Dorm Life

Wednesday, May 16th


It’s crazy to think that my freshman year is quickly coming to a close!  I still remember meeting my roommate on move-in day!  Last Sunday, we had our last official LeTourneau dorm meeting of the school year.  We talked about how to clean out our dorm rooms for summer and what the check-out process would be like.
Here are a few tips I learned from my freshman year in the dorm:

Bring the clothes that you will wear most often. If you really feel that you need more clothes, go ahead and bring them, but keep in mind you’ll have to fit everything in your car when you go home at the end of the school year!

When you arrive in the fall, some items you may want to bring are:

-Lysol Wipes

-Scrubbies: 1 for dishes and one for shoes.

-Plastic bowls that can go in the microwave

-A coffee mug 

-A few storage bins to save space

Wednesday, May 1st

Mhhhm, time for Waffle House!  On Wednesday night at curfew (midnight), the second floor ladies of LeTourneau snuck out for a midnight snack.  LeTourneau has a number of fun dorm events each year and this event is one that typically takes place during the spring semester.  It’s crazy to think that in just a few short weeks I’ll be heading back home from college, but it has been a fantastic freshman year!

Thursday, April 18th 

mhhhm, FROYO!

The week leading up to Campus Preview, all of the dorms on campus, including many of the Resident Assistants and other students, were eagerly preparing for the arrival of the prospective students.  We had a dorm meeting the Tuesday before Campus Preview to specifically discuss ideas that we could use to welcome the new students!

LeT Froyo Night!

The day before the students arrived, many of the LeTourneau ladies helped deep clean the dorm because we wanted it to look great for Campus Preview Weekend. Our dorm event was Froyo Night, many of the incoming students got to talk to us about what it's like living in the dorm!

Monday, April 1st

Hey class of 2017, are you excited for Campus Preview Weekend (CPW)?
LeTourneau sure is! Just before spring break we had a dorm meeting and
we discussed how we will set up for CPW.  I am excited to meet all of
you!

As a dorm, it is going to be interesting housing almost forty new
students for a weekend!  My spring break during high school landed on
the week of Easter, so I wasn't able to attend CPW, so I am really new
to this idea too!  I know Cathy, our resident director and all of our
resident assistants and even students are excited to show you how
awesome TFC really is!






Friday, March 15th


This week, the dorm talked about what to do in order to be ready for Spring break next week!  We had a dorm meeting again and discussed specific room checks, Campus Preview weekend housing/activities, housing for next year and ended with talking about where everyone is heading for break!

Cathy, our Resident Director, had us sign on sheets a week ago about where we plan to go and how many meals in the café we’d plan on eating before we left.  Has your school already had their spring break?  What did you do for Spring break?  I can’t wait for break!  I’ll be going back home for the first time since Thanksgiving!

Friday, March 8th

Earlier this week, I was thinking about when I moved in for the fist time and realized that was over 6 months ago! As I was reminiscing, I remembered I was really concerned about how to store things in my dorm and what were the most useful items to bring to college. Here’s a list of my top 5 what to bring and what not to bring!

What to bring:

1. Alarm clock - This is really useful in the mornings, you can’t always hear your phone so I strongly suggest bringing one! 
2. Laundry Hamper - Some people go home every other weekend, but if you’re like me you don’t go home much! A hamper is a necessity if you plan on doing laundry in the dorm!

3. ID/phone wristlet/lanyard - Going to different places such as chapel, café, games, off campus, you need to have a convenient way of finding your phone, student ID and cash! You also will need something like a lanyard to keep your PO Box key and room key!

4. Shower caddy - These are useful for keeping toiletries neat and organized. It also helps you carry everything to the bathroom since they’re community style!
5. Dishes - Don’t forget, when you live in the dorm and want food, you’ll need to have your own set of dishes. I suggest a microwavable bowl!

What not to bring:

1. Kitchen supplies - All of the dorms have a kitchen with items available. Don’t waste that closet space!

2. Huge sound systems - Mini speakers are fine, but most of the time playing things off of your computer is loud enough for studying or tuning out other noises!
3. T - Most people generally just use their laptops or the dorms have a TV in each lobby!
4. Candles – Com’on, who wants to set the dorm on fire? Not this girl! But air fresheners or wall plugs are fantastic!
5. Storage bins – Under-bed storage containers are great to use, but large bins are not necessary. They dorms offer plenty of storage space.

