At Berry, you not only get access to job opportunities and really cool classes. You also get a host of people who are happy to help you along the way! These offices will help you out for free, whether you’re looking for volunteering, career, or writing advice. One of my favorite offices is the Career Center.

The Career Center helps students prepare for jobs in the real world. But they are also there to help students get internships or take advantage of other work opportunities. Below are just three ways the Career Center works to make sure students get the help they need.

Guest Speakers – Fairly regularly, the Career Center will have a guest speaker come give a talk for students. I attended one such event, where the head of a firm came to speak with us about interviews. He gave detailed advice about how to approach a potential job, how to prepare, and how to be a good interviewee.

Résumé Advice – When I was pulling together my résumé for an application, I took it to the Career Center for advice. I not only received tips for my actual résumé, but I also left with handouts to help guide my revisions. Once my resume was presentable, I submitted it to Berry’s online job connection site, where alumni and other potential employers can find it.

Career Surveys – For those who are uncertain what career they want to enter, the Career Center offers highly accredited job surveys. This isn’t like the puny thing sometimes attached to standardized tests. This monster takes about thirty minutes to fill out and will give you an extremely detailed set of answers. One of the girls I mentored wanted to go into pediatrics, but started having doubts after struggling through a chemistry class. She took the survey and discovered she might like to work in speech pathology—a similar field with a much more flexible path.

These valuable tools are free, and definitely something that any incoming student should plan on using!

So here are some things you’ll need:

1. A raincoat. Obvious, right? I didn’t have a rain jacket when I came. That was a mistake.
2. An umbrella. Notice I listed this separately from a raincoat. That’s because sometimes it can be very windy. I’ve ruined several umbrellas by using them on a windy day. I always keep an umbrella in my backpack, even on a sunny day.
3. Rain boots or waterproof shoes. I wear hiking boots, but I know a lot of people at Berry who prefer rain boots. Either way, the alternative is sitting in class with your feet soaked and cold, which I don’t recommend.
4. A waterproof backpack. I admit I did not invest in one of these babies until I was heading to England, and I sorely regret it. I’ve ruined more than one good textbook by using a regular backpack that got soaked through. So a water resistant backpack is a good idea.

With the proper gear, you can enjoy a rainy day.

1. Antique Mall & Flea Market on N. Broad

This antique mall is literally bigger on the inside. Well, maybe not literally, but it sure feels that way when you get lost in there for hours. Some excellent finds: A $10 nice reenactment cloak, a dragon cane, and many a vintage hat. And this is only counting the finds we bought… not the random assortment of hilarious oddities. A great way to spend an afternoon with friends.

2. Panera and Barnes and Noble

I love grabbing lunch and tea at Panera on a Saturday afternoon before heading over to Barnes and Noble. It should be surprising to no one that as an English major I delight in spending hours just looking at the books. There’s a Michael’s next door, too, which is also fun to hang out in.

3. Broad Street

Rome’s Broad Street has been voted one of the best downtown main streets in America. Sometimes I like to spend an afternoon walking from one end of the street to the other. I’ll pop into Paradise Lost Books to see if there’s any used books I need, and later jump in and out of a few vintage and consignment shops. I also like to stop in Honeymoon Bakery for a snack.

D-Hall – Ah, the classic. Though the chicken might be a bit tough and a lot of the food tastes pretty similar (i.e. tasteless), as far as dining halls go it’s actually not that bad. We have a few different lines of food, with some foods available all the time everyday (pizza and cookies!). Some of my favorites from D-Hall include: Mac and cheese day (where you can put on all sorts of toppings), cheesy bread, and grilled cheese sandwiches (occasionally with bacon) on the panini grill. The best part about D-Hall is it’s included on most meal plans, which means it’s sort of free!

Vahalla – Upstairs, we have our flexbucks place, Vahalla. This eatery is a step up from D-Hall, with a Mexican and burger station, as well as rice bowls, Chick-fil-A, and a very small market (including chips and ice cream). When I’m in a rush, Chick-fil-A is my food of choice. But there’s nothing quite like a juicy turkey burger with Swiss and bacon from the Burger Studio and Coke slushy.

Java City – In addition to yummy drinks (hello, chai tea Javalanche), Java City also has salads and pastries to sustain students through late nights. My favorite: The Oreo parfait, a mix of Oreos, chocolate and whipped cream. Yummmmmm…

Want to get off campus for a meal? Well, Rome has a wide variety of good and relatively cheap eateries!

Las Palmas – There are several Mexican restaurants in Rome, but I’m partial to Las Palmas because I am a creature of habit. There are two branches of the restaurant in Rome—one that’s a little less nice but generally more quiet, and another that’s what we college students call “fancy” (it’s not fancy—it’s just a nice restaurant). I particularly enjoy their queso dip, and have been known to have a full meal of tea, queso dip, and free chips.

Ru San’s – An Asian restaurant known for its sushi (and special sushi deals). I’m not a sushi person myself, but I do like dumplings and other Asian dishes. It’s a good restaurant and cheap for the quality of the food.

Jandy’s Frozen Yogurt – Yogurt (but actually ice cream) you pay for by weight, with college discounts? Hello! Jandy’s has a variety of flavors and toppings, and is a great combo of inexpensive and not too much (because you control how much you want). The atmosphere is very chill (ha, pun), too. I’ve spent many an evening just relaxing with my friends and enjoying an Oreo-vanilla-white-chocolate-birthday-cake mix. (I really like Oreos.) 

