Finals, finals and more finals

Well, it's that time of the year again: the end of the semester. Which means summer vacation, no work, hanging out at the beach and finals! Ahhhhh! This semester I have four final exams, but they are all spread out very nicely. Only one a day. I had my first this morning at 9am. I thought it went quite well. It was for my Art History class which has been a really fabulous break from all of my science classes. Tomorrow is Political Science, then Chemistory and Zoology next week. Then, graduation from Oxford!

I'm bittersweet about my time ending at Oxford. I have loved all of my experiences here and I cannot imagine how different I would be if I went someplace else. Oxford has given me so much: wonderful, caring professors, leadership opportunities, fabulous friends and most of all - I found my passion for genetics research. So, while this is an end to my career at Oxford, it is a new beginning for a new chapter in my life. In the fall, I am taking some higher-level Biology courses and I'm getting to meet so many new people.

But first, this summer I shall be at the Medical College of Georgia performing Biomedical research. It is going to be a wonderful experience meeting new people who share some similar passions to myself.

Well, back to studying. But look out for my posts over the summer!

Peace and love,
Lizzy

Springing for Oxford!

Oxford's campus is teeming with activity! The weather is gorgeous and student's are relaxing on the quad and enjoying the sun despite their busy schedules. Every club on campus has their final event to bid the semester goodbye and celebrate their accomplishments. The Hindu Students Association celebrated Holi with the Oxford community by playing Holi with everyone on the quad. Also, chorale is having their final concert, the tennis teams are competing well, Spirit week is next week (it's going to be EPIC), and a new sport has begun at Oxford... Quidditch.

Now is a great time to come on campus and see some Oxford's student life first hand. We only have 2 Spring for Oxford events left on April 23 and April 26th so don't miss your chance to visit Oxford!

Our Accepted Student and Deposited Student Handbooks are now available online. Check these out for more information on applying for housing and Orientation details!

Deposits are due on May 1st so hold your spot by sending in your deposit today!

Hey you! Can I be your PAL?

SEN10RS of 2010!

I bet y'all are so excited right now. I remember when I was in your shoes. I was on cloud nine. I knew I was headed to a great college, I had a couple of scholarships under my belt, I was about to graduate and get out of my momma's house-- everything was perfect.

Well trust me, it only gets better from here. Sure, the next four months will be somewhat stressful. This is to be expected with any major lifestyle change. Still, Oxford College is all about making the transition from high school to college as smooth as silk.

One of the best aspects of your orientation experience will be meeting your PALs. PALs or Peer Assistance Leaders are your orientation leaders, freshman seminar teachers, and (hopefully) longtime friends who are committed to making your first year experience awesome.

I remember when I had my first PAL sighting at orientation. We were driving into the little village of Oxford and I saw all these people in bright blue t-shirts jumping up and down, waving, and screaming. They were holding signs that pointed the way to Oxford and looked very excited about their job. The next sighting came on the quadrangle. The all marched across the quad yelling Emory fight songs and the Alma Mater. Their school spirit was admirable but for an introverted little freshie like myself I found them to be a bit frightening at first.

No need to worry, though! Never fear, your PAL is here! The PALs made my transition wonderfully easy. You're assigned a PAL group on the first day of orientation that you'll send a lot of time with. You'll eat dinner with them and go to activities with them and hopefully make a new friend or two along the way.

Once orientation is over and you register for freshman seminar you'll get to take a class taught by a PAL and an Oxford faculty member. During this time you'll get to meet more awesome friends and learn a lot about yourself and others.

Your PALs, along with other student leaders, will your ultimate buddies on campus and I hope you'll take your first few months at Oxford as an opportunity to get to know and love them as they'll know and love you back :)

P.S. If you haven't caught on by now. . .  I'm a PAL! I can't wait to work with you!

Regular Decisions Released Tonight!

Regular decisions will be released tomorrow at 8:00 AM! Look on your OPUS account and you will be able to view your decision and your letter online. You will also be receiving a decision packet and hard copy of your letter next week. Good luck with your decisions and remember to sign up for our Spring for Oxford events for accepted students.

