t the safest place for me to go, considering the country’s bankruptcy. There had been lots of riots in the bigger cities, and tourists were advised not to travel there. So, about one month before I would depart for the fall semester, I switched to a program in London, England (at Kingston University). London was attractive for several reasons: not only is English the common language, but London is a beautiful city bustling with things to do. It is also a hub for literature and art — two things I am studying.

What is one thing you would share with other students who may be contemplating study abroad?

I would say, “Go for it.” There is nothing better than putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. You will grow in ways unimaginable, and hopefully be inspired by the beauty of the world and its people. No matter what culture you choose to immerse yourself in, you will find that the people of the world are essentially the same. It’s a beautiful experience! You might as well do it while you have the opportunity.

The study abroad opportunities that await you during your time here at Georgetown are truly endless.  Our office of International Programs, located in the McCandless House, helps to coordinate many student abroad programs as well as facilitate information from several international consortia that we belong to.  What’s a consortium, you ask? A consortium is a cooperative arrangement among several groups working toward the same goal.  The consortia we belong for study abroad purposes include the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS), College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS), Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA), and Consortium for Global Education (CGE).  You can find more information on each of these here.

Not only are we able to provide the opportunity for you to work with outside organizations to travel, but we offer many international study opportunities with faculty from Georgetown. Study abroad helps you to learn more about what you are capable of doing, and provides you valuable experiences for your life beyond Georgetown.  In many cases there is financial aid available, and with careful planning, your credits earned abroad can transfer back to Georgetown and count towards degree requirements.

So let’s be honest—this all sounds great.  But are you serious? Studying abroad by myself or even with a group—that’s’ a little overwhelming!  The Office of International Programs provides lots of support and information to help prepare you for your time abroad.

If you are considering studying abroad, the biggest thing to remember is plan ahead! Much of the process is timely and it’s important to get all the steps you need done ASAP! You should begin the application process as soon as possible but by no later than the academic year before the year you wish to study abroad.

There are five easy steps to study abroad:

1. Advising
2. Application
3. Pre-Departure
4. Program
5. Re-Entry

There is an upcoming workshop on Study Abroad Next week– Tuesday, October 18^th at 11:00am–Study Abroad 101: Covers the basics of the study abroad process and program opportunities available through GC, and helps inform you about scholarship options. (McCandless House)

Here you can find a calendar of all workshops being offered this year.  Want more information about Study Abroad?  Check out the helpful FAQ on their website or contact Jason Snider, Administrator Coordinator.

Faith N. Cracraft is the Associate Director of Academic Enhancement at Georgetown College.

Here is a link to that information:

http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/studentlife/student-accountability/code-of-conduct/

This Code of Conduct provides a framework that should guide your decision making. As a student, you should act responsibly because your choices impact yourself and can impact others. If you choose to make decisions that are “out of line” in regard to the Student Code of Conduct accountability measures may occur. So, you may be asking yourself, how does this whole accountability process work?

Let me take a minute to explain that. If your actions violate the Student Code of Conduct, you will be documented. Once that action is documented, a Student Life staff member determines what violation may have occurred. The procedures for hearings are listed on our College website at:

http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/studentlife/student-accountability/hearings/.

Also, don’t forget, you as a student have rights. Here are your rights:

http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/studentlife/student-accountability/rights-of-students/

Part of our accountability process involves your peers. You have probably already heard the words “Accountability Board.” This Board consists of faculty, staff, and students.  A minimum of three Board members is necessary to conduct a Board hearing. I asked a student on the Board to answer a few questions. Here are that student’s thoughts:

Why is the Student Code of Conduct at GC important to you? 

“The Code of Conduct is not just a list of rules and regulations everyone is supposed to follow. It is a guide of respect and makes the College a safer place. Without the Code of Conduct Georgetown would lack the sense of community so many of us have grown to appreciate.”

Why do you serve as a member of the Accountability Board?

“Without the Accountability Board there would be no consequences for someone not following the Code of Conduct. Knowing that there are consequences to everyone’s actions demonstrates equality throughout the college community. Serving as a member of the Accountability Board is my way of giving back to Georgetown College.”

What have you learned as a member of the Accountability Board?

“Serving on the Accountability Board has taught me that many decisions are not black and white. Sometimes going in front of the Accountability Board is just what someone needs in order to make a change. It does not always lead to consequences but instead can be a tool that leads to success. I have heard students say that after going to the Board they became better and more responsible students.

I hope you take some time to read over the accountability process. This process is designed to be educational rather than punitive. If this information is confusing or if you have questions, I hope you will stop by my office and ask. You can visit me on the 3^rd floor of the Student Center, right next to the Student Government Association & Georgetown Activities Council office.

Angela Taylor is the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Greek Life and Student Accountability.