There are many opportunities to volunteer at Berry and around Rome. I volunteered throughout high school, so when I came to college I was excited about the new opportunities. Berry has a volunteer fair early in the fall semester with dozens of organizations present.

However, I do have a few personal favorites from my four years in Rome. I love Buddy Break, an organization that trains volunteers to watch disabled kids while their parents take a break and get some rest. I also love Young Moms, a support group for teenage moms that provides resources, advice and help.

But my favorite organization? One founded by a Berry student, Brin Enterkin. The African SOUP!

The Sponsorship of Orphans in Uganda Project (SOUP) supports orphans in the village of Isiti, Uganda. We provide housing, healthcare, food and education for over 300 kids. We organize several events at Berry throughout the year—including a SOUP-Off (soup competition for clubs and individuals) and dinner parties. Now the SOUP is expanding to other college campuses, but the main charter is still at Berry.

It’s amazing to me that I can be a part of something that’s changing a village across the world. The SOUP staff incorporate the best of Berry in many ways—students eager to work, with a passion and a vision for ministering to others. The blend of enthusiastic optimism and practical goals make SOUP one of the most unique organizations I’ve ever worked with.

So if you come to Berry, be sure to check out the SOUP staff—and bring your mom’s recipe for the SOUP-Off! 

On Friday of MLK weekend, Erika and I set out. Now, some might think an 8-9 hour drive is a bit excessive for a three day weekend. But I consider that to be a relaxing drive time! (This from the person who was on 13 hour road trips pretty consistently as a kid.) Besides, it was a road trip--and road trips need real driving time! At one point Erika tossed her jacket in the back and declared, “I have carelessly thrown my hoodie on the back seat. It is officially a road trip!”

Our first morning down, we went to Universal. We headed straight to the Harry Potter section of the park, which was super epic. The details were awesome, especially on Hogwarts. We went on the Hogwarts ride first. I was really blown away by the quality of the technology throughout, and the ride itself was a pleasant mixture of horror and fan!joy. Erika got off barely able to walk between her shock,  excitement and laughter.

We hopped in and out of shops, then settled on Three Broomsticks for lunch. They had pretty good fish and chips. I also had a butterbeer slushie. I knew from past experience with some home made recipes that I find the regular sort to be almost unbearably sweet. The slushie watered it down enough to be really enjoyable, but was still so sweet I sadly couldn’t get through the whole thing. But I got a cool cup out of it!

We also took a turn on the Hippogriff (kiddie rollercoaster) ride. Part of the coolness was that Hogwarts was almost always in sight, which gave the impression that you were flying outside the castle. I made Erika go on the Hulk ride (I was too much of a wuss). We also rode the Spiderman ride and played around in the Jurassic Park section. While in the latter, we played a computer game to see what we would look like if we were dinosaurs. We weren’t sure what to expect as I did the “personality test” and “DNA test,” so when a very poorly photoshopped picture of my face stretched over a dinosaur’s appeared on the screen Erika about fell over.

Finally, quite tired and content, we left to find dinner. I’d looked up a local NYC pizza place on my phone that was around the corner and had good reviews. When we pulled up outside it, Erika stared at the dark windows and pealing paint and said, “I trust you.” Luckily her trust turned out to be rewarding! We both got calzones which were absolutely amazing (and cheap!). Totally worth it. The moral of this story is that sketchy pizza places are the best. (Note: Berry does not endorse students seeking out sketchy pizza joints.)

The next day, we set out for Flea World, America’s largest flea market. Neither of us had been to a legit flea market before, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. It reminded me a little of a run down, redneck covered market (like the ones I visited in England and Barcelona). It was a bizarre mixture of Asian stuff (I got a wooden katana for $5), regular household goods, weird clothing, swords, puppies, and ice cream. I had a pretty good root beer float. Erika had a milkshake she claims was the second best in her entire life–and only for $2.

Thoroughly perplexed, we left Flea World for Downtown Disney. We spent our time looking in the shops for weird stuff and laughing at the prices. I also had flashbacks from a childhood memory when I saw the lego dragon! I reenacted my childhood self to celebrate (pictured above). From there, we went to see The Hobbit (second time for me, third for Erika) in a Regal theater. Needless to say: Stellar.

We drove back to Berry the next day, with an obligatory stop at Cracker Barrel (“I don’t think it’s a real road trip if we don’t go to Cracker Barrel”). We arrived at Berry in one piece and quite content. So don't forget to take a road trip your senior year! Berry's in easy reach from a lot of cool places, including Hogwarts.

Today was my last first day at Berry College. It’s hard to believe that my four years are nearly done. Yet I’m also quite ready for the next big adventure. I entered my last first day with a dose of sentimentality as well as an optimistic smile. The end is finally in sight!

Armed with my umbrella and waterproof backpack, I set out with my roommate for our first two classes (we have them both together). Our last academic semester at Berry began with Personal Finance, which (despite the math) looks like it will be a very useful course. Then we crossed through the rain to Evans for our New Testament class. (We are taking both these classes for fun, because that’s what seniors get to do.)

After that we parted ways. I went on to my job at Public Relations, where I got caught up on stuff I’d missed over break and began plugging away at an ongoing project. I then hopped across the hallway to my Philanthropic Communications job, where I did pretty much the same thing.

My roommate and I met up again and embarked on our tradition of Mexican for dinner. Over tea and queso dip we shared our hopes for this last semester, and indulged in some more sentimentality. I returned to my dorm, updated my calendar with all my syllabus information, and snuggled in bed to the sound of more rain. A very quiet, pleasant (if wet) sort of last first day.

