12 Ways UBC Wants to Enrich Your Life

Being a college student can mean lots of things, but at UBC we want it to mean that you are loved and accepted and challenged to grow in your faith… and that we show that in very practical ways like…

1. Free food! It’s true: free food tastes better. And we want to feed you every chance we get. Your food is provided for you on campus? You do your own grocery shopping? We don’t care… we know it’s nice to have home-cooked food, so we do our best to make your tummy full and happy whenever we can.  Sometimes we do this through…
2. Adopted families. Some days you miss your family. Some days they make you crazy. Either way, we want to give you a home-away-from-home by letting a UBC family “adopt” you. Some families like to take you out to eat. Some like to have you over to their house. Some welcome your laundry. Some have kids or pets you can play with. Some like to watch you compete or perform. But every family is great… and could be greater with you as the newest member of the family.

12 Tips for New Freshman

1. It’s exciting to leave for college, but it can also be scary and lonely sometimes. If you’re going to a campus where you know no one, it can seem like you’re the only stranger around. Remember that everyone else is making new friends too; you’re not the lone outsider. Remember that old song “make new friends and keep the old; one is silver and the other gold”? It’s true.
2. Get some sleep. Maybe you’re a morning person. Maybe a night owl. Maybe naps in the middle of the day work great for you. Any of these is fine, as long as you know your body and care for it. If you have an early class, staying up until 2 or 3 am may not be so smart. Bedtimes are not just for babies. Respect your schedule and your body.
3. Reinvent yourself. Don’t like who you were in high school? This is your big chance to be your new self. Be careful to be true to who you really are though, so you don’t betray or exhaust yourself trying to be someone you’re just not.

12 Ways You CAN Cook for Yourself

So it’s time to move off-campus, and you don’t know what to eat? College students have survived for generations on cheap, quick, easy menu items, and you will too. Granted, they may not all be the healthiest options, but yes, you will survive. Here, a sampling of some proven favorites and old stand-bys, for when Mom’s leftovers just aren’t an option.

1. Kraft macaroni & cheese
2. Chunky soup
3. Tuna & crackers
4. Grilled cheese sandwich
5. Hamburger Helper
6. Frozen dinners
7. Spaghetti
8. Nachos
9. Pizza kits
10. Chicken nuggets
11. Frozen burritos
12. A banana

And we didn’t even mention Ramen noodles!

Courtesy of the UBC Staff

12 Reasons to Love Dorm Life

1. You don’t have to clean the bathroom.
2. You don’t have to go grocery shopping.
3. You don’t have to wash dishes.
4. You don’t have to find a parking place just to go to class.
5. The open door policy and the lounge offer built-in social opportunities.
6. The open door policy and the lounge offer built-in procrastination opportunities!
7. Free cable TV.
8. The on-campus computer help desk or hotline solves tech problems for you.
9. Amazing networking opportunities for advice on which professors to take or avoid.
10. The room comes furnished, making move-in and move-out that much easier.
11. The community you find there is generally not equaled in any off-campus housing options.
12. A shorter commute to class means you can sleep later in the morning.

Kathy Raines, UBC College Minister

12 Activities You Should Consider

These aren’t always your typical college brochure tips, but they are a great diversion from the academics that got you to college in the first place. There are soooo many ways to make memories and have fun; here are just a few to get your brainstorming started.

1. Opera. Don’t know if you like opera? What better way to find out than on campus? And, it turns out, if you have a friend performing in said opera, it’s a great excuse for inviting a really cute mutual friend to be your date… even if a romantic interest is never reciprocated.

2. Foreign films. Yeah, you’ve seen movies. You’ve seen flicks. But have you checked out on-campus or local art house schedules? They’re usually either free or dirt cheap, and pretty stinkin’ entertaining too.

3. Ballet.  It’s kind of like the opera thing. Find out what events your friends are involved in, then go watch them perform or compete, or whatever their activity does. You’d be surprised how many options are out there to broaden your horizons.

4. Monster trucks.Seriously, though, let’s not let the pendulum swing too far one way. You’ve got to find some balance in life. See what other “shows” are coming through town, and get some of the other kind of culture too.

