Rivendell Is Not Just For The Elves

     If I didn't make myself very clear in the last post or failed to divulge some minor details, yes, I did apply to Rivendell and I was accepted....!!!! It's been really tough to get all of it sorted out in a few short weeks, but my family and I are coping fairly well. Yes, it's a lot of work; it'll be worth it.
     As of tomorrow, I will be leaving my home in two short weeks. Nervous? Yeah. Just a little. I've been on my own before. I mean if summer camp and Summit Ministries count, but I've never left with the majority of my belongings and go live somewhere else. I'll do fine, I know that; it's just so different. I've never not lived in my home with my parents and sisters. It's kind of a scary thought.

    However, Rivendell has given me many things to look forward to. I did end up visiting the campus after I was accepted. It's very small and is shared with Bethany College. They have one dorm building for the men, and the women have an apartment complex of sorts. It's kind of hard to explain. All I can say is the space I will have at Rivendell will be much more so than at SDSU. I don't have to "go in" and "back out" of my room! Haha!
    During my visit, I was able to sneak in on a Physics class for an hour. Man! That hour flew by so fast! It was actually very fun. They had a discussion group for half the time that I was there, discussing the four main forces of the universe in terms of "how they are the vehicles of the physical order." It developed pretty quickly. I wanted to interject so badly. But it was also fun just to watch them go back and forth with thoughts and ideas.
    I also had the pleasure of meeting the Norments, the founders of Rivendell. They are an adorable older couple who are clearly from the south. I found out that they actually have an apartment in the same building as us girls. Charity, a girl I met at Rivendell, says that whenever she was feeling down or having a tough time she would always knock on their door where she would be greeted by Mrs. Norment. She said they usually talk over tea and cookies. Sweet! They are very personable people- not just the Norments but the entire campus! I actually ended up meeting over half of campus, so I can say these things with confidence.
    Overall my experience there was incredible and I cannot wait to go! Now I just have to get my nerves to feel the same way. Jesus take the wheel! :)

Me? Have Control? HA! Not Anymore!

     Have you ever thought you had your life figured out?  You knew exactly what you were going to do and how you were going to do it. Yeah,  I was on the same boat.  Was. A few months ago I had chosen to attend SDSU. I had new student orientation date planned, and I had met my roommate over email. She and I were planning what to bring for our room. We were having a great time. I was pretty excited for everything that was about to unfold.

    And then...
    I go to Summit Ministries in Manitou, Colorado, and my Whole. World. Changed.