Alternative Spring Break 2010

“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”

This is why we have spring break! So, Jacks and Jills across the United States can take a breather from academics and extracurriculars. Still, sometimes work and play can be a match made in heaven. Trust me, I worked and played this spring break and loved every moment of it. 

I always thought that my first college spring break would include a tropical vista, bikinis, crystal clear water, my best girlfriends, days of much needed R&R and a really expensive price tag. I was prepared for this and ready to shell out the big bucks to have a typical, run-of-the-mill spring break—that is, until I heard about Alternative Spring Break.

Here at Oxford, the Alternative Spring Break trip is insanely popular. You can’t just sign up and go—you have to apply and be chosen. Being the person I am (I sign up for everything) I applied and I got it. I actually didn’t expect to be chosen. I had plans to go to Puerto Rico but a chance at ASB pushed that all aside. I still had an awesome time but it was significantly less expensive than Puerto Rico and I worked with a great cause!

I probably have y'all wondering: “What makes ASB so special?” Well, let me start from the very beginning.

A group of 29 students (including myself) and five faculty and staff volunteers (including Dean of Campus Life, Joe Moon) traveled to New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama last Saturday at the beginning of our spring break. We spent the following week taking in New Orleans culture and food (yum!), bonding, having warm and fuzzy moments, soaking up some sun on the Gulf Shores, and building a six bedroom house for a family of 13 (yes thirteen!) African refugees with Habitat for Humanity.

I’m still amazed that we managed to fit everything that we did into seven days. It was a truly awesome experience. I didn’t know anyone going on the trip but the trip really encouraged us to bond and talk to new people. We’re like one big happy family now :) We learned how to work together, have fun together, and live together. Now, we can’t get enough of each other! We’ve actually been having mini ASB reunions ever since school started again.

Check out this link for our news coverage!

'Til Next Time,

Imani :)

P.S. Happy St. Patty's Day, Y'all!

 

Springing Forward!

Spring is here and the quad is blooming with excitement! The students just came back from spring break (as Lizzy noted) and the end of the semester is approaching. We had two groups of students go to some unique locations this spring break. A group of 32 students chose to forego the usual tanning, swimming, and beach activities to build a house in Mobile, AL. We also had a group of student that traveled to Ecuador for Dr. McQuaide's Social Change in Developing Societies course.
Look out for Oxford 101 which will be on March 21st. This event is for 9th-11th graders who would like to gain a good insight into the college application process. Register online today!

The End of Spring Break

I'm actually writing this blog post from 36,005' in the air (thank you Delta and inflight Wi-Fi!). Well, it's the end of spring break. Less than 2 months of the semester left and then I shall be graduating from Oxford. It's scary knowing that I won't be coming back to Oxford in the fall. It's also scary that I only have about 6 weeks until finals (so much work to do!).

Anyways... much has happened so far this semester. I joined Gamma Phi Beta at the Atlanta campus. It has been a wonderful experience. I have met so many wonderful people through the sorority and I'm excited to be at the Atlanta campus full-time next year to take full advantage of the sorority. This week is clue week, so I'll be getting "clues" from my big sister (I don't know who she is yet... hence the clues). I'm quite excited. It's something nice to come back from spring break to. I declared a Biology major and as of right now, I am pursuing a MD/PhD dual degree. I applied to several summer research programs, but I have not heard back from all of them yet.

Spring break was a lot of fun. I went back home to NYC with a friend of mine. We did a lot of sight-seeing around the city: The Bronx Zoo, the Statue of Liberty, MoMA, Guggenheim, every Apple store (Curtis works at an Apple store in Georgia), and lots of walking throughout the city. We also saw a lot of shows: In the Heights (I was blown away!), Joan Rivers, God of Carnage, The Addams Family (so amazing - it's going to be a huge hit!) and The Miracle Worker (Abigail Breslin was amazing as Helen Keller and Allison Pill was an excellent Anne Sullivan). And of course some shopping! Haha.

Well, we should be getting ready for landing soon. Much more later!

Peace and love,
Lizzy