Friday, March 1st


Want to see more of what my dorm life is like?  I would love to show you my dorm and some of the cool stuff inside. LeTourneau is set up in three floors: First and second floor (typically for freshman), and the basement (for upperclassmen).   




The kitchen is located in the basement and is open to everyone. I haven’t used it much, but it’s good for LeT parties and anyone who wants to buy their own food for snacks or events. 


Another really cool spot is the inner lobby on the first floor.  Typically girls from the basement come up to the first floor and sit on the red couches with us. It's a great place to hang out, study, etc.  All of our dorm meetings are held here as well. 

Outer Lobby

    


Friday, February 22nd

This week, Cathy announced that they are accepting applications to be an RA next year!  What’s an RA?  Glad you asked!  RA short for Resident Advisor, and they have several responsibilities on the hall such as looking out for the freshman ladies, helping them feel included and welcome, performing  room check, and beyond!  I realized this year, that when you’re an RA you’re almost always on duty because at any time people can ask you questions like where something is or how to do a certain task.  RA life is busy, but there are benefits.  When you’re an RA, about $3,000 is knocked off of your room and board at TFC.  That’s huge!  

Spiritual life is so important at TFC that they assign an additional student to be an SLC, or a Spiritual Life Coordinator, to work together as a team with the RA on the hall.   They’re there to be intentional about facilitation spiritual growth on the hall and as a community of sisters in Christ. They lead Bible studies and prayer meetings for the girls on the hall, and are there for us to talk to when we need someone to listen or pray for us.  A lot of girls take full advantage of that and truly grow in the Lord because they get to talk one on one with their SLC or even RA! There is an application and interview with the RA and RD to become an SLC and being an SLC can also count as a service and outreach project since you’re ministering to the girls on your hall.   It’s a very unique position!

I learned a lot of “how-to’s” this year from my RA’s, Jenna and Esther.  My LeTourneau big sister, Karhi, is also an RA!  Hannah has been a great SLC this year too.  

Esther, one of my RA's!

 
Friday, February 15th

This week, Cathy announced that she got the job in the admissions office as the head director!  It was a happy and sad moment for us LeT girls because we have grown to love her and her family, but we know that she’ll still be part of our lives!  

Cathy and Nate!

Every month or so, we have a mandatory dorm meeting and we talk about events, protocol for coming breaks, and campus updates.  We talked about Spring break and Cathy’s new position this week.  Cathy could have taken the position as early as she wanted, but she loves us girls so much she decided to stay with us in the dorm until the end of this school year!  I’m really relieved we don’t have a drastic change, but I know next year will be new and exciting with a new RD!  All of the girls that have gotten to know Cathy, including myself, truly love her and her family; they’re a great role model family for living in a dorm with two little girls and about ninety college girls!




We will miss Cathy next year, but she still plans to stay on campus and who knows, maybe she’ll be my boss next year if I become a student counselor or ambassador!


Friday, February 8th

On Sunday night, a bunch of the 3A hall guys and girls from LeTourneau went to Applebee’s to watch the Super Bowl!  I tend to watch college football more than pro football, but I still cheered for the Ravens!  What team did you cheer for?

I would have to say, overall, the commercials were the best part about the Super Bowl.  My favorite was the Dorito one with the llama. Comment below and let me know your favorite commercial? I also considered that we may have watched the longest lasting Super Bowl game ever because of the thirty minute power outage at the dome! All said and done, it was an awesome time hanging out with good food and a good game. 

Stay tuned, next week the blog will be about the 80's party in LeTourneau! 

Friday, February 1st

Birthday girls!

This past Tuesday, the LeTourneau girls went about 20 minutes away to Clarksville, GA to a local restaurant called The Copper Pot. This restaurant is really interesting and serves things such as specialty pizzas, pastas, and more. When you  visit TFC, I definitely recommend trying this place out. This excursion was taken as a birthday bash for not one, but two birthdays. Both girls, Christine and Amanda, are my RAs (resident assistant) and they share a January birthday.

