My name is Bethany Sheridan and I am currently a freshman at GCU. I would like to take this time to blog about me and my experience thus far at GCU so we can get on a personal basis. So, how did I end up at Georgian Court? Well, GCU is actually one of the last places I thought I would be for many reasons-it’s a Catholic school, private, all girls, and really close to my house. I wasn’t into the whole college picking thing, I mean who really likes to wake up super early on a Saturday to be dragged around to different open houses and schools? Anyway, my parents basically said I had to check out Georgian Court just to see what their all about because it is so close to my house. Well was I wrong about GCU! Everyone I met here was SUPER friendly, like willing to bend over backwards for you friendly. Also, GCU is a really good school to go for psychology, which is my major, and one of the only schools that offers an MBA program for Holistic Health. On instant decision day Georgian Court offered me a great scholarship that I couldn’t pass up, so I actually didn’t even apply anywhere else. Even though I wasn’t feeling the all girls and Catholic parts of GCU, I couldn’t deny how much it had to offer. So here I am, and boy am I glad my parents made me go to Georgian Court’s open house or I would be somewhere else recieving less than half of the education and experience I get here.

So, what exactly does Georgian Court have to offer? As a freshman, I am involved in WILD (Women In Leadership Development), Campus Ministry, Outdoor Adventures Living-Learning Community, STARs (Student Ambassador), Orientation Leader, Alternate Resident Assistant, and the Honors Program. That list may look and sound like a lot on paper, but it actually doesn’t feel like I’m involved in enough! Even though I wasn’t really involved in many clubs and programs during high school, I decided that I would get involved in college so I could meet new people and make the semester go by faster.

During a Freshman Friday at GCU me and my parents were basically cornered by Evelyn Quinn, Associate Provost, and she wouldn’t stop telling them that I was a WILD woman and that I needed to join WILD! Well boy oh boy did I want to curl up and die. She just wouldn’t go away! So my parents basically forced me to fill out the WILD application, which I was super unexcited about. I wasn’t sure what to expect from WILD-something along the lines of boring business conferences and a bunch of students in dressy suits. Well the students did dress nice, but WILD turned into something I never expected. We are a sisterhood. There is no Greek life on campus (sororities) but WILD is similar to one, and I think a lot better. On our first retreat we all got to know each other through bonding, crying, sharing our life stories and secrets, laughing, and playing together. WILD will change you, make you more confident, and definitely make you more successful. We get to do really cool things with WILD that will actually help us in the real world such as: business conferences all over the country and state, meetings with professionals, CEOs, etc., workshops for self-esteem building, successful banking plans, and just so many opportunities you wouldn’t have anywhere else. WILD allows you to form a sisterly connection with the other members and also gives you the opportunity to start networking and getting your foot in the door with all the right people and places.

Even though I am not Catholic, I decided to join Campus Ministry. I liked what Campus Ministry stood for and is all about-service, volunteering, giving back, living the Lord’s good will. I get to read in church sometimes and this year I saw many of my friends get confirmed and baptized, and I’m really glad I was able to be a part of something so important in their lives. We’ve been on a few retreats that help us stay focused through the semester, and we just get to talk to each other and vent. Campus Ministry is a great way to get in touch with your spiritual and good natured side, whether you are Catholic or not.

If you like to be in nature then you may want to consider applying to the Outdoor Adventures Living-Learning Community. We get to do cool things such as camping, hiking, canoeing, paintballing, apple picking, horse back riding, and the list goes on. While we do these activities we also learn how to cooperate and live together peacefully, and we also learn about our environment-water supply, pesticides, animal care, and etc. Outdoor Adventures is a lot of fun, and Sister Tina who is involved with the community is just so hilarious and I love her.

When new freshmen come to GCU for orientation they will see a bunch of GCU students in pink shirts directing people where to go and getting the freshman involved in ice breakers and other activities. I know how scared I was to come to college as a freshman, so I decided to be an orientation leader (OL) so I could help the new freshmen adjust to college life. I know how they feel and I can relate to them, and I wish someone would have reached out to me and taken me under their wing for my first few weeks at GCU, so I would like to do that for someone else. A Resident Assistant (RA) monitors one wing or floor and the residents living there. An RA is the first line of defense in any residential problem or roommate conflicts. As an alternate RA I will be helping the full-time RA’s fulfill their duties and take on any problems they can’t handle immediately for one reason or another. I want to help the residents on my floor get used to dorm life, and also help the RA’s keep an eye on the residents. If you ever needed anything-someone to go to dinner with, someone to talk to, a tutor, a mentor, anything at all, you can talk to me (Bethany) or you can seek out your RA for help. Everything will always remain confidential and nonjudgmental, and as a psychology major I kid you not when I say I truly want to hear all your problems so I can help you.

The Honors Program is wonderful for the students who qualify because you get to graduate with honors, and you also get to go to cool stuff that regular classes don’t. Only about 30 students in each grade get selected for the program, and each semester one class (general education requirement) is designated as Honors and the honors students all have to take it at the same time with the same teacher. So each semester we have a new honors class but the same students move along with the program for all 4 years. All the honors classes are general education requirements, meaning you have to take those classes whether you’re an honors student or not, so if you get invited into the program definitely take the opportunity-one honors class a semester really isn’t too hard to handle. There is something extra added to the class to designate it as honors so last semester for honors History we went on a walking tour through historic Philadelphia. This semester for honors Literature we went to a Billy Collins poetry reading.

Interested in working on campus? Make sure you get work study, and if you don’t, make sure you get put on the work study waiting list. Most of the jobs on campus are work study jobs, meaning the money you make won’t count against you when FASFA is determining your financial needs, such as a regular job would. I do not recieve work study so I decided to become a student ambassador (STAR). STARs give tours on campus, work during open houses, freshmen Fridays, instant decision days, and any other day people come to visit the campus. Other non-work study jobs are at the school bookstore and cafe. For every job at GCU, work study or not, you get paid once a month. Working on campus is a good way to make extra money, and since you are on campus if you need to call out of work to study or if something comes up, they are very understanding. Most other employers, such as those in charge of large scale businesses, will not be as understanding or laid back as the on campus employers, which you should keep in mind when thinking of getting a job because there will probably be at least one time you need to call out to catch up on homework, study for a major test, or something else because life happens.

Well you are probably going blind from staring at the computer reading all of this, so I will stop the torture!

-Bethany