12 Ways to Stay Healthy in College, Part 2

7. Wear sunscreen

You’re in college – you’re smart. So you know that sun exposure can cause cancer. However, a study showed that only half of the university students surveyed felt that they should protect themselves from the sun, even when they thought that people in general should do so. This is illogical at best, and hypocritical at worst; it’s time to put those smarts to use, folks! Most skin cancers occur after years of accumulating sun damage, but melanoma can even happen in young people – see the second link below. If you think tanning makes you look better, just think about how many wrinkles you’re setting yourself up for later. Consider airbrushing or other artificial tanning techniques if you absolutely must have that sun-kissed look – today’s methods have improved leaps and bounds over the orange streaky stuff. For tips about how to protect yourself from those dreaded UV rays, check out the third link in this section.

http://journals.lww.com/smajournalonline/Fulltext/2010/10000/Skin_Cancer__Knowledge,_Behaviors,_and_Attitudes.8.aspx

http://www.melanoma.org/advocacy/confessions-ex-tanner

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/prevention.htm

8. Listen up – turn it down!

Music is an integral part of our lives, and we can now listen anywhere. However, we may also be setting ourselves up for hearing impairment in the future if the volume is too loud. Noise-induced hearing loss occurs gradually, and you won’t notice until it is severe and permanent. No one wants to be the 30-year-old who has to ask everyone to speak up, so now is the time to work on prevention!

12 Ways to Stay Healthy in College, Part 1

I just graduated from medical school. After 8 years of post-secondary education (I like to tell my pediatric patients that I’m in the 21^st grade), apparently I’m an expert in how to be healthy. So you would think that I would be the healthiest person I know, but even I have a hard time following my own advice sometimes. In large part, that’s because medical school is just tough – it’s difficult to get enough sleep, cook healthy meals, and find time to exercise in between long shifts in the hospital and studying for exams. I’ve realized that a huge part of being healthy is building good habits into my life. These habits should be required pre-requisites for entering medical school, along with physics and o-chem.

Whether you’re a pre-med or not, here are a few foundational things that I wish I had focused on more during my undergraduate years. College is the perfect time to start implementing these skills. After all, you’re at university in order to train for whatever God is calling you to do in life, and being healthy is going to help you achieve those goals. College is the time when you finally get to make decisions about every part of your day – no one is forcing you to eat your broccoli at dinner or run laps during gym class. And as you get older, you’ll quickly discover that staying slim doesn’t happen magically, the way it did for many of us in high school.

These tips aren’t new, but hopefully if you hear these nuggets of common sense from someone with extra letters behind their name, they’ll stick.

12 Things to Look for in a Church at College

It’s summer already, and that means a new generation of students is getting ready for college. This summer we’ll offer some insights and advice about starting that first year of school. Do you have something to contribute? Mention it here, and we’ll all grow together

1. A friend. No, not like you need to meet a new friend there (though that’s very important too, just not the point of this one), but you need a friend to go with you to visit churches. Sure it’s fine to go by yourself, but it’s easier with a friend. So ask someone, and go with a buddy.
2. Old people and babies. And every age in between. The church isn’t called a family for nothing. It’s made up of all ages. Granted, there are wonderful churches without all these generations, but you’ll be missing out if you don’t get to interact with people older and younger than you are.

12 Things to Do When Your Finals are Over

As if you needed any suggestions…

1. Sleep.
2. Eat.
3. Read for pleasure.
4. Clean.
5. Pack.
6. Play a game.
7. Exercise.
8. Watch a movie.
9. Hang out with friends (any maybe rub it in that you're finished).
10. Play music.
11. Shop.
12. NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT NOT STUDYING!!!

12 Prayers for Students (and the rest of us) to Pray

With practice, I’ve gotten better at being honest with God, and myself, when I pray. He knows the truth anyway, right? So why shouldn’t I be up front about my thoughts, opinions, feelings and perspectives? Here, 12 prayers that are common to all of us, whether we’re students in the formal sense of the word or not.

1. “Please pick up this pencil and write.” Let’s get this one out of the way right away. You’ve said this, haven’t you? Yeah, God didn’t answer that prayer the way I had hoped either. But at least we were honest in our desperation!
2. “Show me whom I should date/marry.” College is admittedly a time for testing the relationship waters. Unfortunately some students take dating way too seriously and stressfully. The whole point of a first date is NOT to determine if you’re going to marry someone, but only to find out if you want a SECOND date! But seeking God’s guidance and provision is never a bad thing.

12 Things You Need in Your "Christian Tool Box"

I admit it. I have a very small actual tool box. It consists of one screwdriver (What?!?! There are different kinds?!), some duct tape, a nail file and a bunch of thumbtacks. These items seem to do the trick (especially since I live by the maxim, "When broken, why fix it?").

However, when it comes to following Christ I have found that there are some things I need to have handy when "life happens." Here are the 12 things* I carry around to help in need. 