For me, it always starts with the lights at the Oak Hill & Martha Berry Museum (Candles and Carols). Wandering the museum with carolers singing in the distance is very peaceful. My favorite exhibit was a few years ago, when they showcased all of the Berry Christmas cards over the years. (The ones in the 80’s were special, let me tell you!) My friends and I then set out up the illuminated driveway to Martha Berry’s old house (which, by the by, is in Sweet Home Alabama). The rooms are lovely, and most years they have the gardens covered in Christmas lights, too. It’s a lovely break from the craziness of the last few weeks of classes.

One tradition my friend, Anna, and I have is to go see a show at Shakespeare’s Tavern in Atlanta every semester. This term we were running a little late, so we caught a production of A Christmas Carol (which, if you didn’t know, wasn’t written by Shakespeare). We had a lovely time.

My roommate, Kyley, and I have another unique tradition. We go out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and exchange gifts. Then we go back to the room, open a bottle of Apple Bubbly, and watch Jimmy Stewart’s The Shop Around the Corner.

This year, Kyley and I also went to see Berry College Theatre Company’s annual Christmas play. This semester it was Uh Oh, Her Comes Christmas, a charming and funny look at Christmas craziness. In the spirit of the season, the play was free with any donation for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

There were many gifts exchanged at work. One of my favorites was a package full of mustache items (including mustache duct tape). The student workers bonded together to Photoshop pictures of coworkers onto classic Christmas characters (like Elf and Rudolph) and then put these terrifying creations all over one supervisor’s desk. Nothing says holiday cheer quite like that.

So though I’m still wearing short sleeves, writing essays to the sounds of a downpour, and thinking wistfully of the cold weather in winters past, I feel like Christmas has already come.

Merry Christmas, and God bless us everyone.

My Fall Break began with me cleaning my townhouse bathroom from top to bottom. I also washed ALL the laundry… Ah, the joys of adulthood!

Now, my creative writing professor had happened to mention that I might take a look at Rick Riordan’s Mark of Athena and get a few ideas about character voice. Logically I decided to spend my Friday evening attacking the book with multicolor pens and then typing up an analysis of my findings (which, if you are an awesome geek like me, you can find here). This was the perfect, relaxing start to my Fall Break—and I am totally sincere! You can ask my housemate (who is also out-of-state and stayed on campus)… I’m sure she’ll be glad to tell you about my enthusiasm.

On Saturday, I split my time between reading more Rick Riordan books (for “research”) and rewriting the beginning of my own novel-in-progress for my class. I went out to dinner with a Berry student I mentor, which was delightful. My housemate joined me in the evening for an epic marathon of the period drama Little Dorrit.

Sunday happened to be my 22^nd birthday! I went out to dinner with my housemate and afterwards we loitered in Barnes and Noble for quite some time. Then we ran back to the townhouse to watch Once Upon a Time. We did a live chat with our friends who were out of town. Since there’s about nine in our group of viewers, we’ve dubbed ourselves the Fellowship of OuaT. I’m the designated Sam, because I’m the token Hufflepuff of the group. So I got appropriate props for the episode:

Monday and Tuesday were filled with period drama marathons and hammocking and reading Shakespeare and writing.

Overall, it was an incredibly relaxing break. Now, if only every weekend were four days long…

So there you have it! Fun at Berry over Fall Break.

The celebration begins on Friday afternoon, when students go back to their dorms and prepare for the Mountain Day Olympics. My (alternative) housing had the theme "zombies" this year. Since I hate zombies, my friends and I decided to be zombie hunters. I ran back after my last class on Friday, threw on some leggings, boots, and a hardcore jacket. I made a messy side braid and even did a make-up bruise over my left eye. I met up with my friends amidst a horde of gathering zombies.

Once all the people were assembled, we went down to the main road on campus. We lined the sidewalks and watched as the dorms showed off their themes.

Some memorable ones included: Deerapocalypse ("7:1 - The odds were never in our favor"), Hunger Games (faculty/staff team), and Adventurers (Ford girls). But my favorite was the Dana/Thomas Berry theme: Braveheart. The students dressed up in homemade kilts, painted their faces blue and charged out onto the road shouting. They were followed by a drummer and a boy playing the bagpipe. Behind this procession was a king and his armed guard. I was duly impressed.

After all the teams were assembled, we marched down to the library lawn for the events. There was a ceremonial lighting of the torch, a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, and the games began! I was too short to see much, but I'm told it was a fiery competition. Some might even say that the faculty/staff had a girl on fire! (Ha ha, Hunger Games joke...)

I had to leave before the end of the games to meet my family, who were coming into town. I didn't wash the bruise off my face because I was rather proud of it. I had to stop to pick up a book at Barnes and Noble and a flower at Kroger, and I tried to act as unabused as possible. However, I know I started the hotel clerk, if no one else. I met my family at the hotel. My parents and siblings had come down from VA, and my grandparents were up from FL. It was a fun reunion, and there was much rejoicing.

On Saturday, we began our trek to Berry rather early. We swung by the townhouse to pick up my roommate, Kyley, and then set out for Mountain Campus and the grand march. The tradition of the grand march is a little foggy in my memory, but it goes something like this: One year, Berry students wanted to show Martha their gratitude, so they held hands and marched up and down a large hill and put gifts down in front of her at the base of the hill. Apparently, this was such an inspirational thing that it's an annual tradition.

