Ready for August Term!

As Transy gets ready for the summer, I will be getting ready for August Term!

For the Class of 2016, we will be having an August Term, a 3-week program geared towards adjusting our incoming freshman to campus life and campus academics.  It is an exciting time for all of us at Transy, especially for faculty members and August Term Scholars.

As August Term Scholars, we will be co-teaching with faculty members, and helping the freshman get ready for what level of academic work, especially critical reading, is expected here at Transy. A 3 hour class every morning during the first week from 9-12AM, then the second and third weeks will be from 9:30-12AM, will cover the academic portion of the term.  After class time, aside from completing assignments, there will be plenty of things going on to keep the Class of 2016 busy!

We will be hosting Mary Ann Taylor Hall, author of “Come and Go Molly Snow: A Novel”, the first August Term reading and also a local fiddler. Along with evening events like a campus talent competition and some small group trips around Lexington, the students will also engage in traditional orientation events and informational meetings.

For me, this is truly an exciting time for Transylvania.  I’m slightly biased in my excitement, since I will be an August Term Scholar, but I think that this is a big step for everyone on campus, even the upper-class students.

Our campus life and campus academics will truly be enhanced by having a freshman class that is accustomed to being on campus and being in a college class at Transylvania.  Most importantly, this term will provide confidence, something that is often lacking in freshman students.  Gaining the confidence in the classroom will be a huge step towards success int their next four years on our small campus, much like gaining the confidence to cross North Broadway will be!

My Unforgettable Driving Experience

One of the greatest things of being in the United States is driving. I did not know how to drive in China because the legal age for driving is 18. As one needs a car to get to most places in America, I decided to purchase a car. So far, I have enjoyed my driving experience in the U.S.

I remember my excitement when I first got my car. I called Yunan (a Transy student) in the afternoon, asking him to drive with me, because I have not had my driver’s license at that time.

The Evolution of Dumbo

I’m not sure if you saw before, but I’m doing a series of blog posts on the artistic aspects of the Transylvania community.  If you missed the first post, click here. Now you’re all caught up.  YAY!

Anyway, as a child, I was the polite, soft-spoken type up until I went to kindergarten—then everything changed.  All the sudden I blossomed and became the talkative, probably-too-energetic kid I still am today.  Although I was about 4 feet shorter and had the ears of Dumbo, I think my ears were a physical manifestation of the social butterfly I was becoming.  I had broken out of my cocoon, and I was ready to fly… or at least, I thought so.

My teacher had other plans.

Believe it or not, teachers don’t always appreciate class disruptions, so she didn’t appreciate my constant attempts to draw on the board, my affinity for climbing on everything other than the playground, or my occasional belief that I could use my ears to fly.

Fast forward through puberty and (luckily) growing into my ears.  Now I’m at Transy, and I have a secret obsession with art. If you’re involved in the Lexington art community in any way, shape, or form, you’ve most likely heard of Kremina Todorova and Kurt Gohde. 

Dr. Todorova is an English professor, and Dr. Gohde is an art professor; however, much like the Planeteers, their powers combine in order to make some extraordinary things: their Community Engagement through the Arts and Creative Disruptions classes. 

My Old Transy Home

As my sophomore year at Transylvania comes to a conclusion, I find myself looking back and reflecting.  Last night, I was sitting outside, having a smoothie and watching the sunset, and it really hit me.

Being a student at Transylvania University is not what I expected when I came to school back in 2010.  I figured that I was going to be sitting in a library or playing volleyball for the majority of my time. In high school, that was all I did. I went to school, had practices or games, did my homework, then crashed into bed.  I didn’t expect college to be any different, except that I wouldn’t be at home, I would be 5 hours away.

I was so very wrong.

Every night, I crash into my bed, exhausted and worn-out.  However, it’s a satisfied exhaustion, one that makes me happy.  I go to school everyday like I used to, I play sports like I used to, and I still study and do homework.  The difference is that I enjoy it.

I roamed to San Antone

Traveling abroad is one of the quintessential college experiences. New-found freedom to pursue meaningful interests, a heightened sense of scholastic adventure, and an “Ahh, what will a couple thousand more bucks hurt?,” attitude brought on by mounting college costs, all combine to make international travel a genuinely viable option for a lot of college students- especially at Transylvania.

The value and heuristic impetuses traveling abroad inspires cannot be discounted, but sometimes college students become so distracted by the glamorous novelty and uniqueness of foreign countries they overlook just how special several places right here in the United States of Wal-Ma….err America, really are.

Oh joy! Ive just remembered an interesting anecdote that will exemplify my previous assertion wonderfully. Yay, serendipity!!

I recently had the opportunity to travel with professor Gary Deaton, and three majors from the Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication department to the Southern States Communication Association’s regional conference, held in San Antonio, Texas. The experience, from the outset, was outstanding, in no small part due to the sharp uptick in temperature I exalted in upon arrival.

But the weather wasn’t the only thing heating up around San Antonio. Transy’s representatives turned up the heat during their respective presentations of senior seminar papers. Monica Lawson, one of the three seniors, even had her paper named “Best In Conference,” from a field of hundreds! It is important to note that this was not a competition in any way, but I went ahead and kept score anyway…it’ll suffice to say the 7-0 skunk rule was employed quite liberally.

Austria, I am Coming!

Summer in Austria is something that I have never thought about before I came to Transy. The study abroad office and the KIIS program made my trip to Europe possible!

The Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) is sponsored by Western Kentucky University and provides international educational experiences in countries across the world. Participating students take at least one class in the summer program. Most programs do not have language requirements, as many classes are taught in English. Although I only had German for one year at Transy, I still can enjoy the wonderful opportunity to experience the European culture! I am going to take Business Ethics and Intro to Germanic Culture while I am in Austria.

I really appreciate Kathy Simon’s great effort in helping me to prepare for the visa interview. She is so helpful, considerate, friendly, patient and organized! Because my interview was on Monday, I had to call her during the weekend to ask her a couple of questions. She was so patient and answered all my questions in a very friendly manner.

While in Austria, I will be staying with two more American students in a host family. We will have classes from Monday to Thursday and have three-day travel time every week. During the long weekend, I plan to visit France, Germany, and Switzerland. I hope to visit the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, enjoy the wonderful culture in Munich, and see the beautiful snow mountain in Switzerland.

I am so excited about my summer adventure in Europe!