In no particular order: 

1. A "baby" bible. While I like a larger, "floppy-therefore-stays-open-when-laid-on-table" bible to do my daily quiet time, I think it’s just as important to carry the bible around wherever I go. I never know when I might need to share a verse with a friend, quickly look back on an encouraging passage or find a reference to answer a question. Thanks to "smart" phones most people now have an electronic version, but I'm a sucker for a little bible that practically requires a magnifying glass to read... whatever works for you. ;-) 

12 Things I Learned as a Summer Missionary

I’m a big advocate of spending part or all of at least one summer in college working at a Christian camp or as a summer missionary. It stretches your faith. It changes your perspective. It grows you as a person. And it teaches you way more than just these 12 things.

God will use whatever you have. You don’t have to be “post-graduation hiring material” to be qualified to do summer missions. Anything you know how to do can be valuable! I spent a summer in Atlantic City, NJ, doing such a random assortment of things that there was no way I was an expert at any of them: leading a discipleship group from a Spanish-speaking church, teaching English as a Second Language, preparing a newspaper for publication, working with youth at weekly rallies, etc.

God will introduce you to what He plans to use later. That summer in New Jersey I hung out a lot with a student worship band. That made me want to learn to play the guitar. I started learning, and a few summers later was hired to lead worship at a summer youth camp.

12 Things Your Parents Want to Tell You

1. Don’t procrastinate! Study a little at a time throughout the semester.
2. Don’t miss a class. (At some point you will regret it.)
3. Make a new friend every day. You never know who you might be working for later in life. Get to know other students in your classes.
4. Budget your money each week.

Me, A Leader? How do I Leak?

(Relax, we know this one isn't a list of 12. But exceptions can be fun, right? Read on and enjoy!)

Perhaps you don't see yourself as a leader or perhaps it comes naturally. Either way, I want to encourage you to stretch yourself during your college years. This is a great time to learn. It is also a time to explore different opportunities to help you formulate your values and grow in all areas of your life.

Think about those people you like to follow. What traits do they possess? What do they value? How do they make you feel? What makes them a good leader?

Here are some traits that I have observed over the years from good leaders:

12 Jerks Jesus Loved

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how crazy God is about people your momma wouldn’t want you to hang out with. (She also wouldn’t want you to end your sentences with prepositions, so take that, Mom!) People who lie and cheat and steal. People who corrupt. People who kill. God loves the misfits, the rejects, the criminals, the honest to goodness lawbreakers, if they can possibly be described as either honest or good. You know, the people your parents caution you to avoid.

12 Tips from a Professor

It’s spring break, which means your mind is prone to wander everywhere except where it should be academically. And so we offer some mid-semester school- and professor-related resolutions for you to consider… straight from someone who sits on the other side of the desk now.

12.  Do your best to be on time.  If you can’t be on time, come in quietly, and don’t have an ice cream cone in your hand.

11.  Pay attention to the syllabus.  No, really; it has the information you need to know about your assignments, grades, professor’s office hours and contact information, etc.

10.  Put away your phone and log off of Facebook. You can’t multitask as well as you think you can. Even if you could, you’d still be cheating yourself out of a complete classroom experience. 

12 Reasons to Pray

Why should we pray? What’s the point? We’ll give you 12!

1.            To know God and grow in a relationship with Him.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:12-14

Exodus 33:13; Psalm 42:1-2; Psalm 46:10; Psalm 103:1-5

2.         To obey God

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer

and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Matthew 6:6

12 Great Uses For Duct Tape

If you’re from the south you’re sure to have heard the saying that “anything can be fixed with a bit of duct (duck) tape and bailing wire.” I’m willing to go a step further and argue that you don’t need the bailing wire and the tape will suffice. The following is a list of uses for duct (duck) tape that I have either tried myself or wouldn’t hesitate to try in the future. 

1. Let’s start with the obvious choice (and one of its original uses) for duct tape: Duct tape is great to use to install air ducts to hold together multiple ducts.
2. This next one’s my mom’s signature use: when her hiking boots begin to fall apart with holes in the toes she busts out the tape. She uses the tape to wrap the toe of the boot in tape, making the hole water-resistant and the boot a southern engineering fashion statement of sorts. These we can call duct-toe boots, just one step short of steel-toe boots and definitely cheaper.

12 Great Memories from College

Since I graduated from TCU, I have been many places around the U.S. due to my time in the Air Force, and now I reside in Memphis, TN, where I am an Air Traffic Controller. My wife and I love it here but also look forward to the days when we can move back to Michigan. Although life is fun and our attitudes make anywhere we live fun, there are many things I miss about college and often reflect back on the good ol' days. What are you going to miss? What memories are you making now? Among other things on my long list of memories that I frequently visit in my heart are…

First and foremost: I was placed in Clark Hall Dormitory where I met all of the people that I would be connected to throughout my entire time at TCU. Freshman year is a vital year for meeting your friends that make college a wonderful experience and I feel that God placed us all there for one big purpose...to love GOD... to have fun, and play Ultimate Frisbee. Which brings me to a second memory: every Friday we would play Ultimate Frisbee on the Clark Hall lawn. For some reason I would (and still will) chase that Frisbee no matter how much my body said to stop. There was something about hanging out with the boys and the occasional woman and not thinking about anything else but scoring a touchdown.