Kyley and I had been practicing this year. I remember during my sophomore march, I started having an asthma attack, and since my arthritis makes my ankles weak and my heart is rather prone to palpitations I was determined to make this year as enjoyable as possible. Especially because this year I was going to get to hold a boy's hand (gasp!). Because Berry has a high number of girls at present, normally the seniors and a few lucky juniors get to actually hold hands with a boy.

Kyley, my other friends and I all lined up with our class. We started walking  down the hill, where we dropped pennies in a basket to represent our gifts. Then it was back up the hill. At the top, we joined hands with other students, then turned and went back down. This continued until there were sixteen students in each row. When we got to the bottom the last time, we all sang the alma mater together (some more on key than others). It was very fun--even if the tradition is a little weird.

After this, my grandmother, mom, sister and I went to Oak Hill, Martha Berry's house. We explored the grounds quite a bit, though we ran out of time to see the museum. My grandmother loved every minute.

The following morning, my folks hit the road. Overall, it was a fantastic last Mountain Day (as a student).

Beforehand, I had acquired a dress, pantyhose, headband and feather--everything a girl needs to be a flapper (boys have it easier--they just bought suspenders). My friends and I wanted to get some pictures before the sunset, so I started getting ready at about 4:30.

This went off fabulously and we got some lovely pictures all around. Between that and the Gala, my friend Erika (middle) was playing at an open mic event in one of the residence halls. We went to that, and it was delightful, and full of much music and pastries. Then we hung out in Kaitlyn's flat/Centennial while I continued editing pictures and we waited for 11:00.

At long last, 11:00 came. The gala was on Graduation Lawn (I think that's what we're calling it?), in front of Evans Hall, our humanities building. They'd strung up white lights all around, and it was very beautiful. They had a trolley making rounds to pick up and drop off people. Fun swing music played loud enough for people to dance to.

Most of the evening consisted of hanging out with my friends. At one point I found a guy I know and made him teach me some swing moves. It was a lot of fun, and very classy. I had intended to only stay an hour (I don't stay up late normally), but I ended up staying the whole time because it was so nice.

So now I can say that I went to a 1920's dance party. And there wasn't even a body in a pool! (<-Gatsby reference.)

During my four years at Berry, I’ve held a variety of jobs. I thought I’d talk briefly about them to give you all an idea of the broad spectrum of opportunities!

Student Worker at Enrollment Management – This was my first job. I worked between the Financial Aid, Admissions and Enrollment Management offices on campus. This was really interesting because I got to see how the different offices worked together to ensure prospective and current students had a smooth college experience.

Ramifications Staff Member/Editor – Ramifications is our student art and literary magazine. We publish one issue a semester that’s full of student and faculty’s prose, poetry, art and photography. I’ve been working in this magazine since my freshman year. As a staff member, I’d help select content and then I would use Adobe’s InDesign program to place the material into the magazine. I’m now the editor of the magazine, which means I do that plus I work heavily in promotion for submissions and management of the staff.

English Department Assistant – In this job, I worked with professors to prepare material and transcribe research. I really liked this job because I could interact with my professors outside of class, which helped me get to know them better.

Student Designer for Creative Services – In this job, I worked under the wonderful graphic designers in Creative Services. I designed promotional material and various campaign pieces for Berry. This included posters you can see in every classroom with college policies on them, posters admissions counselors take to schools when they go to college fairs, and various other pieces for departmental events. I learned how to use PhotoShop, InDesign and Illustrator in this job, as well as basics in marketing and design that have been invaluable.

Student Writer/Supervisor for Public Relations – From Creative Services, I was stolen into the Public Relations office as a student writer. I write press releases, work on big projects, and help organize our Shatto Lecture event in the spring. I’m now the student supervisor, which means I get to oversee the other student workers in the office. I also dabble in photography for the staff photographer when there’s an event he needs me for.

Editorial Assistant/Supervisor for Philanthropic Communications – In this job, I write pieces with a more creative lean for the Honor Roll of Donors and for the Alumni Magazine. It’s pretty awesome to be an undergraduate who’s published! I love this job because I get to look for students with awesome stories and then write about them. I’m the supervisor in this job now, which means I’m training a student to take my job after I graduate.

Those are my jobs, for the most part! I’m so grateful for all the experience I’m getting before I even graduate. Another aspect of student work that I think is so valuable is learning how to work hard in every area of your life. For instance, I could leave class, walk to my office and then be contacting that professor about a press release. I needed to have a good reputation in my class in order to maintain a good reputation at work. It has been a level of accountability that has really helped me flourish.

These aren’t the only jobs there are, either! Other on-campus jobs include:

• Worker at the Child Development Center (an on-campus preschool)
• Weaver at the Viking Creations Student Enterprise
• Photographer for Public Relations
• Research assistant for a professor
• Planner with KCAB (the awesome people who plan fun events for evenings and weekends)
• Dairy worker
• Chemistry assistant
• Accountant
• Tour guide for Admissions

… And a ton more than that! Whatever your interests are, there’s a job on campus that will help you grow in experience.

When I first came to Berry College, I was looking for a bit of magic. For me, this can always be found in the small moments—the times that are unique because they are ordinary. Like…

5. Berry in the rain. Now, I’m not saying the rain doesn’t get old. But there is something beautiful about Berry in the rain. Especially when a good Southern thunderstorm is rolling in from the mountain, and you can see it coming across the fields, but you’re safe inside your dorm by the time it hits.

4. Sitting in a hammock reading. There are hammocks hanging all around campus for student use. I love taking my literature reading out there and snuggling up with my books. It’s like a cocoon of studying, and the fresh air is always relaxing.