    My two week experience at Summit was far beyond my expectations. Before, I was biting my nails and dreading the idea of being somewhere in the mountains doing nothing but classroom time.  After, I could not get enough wisdom from all of the knowledge those speakers had to share, and I did not want to leave. We went over things like homosexuality and heard from a man who had actually been a homosexual, had realized his mistake and came to the Lord. He's know married to a wonderful woman and has a couple kids! It was awesome! I cried. There was also a man who had once been a Muslim and also came to know Christ. They were both full of so much knowledge on their topics because they had lived those same topics! They gave us wisdom on how to address people with those beliefs. Summit was an eye opening experience. I can't wait to take all of this information with me out into the real world.
     I would love to go on and on and on about Summit and everything I learned, but that's not what my title is addressing, so I better get off the rabbit trail and back on to the topic at hand. ANYWAY...close to the end of Summit this average looking guy named AJ comes on to the platform to speak, and he is excited! He has so much energy! Well maybe it seemed that way since most of the students were exhausted. No, he actually just had an overload of enthusiasm. So he walks up and starts talking about the importance of learning not just to get the grade, but to LEARN it! Ok this guy is speaking my language, and he's starting to remind me of my mom. :) He's saying that we shouldn't just know about the "here and now", but also the story behind it. Why is it the way it is? Who influenced the path it took? Then he drops the bomb. There's a school that teaches exactly that, and it's name is Rivendell Sanctuary.
     I was completely entranced. My eyes were fixed on AJ as he told us all about this wonderful school.  My mind was racing. I was telling myself, "This is EXACTLY what you have been looking for!!" But my mind was also saying, "Too bad it's too late. You're already going to SDSU. Plus it's almost June; there's no way you could get in this fall." Try to picture the mental battle I was going through. It was brutal. I really wanted to at least say that Rivendell was an option for me, but I felt as if I had already lost. As I walked out of class both excited and depressed by the news, something told me to go to AJ, to his stand, and talk to him...even if it seemed I wasn't going to have a chance. I almost ignored that voice because the logic didn't match with my own. "It's a ridiculous idea. You're not even smart enough to handle a school with that much drive and determination. You've already got a school; just stick with it and save yourself the work." 
    I was torn. But the voice that seemed illogical won over me. I went to the stand and talked to AJ. It was amazing!! He had so much to say, and the more he talked about Rivendell the more I knew I must go to this school. He was so friendly and inviting. He did his job really well. I was sold. I knew it seemed crazy and my chances were slim; but I saw a window of opportunity that I just couldn't pass up.  On impulse, I gave him my phone number and email, and he gave me the promise that he, personally, would call me within the week. My head was spinning. What was I doing? This was insane! I wanted to change my school. In June. Without visiting Rivendell. Without researching Rivendell. And with no knowledge of where it was even located. I was willing to go across the country to attend this school. That's how badly I wanted it. This goes against everything that I have strongly believed when it comes to finding a school. I prefer order and knowing where my next destination is. I like control. All of a sudden I was giving it all up. That is not normal for me. Something was different. I could tell I was definitely being led by God. There's no other explanation that makes sense. I would never even think along the lines that I did that day. It was a strange feeling filled with excitement and curiosity. God truly works in a mysterious and wonderful way.

College Visits Pt. 2

     My last post was more cold, hard facts. Part two of the subject at hand is more of my personal experience and advice.  I've had many different experiences with each college visit, some of which I hope you will never have to endure.  Which is why I am writing on this today.
     "Rule number one: is that you gotta have fun"(to quote Marina and the Diamonds). If you're overly stressed out, all you'll remember a week later is how aggravated the college made you feel, when in fact, you were just tense from too much stress. This is why I mentioned in my last post the importance of visiting a college more than once. You need to make sure that your feelings toward the campus are accurate.  "Keep calm and carry on" as my British brothers would say.
     In some cases, like mine, you may have the opposite results. For example: I went to SDSU the first time and loved it! I was determined that SDSU was the school for me...and then I visited other colleges and became undecided. But that's beside the point. I went back to SDSU for a second visit, and felt quite differently. My mother and I had decided that instead of spending the night in Brookings, South Dakota, we would go to my grandma's place. Don't get me wrong, my grandma is the best grandma a girl could ask for, it just became a very long day to get up early, drive to the college, and move directly into the tour/visit. This was a three to four hour event that was loaded with information! Another reason why I recommend two visits - you'll never retain all of that information in one day. Never. Unless you're some kid-genius with an idyllic memory (which I am not), visit twice.
      Rule number two: Go on the tour with the parent that you get along with the most. I went with my mother, and she's great, but she can sometimes drive me nuts! She writes down everything and she actually embarrassed me several times (which is hard to do to me).  When our tour guide would open a door to see inside a standard classroom, I would peek in and catch a good glimpse. Apparently, this wasn't good enough for my mother. She gave me that strict eye and tight-lip look and whispered aggressively, "Get over here and look in the room!" I'll defend her and say she was just trying to make sure that I knew what I was getting into, but she just didn't understand that from the distance and angle that I was, I could see the room perfectly. Yeah, it's big. I understood that. I could fit my entire high school student body in there 20 times.
     Towards the end of the visit, my mom strayed to the gift shop - this is bad. I'm already exhausted, strung out, stressed out, burned out, tuckered out..well you get the idea. I'm done with smiling and listening to people, and talking to people. I'm just done. I'm ready to leave and she goes in the gift shop...why?  It's not for souvenirs, but for textbooks. She's not buying them. No, that would be too purposeful. She just wants me to look at them to get me familiar with a college-style textbook.  She pointed out where the table of contents was. It's at the beginning! *Gasp* And there's a glossary with quick definitions and such in the back of the book! For a while I was humoring her, and pretending I wasn't already aware of this "mind-blowing discovery".  But then I snapped, she finally got the picture, and 15 minutes later, we left the store. It was a horrible day- informative, but horrible.
     I've learned to not base my decision on my experiences with the visits, because they may not always go so well. Many things should contribute to your final choice including: majors offered, atmosphere of the town, professor/staff availability, scholarship opportunities, I mean the list goes on and on. Choose what you find to be most crucial in finding a college and go with that. I can't help you, your guidance counselor can't help you, and not even your parents can help you. This is all your decision, so make it count!

