Ten On Tuesday: The College Edition

August 17, 2010

I’m jumping back in with Ten on Tuesday hosted by Chelsea this week, because the questions are all about college and I loved my college and the whole experience.

I do have two degrees from two different schools, but my nursing school experience was nontraditional so I won’t be talking about that here.

1. Where did you go to college?
I went to Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. It had about 500 students in a town of 3000 surrounded by farmland. We literally ran around the entire town during some soccer conditioning practices.

David’s first visit to Tabor last year.

2. What did you study?
I majored in Christian ministry and philosophy. I originally wanted to work at a Christian camp, but my education was actually geared toward leading youth groups in churches. I now consider nursing my ministry, and I help lead our church youth group as a volunteer.

The whole philosophy thing was just for fun. I had a great professor and it was a pretty small load of hours.

3. Was college really all that it was cracked up to be?
Definitely. I chose the perfect school, and I thrived. You’d think that a place that small and that different from what I’m used to would be boring, but I made the best friends and got really involved in activities (soccer, choir, band, leading a local church youth group, intramural sports, even drama). I also learned so much and I know I’m a better person because of the classes and professors at Tabor. I consider it my life degree.

4. How far were you from home?
I just mapped it, and it’s 675 miles. It took about eleven hours driving.

I feel like I know every inch of this drive, and all its variations.

5. Did you have the same roommate all four years?
No; the first semester I was paired with another soccer player, Katie, and although we had some good times we didn’t work as roommates at all. She was the kind of person who would ask you a question and then walk away while you were in the middle of answering her.

We went our separate ways, and I moved in with a friend I’d made named Sara. She and I lived together the first semester of sophomore year too, until she went to pharmacy school. I got one semester in my own room, then junior year I lived in a house with three good friends and roomed with my best friend Becca. That was the best year.

Me with my housemates from junior year.

First semester senior year I lived with a friend named Iva in a room meant for one person. We had fun, but she moved home second semester and I was again alone.

6. Where did you order food from at 2am?
I never ordered food, but we did have some late night McDonald’s runs. That was until the McDonald’s went out of business (can you imagine a place where a McDonald’s actually goes out of business??)

7. Did you date in college or were you tied down?
I had a pattern: I dated a different guy at the beginning of every year but we were always broken up by Christmas, and not by my choice. I learned a lot about heartbreak in college.

8. Funniest drunk college moment?
I’ve actually never been drunk. Tabor required us to sign a lifestyle contract (it was a Christian school) and I followed it for the most part.

9. Did you make it to class on time?
I always made it, but I didn’t always stay awake. It was interesting to look back at the notes I took from morning classes, because you could tell right where I nodded off.

10. What was your favorite class in college?
My absolute favorite was a class on the life and writings of C.S. Lewis. In second place is a class on the Book of John, which was incidentally the hardest class I took.

I’ve been back for Tabor’s homecoming every single year since I graduated; that’s how much I loved it. Some of my best friends live up there, and now my former pastor is the president of the school. Unfortunately an ex of mine who I met in college (we started dating long distance after I graduated) began borderline harassing me after we broke up – all the way until last year when I had to threaten him with getting a lawyer. I’m kind of scared to go back now because it’s a small enough place that I might bump into him and how awkward would that be?

Posted in: personal, me


Comments on Ten On Tuesday: The College Edition

  1. 1

    From Lisa (Loewen) Kroeker:

    Reading your post makes me miss Tabor and college! I love going back for homecoming (but I won’t this year because I’ll be in China then).

  2. 2

    From linda:

    Love that you mapped out the drive. crazy, 11 hours of driving! i cringe making the 2.5 hour drive from Austin, TX to Houston, TX. we’ve had very different college experiences and it’s fascinating. Your town’s McD ran out of business! You signed a lifestyle contract! Sounds crazy to me. Though I went to a catholic all girls high school and our graduating senior class was 48 girls.

    I don’t remember if I’ve ever commented before, but you’ve been in my reader for quite some time now! Just saying hi finally (maybe).

  3. 3

    From Scott:

    This isn’t all that related – but I am on a huge C.S. Lewis kick at the moment. I’m currently working my way through his more obscure short stories and literary essays. It’s fun!

  4. 4

    From Erin:

    Your school sounds awesome! Color me jealous!

  5. 5

    From Amber from Girl with the Red Hair:

    I really enjoyed this weeks 10 on Tuesday and reading everyone’s answers! Great to hear that you had such a wonderful college experience :)

  6. 6

    From Mom:

    Thanks for this post. Of all the colleges my children went to, Tabor is my favorite. I always enjoyed our visits because I absolutely love the college and the town. I even loved the Country Haven Inn (especially the waffles). The house you lived in your junior year was the best–house-wise and people-wise–so homey and of course your roomies were great. You even included one of my favorite pictures from that time! Plus I think you got the best education; they taught you how to think, not just filled your head with facts. You bring back wonderful memories!

  7. 7

    From Kyla Roma:

    I love hearing about your college experience, the US college thing really fascinates me, and I love hearing about what being at a Christian college was like. It’s kind of like the movies to me :)

  8. 8

    From Nora:

    I laughed out loud at the note taking part because I can always tell when I’m tired/not with it because I start to nod off myself and/or my handwriting gets all smooshed or big and loopy.

    I can’t imagine a McDonald’s going out of business at all! That’s just crazy!

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