3. Kilpatrick Commons. I’ve mention this before, but I love to go sit by Kilpatrick Commons. I first took this opportunity during a crazy week in my sophomore year. I had an essay to write, but instead of cramming and forcing myself, I took a tea and some fruit to Kilpatrick Commons and I just sat perfectly still, listening to the water, for well over a half hour. It is a wonderful place to go shut down and just listen. I find that work comes easier after that.

2. Fog in the morning. The fog at Berry can be very heavy in the mornings. I’ve never ceased to find it beautiful, especially when the light begins to filter down and everything turns gold.

1. Audrey Morgan Hall at sunset. I have so many happy memories of sitting outside the Jewel Box at Audrey Morgan Hall. Relaxing on the stone porch, warmed from a day in the sun, and watching a distant thunderstorm full of lightning, or sitting in one of the rocking chairs and enjoying the deer and the sunset—these are just some of the reasons this is a special spot.

The best part is that everyone has different magical places on the campus. I’m sure there’s one for you.  

At Berry, there’s a big emphasis on keeping students on campus the first weekend. It’s packed full of events and activities. But still—don’t go home that weekend. This is the beginning of your college career, and it’s very easy to make new habits. A lot of students who go home that first weekend end up going home every weekend, and this will keep you from feeling at home at school.

2. Don’t go home frequently throughout the first or second semester. 

Same as the above, a bit. But I’d like to add that during the first and second semester, every time you go home or see your old family/friends, it will hurt. It will trigger that homesickness again. Better to enjoy Berry, strengthen your connections with your new friends, and keep putting down roots where you’re at.

3. Bring bits of home with you. 

Take special items with you to school. Pictures of friends, souvenirs and mementos, letters, favorite books and stuffed animals are all good things to bring. I have a wall of corkboard near my desk where I pin up some of my favorite letters and postcards, so whenever I get discouraged I can go read some lines from a loved one.

4. Find things that you like about Berry every day. 

Discovery is a big part of making a place your own. Find the nooks that you love at Berry or in Rome, and make those your places. For me, there’s a place by the Kilpatrick Commons' waterfall that I like to go to write essays. Or a local coffee shop in Rome where I like to do my reading. By finding these new places, you not only challenge yourself to focus away from nostalgia, you also can appreciate the good things about your new home.

5. Make friends and connections. 

Don’t hole up in your room and mope. Go to dinner with acquaintances and work at becoming friends. If you’re religious, find somewhere you can connect and start going regularly. Volunteer, work on campus, talk to people outside of class. The more people you know, recognize, and invest in, the less time you’ll have to feel friendless and alone.  

Before you know it, Berry will be your new home! By now, even my mom says "your home" when she means Berry.

These things will make your life easier:

1. Make a list. Before you move, especially if you’re moving to college, make a list of all the stuff you’ll need.
2. Know what you’ll need access to and what you’ll sort of need access to, then pack accordingly. For instance: Don’t pack your office supplies with your winter coats. If you know you won’t be needing those coats for a few months, pack them so you can store them in your room. That’s one box “unpacked” already!
3. This is your new home—select stuff accordingly! Sure, you might not need your stuffed horsie. But if seeing it on your bed when you come into your room will make the dorm feel like home, you bring that fluffy companion along!
4. Pack it all fast. Don’t leave stuff out for weeks and weeks. Set a number of days, sit down and just do it. I like to take about four days of intense packing. This also keeps me from sneaking in stuff I don’t need.
5. Use wheelie suitcases. They are excellent alternatives to bins, and much easier to haul from the car.
6. Use a dolly. Normally I borrow one from my local church.
7. Men and boys. Bribe them with pizza. But seriously—the more muscle you have, the faster and more painless the process.
8. Actually, just people in general. Again: Pizza. Or eternal love. Whatever it takes to recruit hands. A lot of the stuff you move will just be little things. The more bodies, the less trips everyone has to make.
9. Unpack it all at once, preferably in the day or the day after you move the stuff. The longer those boxes sit there unpacked, the more overwhelming it will get. Do it fast—like ripping off a Band-Aid!
10. Forgot/missed stuff? Make another list! As you’re unpacking or as you start to live in your new room, keep a list of things you need your mom to mail you or that you need to grab from WalMart.

BONUS ROUND! What not to do:

1. Leave everything packed. Don’t sit around in your soulless room with all those suitcases staring at you. There’s no better way to make yourself feel isolated and alone.
2. Move all your stuff by yourself, especially when you know you need help. Speaking as someone who’s injured herself by not flat out asking for help, it’s just not worth your pride. Ask. The worst that can happen is people saying no. (And, again, food does wonders to increase helpfulness.)
3. Make someone else bear the brunt of your move. If you ask for help, it’s your responsibility to have everything ready on your end. Have the stuff set to go. Even move the things you don’t need help with. Don’t expect your friends or parents to do all the hard work.
4. Bring all your stuffed animals. I know I said to bring your stuffed horsie, but you have to be selective. Bring the items that are the most important of all the important things. Remember that you’ll be buying new stuff and making a new home, so you need to leave space for your new memories!
5. Use permanent wall stickies in a dorm room. Seems obvious. It isn’t. Take care. The tape section of WalMart is a tricky place.

*11 is not a typical move statistic for college students. As a summer worker, I have to move extra when I go into summer housing. Study abroad and room changes also add complications to my moving resumé.  

Public transportation!
While it's not always a smooth ride (ha ha), I can now navigate trains, buses and the occasional ferry if need be. I'd had some experience before I left, but I am definitely more capable at reading timetables and figuring out what I need now.