College Visits Pt. 1

     Hey there! Whoa! It's been awhile.  Life's been crazy - that happens when you're a soon-to-be-graduating senior. *giant smile* Actually, yesterday I was home, then in North Dakota, and then home again, all in one day.  It's exhausting, but it's kind of fun. Why was I in ND? I was visiting NDSU for the second time.
    For those of you that don't know, I've been visiting colleges since last summer trying to figure out which one I want to attend, not the easiest feat in the world.  The colleges I have seen and toured were University of Minnesota, Duluth; South Dakota State University; and of course, North Dakota State University.  Last summer, I saw them all within a month of each other. First SDSU: loved it! Perfect small town, nice people, and SDSU makes it's own ice cream! Bonus! Only downer is they have one coffee shop outside of the campus, and it makes me cry because it's not coffee - it's a fake, and it's icky. I suppose I can't blame them. They're in a strip mall and they're neighbors with GameStop. Gamers wouldn't know good coffee unless it came in their care package along with a total resupply, an AC-130, a Sentry Gun, and an EMP.  Even then, chances are slim. Anyway! Past the coffee drama, I love the town, as I mentioned before, it's so country. I always say, "It's like my town, only nicer, cleaner and better."

     I like SDSU right now, mainly because of my recent discovery that they are one of the few colleges that offer cadaver labs in undergrad! I was very excited to hear that. And the biology major chic giving us the tour, was excited to tell me. If you don't really understand why this is a big deal, that's okay. I'll just say that having cadaver labs in undergrad is a major benefit for people who are interested in anything that has to do with biology. It's a major advantage for them as they prepare for graduate school. Excited yet?! I am! :) Go Jacks!
    Now, NDSU, I just got back from visiting for the second time. I think it's a really good idea to visit a second time. This way, you're already familiar with the basics of the school and can focus more on the specifics of it, which is important as you come closer to your final decision making. NDSU does not offer cadaver labs at all. :( But I do still like the town a lot, and I met with a lot of interesting people. They actually have good coffee in the area. Go Dunn Brothers!!  And their dorms are significantly better and much more spacious than SDSU's.  I can actually walk around in those instead of go in and back out. haha  And one last thing that's not as important: The NDSU Bison are a little more fierce than the SDSU Jackrabbits. :)
    Oh! I forgot to mention UMD...unless you like crappy, confusing roads all at an 80% incline, I advise you don't go. Don't get me wrong, the tourist part of Duluth is beautiful, campus not so much. The campus gives the appearance that it is the next big thing in summer camps. But they do have a lot of underground tunnels for the frigid winters. Win!
     College visitations definitely have their place in finding the right college. I have no idea how I'm going to chose between NDSU and SDSU. I've been told to go to the place in which you feel the most comfortable. If that's the case, it's a dead tie. There's different things I prefer from both colleges. E.g. I prefer the interstate to NDSU over the hilly, winding and potentially dangerous roads to SDSU.
    Wish me luck. I've got a couple more weeks to make my decision.

Spring Break!! AKA End of Senior Year, Coming in HOT!

