Words of Warriors

“This isn’t how I expected my last semester at Westmont to go,” I reflected, as my papers swirled away from me in the wind and the tent poles above me creaked ominously. I briefly weighed whether or not this tent would blow down a second time; it collapsed during Christmas break, which was why I was sitting in the gym parking lot and not on Winter lawn. “I’d give it a 30 percent chance,” I decided.

College is the best four years of your life...right?

Coming into my first year, I remember arriving full of a giddy delight in all things college: new friends, a new city, and a long-awaited new sense of independence and adventure. I was really going to have the best four years of my life. And I still believe these four years are wonderful and important: a sweet season of life.

But even at a place like Westmont, life can still be hard. Maybe this year you have been overwhelmed with classes, never having had to put in effort for an A (or even a C) before.

Feeling down that you have to cancel big holiday plans? Don’t worry, because we have your ultimate holiday-at-home bucket list! 

When you first get to Westmont, there are lots of people to meet and plenty of small talk to be had. You know the drill: “Oh, hi! What’s your name? Where are you from? What’s your major?” If you’re a first-year student (or just live under a rock), you were probably caught off guard the first time you heard this one: “What’s your Enneagram number?” For those of you still perplexed, here is a quick Enneagram 101 lesson.

Is this semester your first time having a roommate? Or did you forget how to live with people after being alone so long in quarantine? If so, here are 10 rules to step up your roommate game!

Deciding to go to a Christian liberal arts college definitely had some perks. I knew I would be learning from professors who loved God. I would be uniting my mind and spirit. I would have to (sorry, get to) attend chapel three times a week with my friends and classmates. One of the first things that crossed my mind, though, when I committed to Westmont was, “Wow, there will be a lot of godly guys!” I was excited by the prospect of meeting great Christian guys —maybe even my future husband.