Walking!
I have my "British legs," as I call them. When I first arrived I was quickly winded and couldn't keep up with my international and British friends. But while there, I hiked about 5 miles of Hadrian's wall in a day, and took a 6 hour hike along the cliffs of Wales, and can basically go a really long way without fatigue. This has been really important to me because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and I've always been afraid of being weak because of it. It's a great feeling to be able to walk far and comfortably, and walking has become a really important part of my daily routine.

Writing super long papers on topics not yet in academia!
When I found out my entire grade would rest on two 5,000 word papers, I was nervous. When I found out I wasn't allowed to do any citation and it'd all be my own research/close reading, I was REALLY nervous. But the experience was fantastic. It taught me a lot more about myself as a writer, and gave me a huge boost in confidence at my own ability to produce good work without using citations as a crutch. I'm actually not looking forward to going back to citations!

But there were also goals I had that weren’t quite so measurable. I wanted to gain inspiration and experience for my life as a writer by immersing myself in the culture and history of the countries I would visit. And I did.

Though the culture in England is not drastically different from America, there were many quirks (especially among the Cornish, Welsh and Scottish people I got to meet) that broadened my perspective. But perhaps the biggest way I feel the experience helped me as a writer was just the chance to see wholly new landscapes and learn more about the history of a place that’s vastly longer and more complex than American history. For instance, walking in the Culloden Battlefield in Scotland impressed on me the futility of wars and the toll of oppression in the aftermath. Hiking along the cliffs of Wales taught me how wild and legendary a land can be, holding hundreds of stories and fables around every corner—so that the countryside itself becomes a character. Standing in the Sagrada de Familia in Barcelona opened my eyes to the way a building can be like a marble forest. All these experiences were invaluable to me as a writer.

I feel like I was already changing before I left, and this experience has just propelled me forward. I am more confident, more assured, more independent and more capable than I was when I left.

To a student preparing to study abroad, I’d say: Make it your home. Don’t try to be a tourist and stuff in as many experiences as you can—though that’s well and good. But the real experiences that will change your life are the people you meet, the history you learn and the places you take the time to know.

That’s where Berry’s study abroad office came in to save the day. Here are some ways they helped prepare me to go and thrive in my semester abroad. 



Early Exposure 



During your first semester at Berry, you have to take an introductory college class. During one of the class meetings, the study abroad coordinator and/or a student who studied abroad will come and talk to you about how awesome it is, how to get scholarships, etc. They also do this in most language courses. So be prepared: Right from the start your wanderlust is going to be tickled.

Easy Meetings/Available Information



It’s quite easy to arrange a meeting with the study abroad office. You do have to fill out a little paperwork (why you are interested, where you want to go, etc.), but I felt like this just focused my curiosity. The office will try to match you to schools that are both in countries you want to visit and that specialize in your major (unless you just want to go for general education courses). When I mentioned my interest in creative writing, I suddenly had a brochure about travel writing classes in Italy. When I mentioned a love for England, I had guides and student reports about two fantastic universities. As I began to focus in on the school I wanted, I always had the study abroad office ready to answer any questions that came up (or ready to direct me to the correct place on the schools’ websites).



Meeting with Other Students

 

When I had selected my school (University of Reading), I was paired with another student who had been there the spring before. We got lunch together, and I plied her with all my questions. She gave me essential information, such as: What do I need to buy when I arrive? Where can I get a phone/bedding/groceries? How does the meal plan work? She also shared several stories, both preparing me for cultural differences and encouraging me. She even had a fantastic church recommendation, which was very important to me and a huge blessing. The ability to meet with a student who had studied at this school took a load off my mind and helped me feel very prepared when the craziness set in.

There are a few meetings you are required to attend before studying abroad. Most of these had basic travel safety tips and cultural games. But even though I had traveled abroad before, I still learned important information at these meetings. And it was cool to hang out with other Berry students who were (literally) going to the four corners of the world.



Counseling

During the training it was recommended that we consider seeing a counselor before leaving. Berry has a service with our on-campus health center where students can see a counselor for free. I know students who have used this service before and really benefitted from it. I had been attending counseling for a few months before I studied abroad (with an off-campus counselor who I’d been referred to), and I found it extremely helpful. My counselor had some great advice for warding off homesickness, keeping down stress levels, and enjoying myself. I’ve used her recommendations during my stay in England, and I can tell you they’ve helped me enormously.

You don’t realize how important fast communication is until you have five forms to turn in and you haven’t heard from your abroad university for over two weeks and you’re completely freaking out. Normally, Berry’s international office will get back to you within twenty four hours, or two days at the most, and always with a detailed answer. Their thoroughness is like a refreshing breeze as you’re trying to juggle all the preparations for leaving. 


 
 (My Danish friend, Anna, hiking along the cliffs in Wales)


There you have it: How Berry prepared me for this amazing experience. And it has been amazing. In fact, if the study abroad office hadn’t told me that my student visa will only be good for six months, I might consider staying here forever! Maybe I’ll just have to get married…



Just kidding. I’m excited to get back to Berry in a few months. Mostly because we have a Chick-fil-A on campus. (Okay, okay, and other reasons, too!)

The Class Structure 

At Berry: In a typical literature class at Berry, I would attend two longer lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or two shorter lectures on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The lectures themselves would be part teaching from the professor and part discussion about the book we were reading. Occasionally there would be a presentation from a student or a proofreading session during the class. Classes go for sixteen weeks, from mid-January to the first week of May. Classes can range from seven students in an upper-level to around twenty or thirty students in a general education course. Pretty straightforward.