      Spring break has come and gone already!! Sure, the one week I wouldn't mind if time went by very slowly. That's just how life goes. I can't do anything about it, so I might as well stop complaining. My spring break was so great and much needed. I got a lot accomplished, but at the same time, I got absolutely nothing done. What I mean by that is I can check off many things that I've been meaning to do but couldn't because my scholar duties got in the way.  For example: I repaired/replaced a few broken items, cleaned quite a bit, got that awful closet cleaned out (sort of), I picked up that book that's been sitting on my nightstand for weeks, and...(this is my favorite part) I finally found the time to watch Les Miserables!!! "Life has killed the dream I dreamed."
    However, referring back to the "I got absolutely nothing done" part of the paragraph- I was planning to get a lot of graduation stuff in order....yeah...that didn't happen. Hey! I started. By that I mean I bought the scrapbooks and supplies for said things. My brain keeps telling me that I have plenty of time. I've got nothing but time. I've got time to kill. On the contrary, my logic is telling me that I have no time whatsoever!! Time is the one thing I should wish I had more of. If I had a gallon of milk where the milk represented how much time I had, the gallon jug would be empty!! But to calm a few nerves I've made a list of things that need to be done...it keeps getting longer...I don't like it when the list gets longer.  It's not calming me down.
     Most of the panic's origin is coming from the picture finding and organizing and artistic abilities that should be included but I don't have. I've also been hunting for pictures, but I think our computer ate them all. I know we had more photo files, but the trick is recovering them - digging them up, if you will. I have delved into the very wiry, confusing void that is the stomach of our computer, and what do I have to show for it? I've got about 20 photos. Woo.  I'm kind of freaking out right about now. Excuse me while I douse myself in hysterics. AHHHHH!!!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!?!  Brooke, calm down.  It's just pictures. It's not the determining factor to your party's success. *Deep breath*
     So that about sums up the stressors of a senior in high school. See no big deal. The end is closing in fast. I can almost taste it.  My one suggestion to future seniors, don't wait on the planning.  Two months or so may seem like a long time, but it's not. Especially when you're including your normal, daily routines like school! or work, or homework, or the occasional get-together with friends. Organize your time. Do it quickly. Do it right. No pressure. :)

Three Preps For College

     If you're wondering what needs to be done to properly prepare yourself for college...you're worrying too much.  However, you sound just like me, so to calm any neurotic tremors that you may have, I'll give you some ideas.
1) READ!!
     I cannot stress this enough.  You're going to be doing a LOT of reading in college.  You can't be spending all of your studying hours reading the text. You need to study it. Hey, there's a difference. Read a physics textbook and see how much you retain the first time through. :)

     I suggest challenging yourself, and the best way I have found to do that is to start with the hardest - Shakespeare. Back in my sophomore year, we were given the assignment to read a play and write a synopsis. I chose Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. It actually wasn't as bad as it sounds.  Sure I really only understood the gist of the story, but man, I now feel like I can read anything and understand it. Once you've overcome the monstrosity that is Shakespearian plays, read the good ole classics.  Now this does not mean the Twilight series....no. I mean classics from authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky, Thomas Harding, Jane Austen, or H.G. Wells.  I will warn you some classics start out really dry, but their endings are usually far different from anything you've read from the 21st century. For example, Thomas Harding's book Jude the Obscure, was a bit bizarre. It's about a man named Jude Fawley who wants desperately to attend the University of Christminister, but is distracted by his mandatory marriage to a woman who lied about being impregnated with his child (she sounds like a winner). Anyway it all goes up in flames, she leaves him, he goes to the town of the university and falls in love with his cousin. To quote the summary on the back of the book, "Sue [his cousin] leaves her husband to live with Jude and eventually bears his children out of wedlock. Their poverty and weight of society's disapproval begin to take their toll on the couple, forcing them into a shattering downward spiral that ends in one of the most shocking scenes in all of literature." And oh my goodness were they ever right when they said that! I was shocked. That book along with Fyodor D's book Crime and Punishment, and Jane Austen's book Pride and Prejudice, were my favorite classics that I've read thus far.
2) Get as many tough classes as you can in high school
     This will benefit you more in the long run than in your high school years. Yeah, it's a pain in the behind, but once you get to college you'll be thankful you did them. Also take the more difficult classes that are aimed more towards your major interest. For example, I knew I was going to do something with math and/or science, so I've taken Biology three times now.  Do you think it's safe to assume it's my favorite class? As far as mathematics goes, my school is quite small and doesn't offer many advanced classes, but I did end up taking Stats. Trig. and Pre-Calc. All quite enjoyable. :)
     Taking difficult classes is also a HUGE college application booster.  If you're a terrible test taker (especially when it comes to ACT) this will support your case a lot. Just make sure you keep that GPA up.
3) Relax! For crying out loud! 