12 Lessons Learned From 12 Semesters of College

That’s right, unlike most people, I had the opportunity to spend 12 semesters in college at TCU. While there, I had learned several things, but looking back realized that I learned something different every semester.

Semester 1: When you’re sick, go to the health center. I learned this lesson the hard way. The health center is free to go to, and if you’re sick they’ll get you on the right track with medicine and possibly rest. While missing class may seem like a bad idea, sometimes it is better in the long run because you can get healthy faster and study time is more effective.

Semester 2: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Regardless of what area of life you need help in, there are people in your life who care about you and want to help. Rather than trying to put on a brave face for everyone, open up and talk with someone. Chances are, if they can’t help, they may know someone or somewhere that can, allowing you to get on with things sooner.

12 Ways I Know God Loves Me

One of my favorite things to do is write. I can say what I think and the paper I am writing on never tells me I am wrong! I tend to think of writing as easy and fun. But in the last month, I have been given the hardest writing assignment ever. I was asked to write “12 Ways I Know God Loves Me.”

Dude! Easy! No big deal! Then I started….

I know God loves me because I have a husband who loves me….. So does that mean, if my husband didn’t love me or I wasn’t married that God didn't love me? Scratch that one.

I know God loves me because my kids are healthy…. Which would mean if my kids ever got sick that I would be one of the people God doesn’t love…. Scratch that one, too.

Wow, I'm Old: 12 Tips From A College Senior

1. Plan it out. Graduating in four years is awesome. Graduating in four years and getting to take some fun classes along the way is even better. Figure out what classes you need to take for your major and make a plan to do so as efficiently as possible. Hopefully, you can devise a schedule that will allow you to take some classes on the side just because you want to. Not sure what your major is yet? Take classes that fulfill general requirements—the more requirements fulfilled per class the better.
2. Treat school as a 9-5 job. Freshman year, I went in to see a professor after getting a bad grade on a test. He said that this strategy was one of the best he ever heard for striking a good balance between academic success and having time to have fun. In retrospect, I can't argue with that—most of the time I waste is in the middle of the day. Focus on accomplishing school related tasks during normal business hours and you can be surprised how much free time you have in the evening.
3. Go to class. It is tempting to skip classes for sleep or just because you can. Try to keep that to a minimum though: nothing can replace the osmosis effect of sitting in class, even if you don't necessarily feel like you gain much from it. Besides, if a professor knows you always show up, they're more likely to be extra helpful if you start to struggle.

12 Ways to Change the World

Ever wonder how you can make a difference, starting right here, right now? Here are 12 great ideas from our very own Peace Corps volunteer. 

1. Start with individuals. Big life-changing projects are great, but thousands of little changes are even more effective. Make someone else’s day in a pay-it-forward type fashion. Smile at a stranger. Help someone with their groceries. Buy a coffee for the guy in line behind you. Say thank you to a stressed-out teacher. A little bit of uplift can spread and have effects you couldn’t imagine.
2. Make an impact with every search. Good search.com – a search engine just like Google or Bing – donates to your charity of choice every time you use it to search the web.
3. Freerice.com . Do some brain exercises and save the world at the same time. Freerice.com donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme for every correct answer to their language, math, science or geography questions.

12 Bible Verses I Love

The Bible is loaded with stuff that teaches us about God and how we are supposed to respond to him. There are so many verses, stories, passages, even entire books that are meet-you-where-you’re-living kind of experiences. Below, in no particular order, are a few of my favorites this week.

What are yours?

1. Exodus 14:14. You only need to remain calm; the Lord will fight for you. This gives me peace, hope, confidence.
2. John 9:1-3. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” Sometimes the “bad” things in life are just a chance to see how good God is.
3. John 15:16. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the father will give you whatever you ask in my name. God has a plan: my success for His success.

12 New Year’s Resolutions You Should Consider

It's a new year, and we're honoring 2012 with a blog theme of 12s. 12 is a Biblical number (Israel had 12 tribes, Jesus had 12 disciples...), everyone loves lists… how can this go wrong? (Let me give you 12 ways… ☺) Check back each week for something new brought to you by the number 12.

For now, let's kick it off with some ideas for New Year's resolutions. Only, we're already a few days in, so maybe you should consider these as general life goals. And maybe I should make punctuality one of my resolutions!