At Reading: Classes here are very different depending on which class you are taking. First of all, a class is called a “module,” and what they call “courses” we call degree programs. This was infinitely confusing as I tried to navigate Reading’s website when I first started looking at studying abroad.

In a given class, you might have lectures, seminars or tutorials, or any combination thereof. A lecture is basically what you’d expect, with the exception that at lectures you aren’t supposed to talk to the professor—no questions or comments. You just listen. A seminar is when you meet with a smaller group of people—say seven to fifteen—sometimes with a different professor to have discussion and questions. A tutorial is when you meet one on one with the professor and have a private lesson.

The two classes I am taking here are considered “coursework” classes, which means I only have seminars. While at Berry I’d be taking two or three English classes (plus whatever general education/fun classes I wanted), here I am taking only two English seminars. I meet once a week for two hours with each class… which means I have five day weekends.

While at Berry we have fall and spring semesters (and summer blocks), here they have fall, spring and summer terms. The spring term is only ten weeks long. It’s followed by a month long Easter break. Then summer term starts, which is when students turn in their final projects and take tests for their final grades.

Speaking of…

The Course Load and Grading 

At Berry: A literature class at Berry generally has two to three essays (between four to ten pages, though that varies), a journal or short papers, and potentially tests or a final in-class essay. We’re also expected to read all the novels assigned. My grade would be divided between these various projects and my attendance/participation in the class, and my professor is the one who gives the grade.

At Reading: My coursework classes grade only one thing: My final project. I’m not marked up for attendance and I’m not allowed to split my grade over multiple smaller assignments. It all rests on my final, eighteen page paper. And if I want a good grade, that paper’s got to cover something that hasn’t previously been addressed in academia. Pressure much?

Interaction with Professors 

At Berry: Professors love to see students outside of class. Many times during the semester, I’ll find myself stuck in an essay or kicking around vague ideas. I can just pop into my professor’s office, and normally I’m met with a smile and enthusiasm. When I pass professors outside of class, they’ll often say hello or even stop and have a chat. I normally get feedback on my essays from the first concept to the thesis to the rough draft. It’s a warm, friendly atmosphere that’s really helped me thrive.

At Reading: The first day of class, my professors told me they weren’t allowed to even discuss my final project. Say what?! I do have one assignment that doesn’t get graded, but does get feedback, which would at least let me see if my quality of writing was going to meet their expectations. But I’d get very little feedback on the actual assignment.

It’s also much harder to meet with professors here—usually you have to go and sign up on their door, and sometimes there aren’t enough slots. Though by the end of term I feel pretty familiar with my professors, I definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable popping in and asking a random question.

My professors have been great, though, and have found ways to encourage me in the right direction. But it’s still nothing like the experience I have at Berry.

Accents 

At Berry: Normally the accents are Southern or at least standard American. (I’m not sure that’s a thing. Whatever isn’t Southern but also isn’t northern or city.) I have nothing against this. But…

At Reading: British accents. In literature classes. British people reading and discussing literature. It… it is beautiful.   It makes me cry inside.

Stay tuned for more of my adventures abroad!

By the way, there is an option for you to leave comments on this blog. If you have any questions about study abroad, or Berry in general, do let me know!

I’ve been at the University of Reading seven weeks now (can’t believe it’s been so long!). Adventures have abounded, including but not limited to: Almost getting hit by cars, exploring abbey ruins, and making friends with a llama. Oh, and classes. Because studying abroad does involve studying.

But to catch you up without writing a novel, I present for your enjoyment: My Top 5 study Abroad Experiences (so far).

5.     Walking Along the Beach in Wales  

I was in Wales meeting up with my sister for an epic Wales-Ireland-Switzerland-Germany-Switzerland-England trip. 

 We were staying in a small port town, so I left early one morning and went to the coast

The dunes were amazing—covered in fog, taller than the hills at Berry. I followed the locals and climbed higher and higher, admiring the views and enjoying traditional Celtic reels on my iPod. It was like walking out of civilized England and into the wilderness of legends. I came back wet from a brief rain, cold, hopelessly windblown and covered in sand, but grinning so hard my face hurt.

4.     The Book of Kells and Trinity Library   

 My journeys took me to Dublin, an opportunity I seized to go see the Book of Kells. If you don’t know, the book is the most ornate illuminated manuscript in Irish history. To me, the book also symbolizes the vital role of the Irish in preserving literacy. While the rest of the world was falling into darkness, the monks of Iona worked as scribes composing this book—“turning the darkness into light.” (I’d highly recommend The Secret of Kells, which was up for best animated film against Up a few years ago and was made by an Irish animation studio. It’s a gorgeous film and story, influenced by the legends surrounding the Book of Kells.)  

 Ahem. Is my nerd showing?  

 After spending nearly an hour in the two rooms of historical background information, I finally made my way to the book. By that time everyone else had rushed through, and I had the entire exhibit to myself. I bent over the pages until my nose almost touched the glass. I stared, stared, stared for a long time. The intricate designs were mind-blowing. 

I thoroughly examined all the pages on display before reluctantly leaving the room. I climbed some stairs and went through a doorway, only to rock to a stop. I was in Trinity Library. I'd seen pictures before, but hadn't realized I was there. My jaw dropped, and then I started giggling. The security guard looked at me like I was nuts.