     I may be making a big deal about all of this, but that's because I'm so enthused about college!! I just want everyone to desire it as much as I do - though I see that as a bit of a stretch. I know, college should not be your main goal in life. You should do and go wherever God leads you.  His plan is the determining factor. Not yours, and certainly not mine. So don't stress over this milestone of your existence here on Earth. In the big scheme of things, the only thing that really matters is that you tried your best, and you did it for God's glory. 

Taking the Dreaded ACT

      This was probably one of the more painful experiences of my life.  You think taking your driver's test is bad. Yeah, that's only about fifteen minutes of pure intensity and fried nerves tops. Try taking a test in a classroom with a bunch of people you don't know for four hours. Oh, and this test is a key factor into whether or not you get into college.  No big-ee
     I was fortunate enough to take the ACT twice! How lucky was I? Not just one awful experience but two! Let me tell you how it went: First time - I prepared half-heartedly. (first mistake) I had a book to use that supposedly helped you prepare. It gave me the impression that if dropped on my toe, my toe would snap in half. It was big, and quite intimidating. Quite. So I rarely opened it; making all of my studying hours that I did commit, for not.
    When it was finally time to take the test, I was a nervous wreck.  I knew I wasn't prepared nearly enough. Plus it was almost 5:30 in the morning when I woke up. I can barely function at that hour the way it is.  I strongly believe that no human should be doing anything but sleeping at that hour. ANYWAY! I went to take the test all by myself, entered the strange territory of the high school students, and sat down to my previously assigned seat. This seat was directly adjacent to an obnoxious student, and upon overhearing a conversation he was having, he was also not the brightest. To quote him, "How many times have you tooken the test?" Tooken? Really? And you claim to be a high school student? Sad.
     As I took the test I was very tense. The minutes whizzed by me. Soon I was starting the next test, Mathematics. After that test what normally happens is the students are given a 20 minute break. You know, because their brains are running out of steam. No, we get about 6 at most. Apparently the test giver had more important things to do that day. For future reference, speak up if this happens. You'll want a chance to eat something. If you don't, you end up like me, shaking at the end of your science test because your blood sugar is so low and your brain is running on vapors. Not a good time was had. I vowed that day to never take the test again.

     A few months later I was at it again. Ha. Ha. You knew this would happen. Anyway, I was much more prepared this time. I had studied on a fairly regular basis through the summer and into my first quarter of my senior year. I didn't use the same curriculum as last time however. Instead, I used books by Kaplan. They were much smaller in size and each book targeted a different test. This helped me so much more. It also helped that I actually opened these books. :) Key here: take notes on the book and highlight whatever is important to you. Then reread your notes and take the practice tests. See where you struggle, fix it, and take them again. It works!
     So I'm in my seat, the same test giving guy (what are the chances) begins to read the rules of the test. "Do not turn ahead. Do not go back to fix your answers on previous tests." Yeah, we all know the drill.  I had prepared myself for this man. I was ready for anything that he could throw my way. I brought a drink so powerful it should be illegal. Naked. This was full of carbs and protein. Not wanting anyone to see I disguised it in a water bottle. I highly recommend doing this. Because of the quick sugars and carbs I was able to focus through the whole thing. This time I didn't create my own little earthquake with my shakes. I was much happier with this test. And hey, it paid off. I bumped up my score. Lemme hear a round of applause. :)