It reminded me of a cathedral plus a library--beautiful high ceilings, dark wood, spiral staircases, and volumes and volumes of leather-bound, worn, old books. I walked around twice just to take it all in. If I was going to run away and live in a museum (a la Wonderstruck or From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler ), this is probably where I'd go. Except then I would starve to death because there is no food (other than the Eternal Food of Knowledge).

 3.     Doctor Who Experience   

 This will probably only impress those of you who are familiar with Doctor Who, the longest running television show in history and a huge part of British pop culture. Basically: Time lord (time traveler) runs about with humans and saves the world and is awesome. Now go watch it. I give you permission to start from Season 1 in 2005.  

Suffice to say: Imagine your favorite TV show. Then imagine being in an episode of your favorite TV show. Then add time travel and Doctor Who. Then multiply that by about one hundred. Then you’ll have what the Doctor Who Experience was for me.

 I got to fly the TARDIS (space ship/time travel machine), walk around Ten’s TARDIS set, see life-sized villains from the show, and on top of it all the Doctor told me I was brilliant for saving the world. (By the way, you’re welcome for that.)

 Basically the day was filled with me running around and giggling like a small girl.

 2.     Literary Tour in Bath    

 I visited Bath (which remains my favorite city in England to date) a few weeks ago. 

As I was poking around, a fellow in costume (including cape and top hat) approached me and made some remarks about the neighborhood I was in. We started talking, me asking questions and him explaining the significance of the history and architecture of the Crescent and Circus.

As the conversation began to wind down, I remarked on the ha-ha wall in the grassy area before the Crescent. He looked at me very closely and chuckled. "You know, you're one of the very, very few people who I've met who know what a ha-ha wall is!"

I explained that I used to live near Mt. Vernon, George Washington's estate. For those who don't know, a ha-ha wall is a wall created by making a sort of ditch in the ground. It's practically invisible when viewed from above, which makes it ideal for landscaping--and for tripping up unwary walkers (thus the name). I told the fellow that I used to take my friends out to Mt. Vernon, I'd tell them to wait and then I'd run and jump down the ha-ha walls and disappear. He found this quite amusing.

He said he had about 45 minutes before his next tour, and asked if I'd be interested in having him show me around the literary sites of the city. Um, yes please! 

So I got my own private literary tour of Bath, because I knew how to recognize a ha-ha wall. Random historic facts are useful after all! 

1.     Sagrada Familia in Barcelona   

I took a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Barcelona, Spain, with another study abroad friend near the beginning of term. While there, we decided to see the famous Sagrada Familia. They began building the Sagrada Familia in 1883 (estimated completion is 2026). When I was getting ready to see it, I wasn't sure I'd like it. Modern? Not so cool. But it was actually one of my most amazing experiences I've had in a cathedral.

My jaw literally dropped when I walked through the doors. It was massive--bigger on the inside--with white marble and tree-like columns. It felt like walking into a white forest (or Lothlorien), with your eyes constantly drawn up. It was huge, but it felt light and airy.

They were having mass and singing in the church. It was ethereal, listening to the songs under the white marble trees.

Those are my top five experiences… at least, the ones outside the classroom. Stay tuned for more adventures from across the Pond!

I first set foot on Berry soil as a high school sophomore. I didn’t know right off that this was the place for me—I just knew that when I stood beneath the arches of Ford I felt peaceful.  In a life that’s anything but quiet, this peace is what continually reminds me that Berry College was the right choice for me.

Here I am now, a junior.  I’m an English major (creative writing emphasis) working three on-campus jobs, taking a full load of courses and writing novels in my spare time.  Did I mention life as an overambitious college student is hectic?

Because I am an English Major, here’s an outline of the things you might want to know.

1. A Navy brat, to be specific.
2. I’ve lived in five different houses since I was ten.
3. You know how parents aren’t supposed to change students’ rooms after they ship off to college?  Well, my family moved the winter of my freshman year—brand new house, new town, the whole lot of it.

2. I’m a traveler. 

1. I’ve been to seven different countries—Canada, Mexico, Germany, England, Italy, Austria (twice by accident), and the United Arab Emirates.
2. Once my family did the whole drive-from-Mississippi-to-San-Diego-without-stopping thing.  I remain in awe that we survived.
3. I read travel guides for fun. Yes, actually.

1. I grew up listening to my dad read lighthearted children’s books like Lord of the Rings and The Once and Future King. I have a long attention span.
2. Today I divide my spare time between reading classics and young adult novels. Some of my favorites include Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), The Percy Jackson Series (Rick Riordan), Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) and Beauty (Robin McKinley).
3. People who don’t like to read sort of terrify me.

1. As stated above, I love writing. I’ve written several manuscripts for fun, most of them in the Young Adult Fantasy genre.
2. Photography is my second artistic passion. I dream of traveling the world photographing community development projects.
3. I dabble in graphic design. I love designing posters, particularly our student literary journal, Ramifications.

1. I was Home Schooled from third grade till graduation. At one point I had very long hair and I’ve always owned glasses. But because I was Home Schooled, I got to do some crazy things like meet Douglas Gresham (C.S. Lewis’ step-son), go to museums when they were completely empty, and walk along the top of a volcano in Hawaii while the rest of you were stressing over your standardized tests.
2. I started attending community college as a dual enrolled student at the ripe young age of 16. This is why all my friends glare at me whenever class registration comes around. (I get to register early.)
3. I’m a Gate of Opportunity Scholar. This means that while I’m taking classes, I’m also learning how to work in an office. Or several offices, as the case may be.

By the by, my name is Alyssa.

Stay tuned for more adventures--including but not limited to my study abroad journey at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom this semester!