LeTourneau was definitely present!

Overall, I thought it was fun to get out with the dorm, order some good pizza, have some laughs, and see more of the area surrounding TFC.  Being from Ohio, it's fun to get out and see the local area that is so different from where I am from.  Although I must admit, I am not sure that I could find the place again.
I'm really excited for next week on Friday because our dorm is planning an 80's party! Please comment and give suggestions as to how I should dress up. The person who offers the costume idea that I use, wins a free T-shirt!! Stay tuned to find out more.

 

Friday, December 7th

Christmas is coming to LeTourneau!  We have a real Christmas tree in the outer lobby that we got to decorate ourselves!  We also have a secret sister gift exchange this Friday!  We drew names out of a hat to find out who we would shop for.  Last Wednesday, the dorm RA’s took a group of girls to the Mall of Georgia and the World Market to find a gift for their secret sisters.  

Starbucks with Cristy!

The trip to the World Market was special to me since I come from a multi-cultural family.  My mother is Canadian, and my dad is Indian.  I found a scarf made in India, ate some native foods, and even got my secret sister an authentic Indian gift.  Do you have multicultural heritage or experience from another country?

After the World Market trip, we headed off to the Mall of Georgia!  You could feel the Christmas spirit in the air because of all the mall’s decorations, the centerpiece was a giant Christmas tree!  I always love the colors, lights and holiday food the Christmas season!  Cristy and I even got Starbucks!  Do you have a favorite of their seasonal coffee drinks? YUM! 

Friday, November 30th

 

On the 18th just before break, the LeT dorm had a thanksgiving dinner! Our Resident Director, Cathy, made two turkeys and we all brought different sides to share!

Me and Olivia!

All set up!

Once again, the RA's did an awesome job of transforming LeT into an awesome dining room.  Everyone really loved the special white light Christmas lighting in the inner lobby because we still have them hanging up right now!  It was fun getting to dress up and take pictures with my roommate and some other girls in the dorm. I really enjoyed the never ending four tables of food and desserts!  Everyone was very excited to try new recipes or even make their very first dish! What was your first dish that you cooked/baked? Mine was enchiladas since I was in Spanish class all four years of high school (don't worry, I did not make this for Thanksgiving).

Overall, I think it was fun to get to talk with everyone and just have a good time to be thankful that God has brought all of us together this semester. We even did a Charlie Brown style Thankful Tree.

One of the food tables!

Another cool event was the Forest Open Dorm event Friday after the basketball game.  This is where the dorms are opened up for all students to come and hang out. Normally, the dorms are non- coed except on move in/out dates and the Open Dorm Events. Everyone just got to hang out and I had a good time with my friends hanging out with the guys in hall 3A. You should check out www.facebook.com/Toccoafallscollege:Admissions to see some of the videos.

Friday, November 16th

This Friday, our dorm had a Fro-yo night party!  Earlier that week, they had a sign-up sheet for different girls to bring different toppings or help out with buying some of the Fro-yo.  I thought it was a neat idea and I personally love frozen yogurt!  Did you know Fro-yo is short for frozen yogurt?  My favorite Fro-yo is vanilla with chocolate syrup and sprinkles as toppings, but I also like a fruit themed Fro-yo too!  What are your favorite Fro-yo toppings?  

I sadly didn’t get to go because our Barnabus group had a chili dinner at Faith’s house and then I went to the Cross-country girl’s sleepover. While I had a BLAST at both of those events, I heard that the Fro-yo party was delicious.




Friday, November 2nd

This past Friday, the LeTourneau ladies had a Fall Pumpkin Party!  The RA's and SLC's decorated the dorm for us, and it looked beautiful!  They strung white lights and covered the tables with fall colors.  We enjoyed socializing and making pumpkins out of paper with verses inside of them for people in the local Toccoa nursing homes! 

We also were able to enjoy festive pumpkin themed snacks. We drank coffee with a choice of coffee creamers: pumpkin latté, pumpkin spice, and white chocolate mocha.  We snacked on pumpkin dip, pumpkin pie, apple cider, and cheese and dipped treats in a chocolate fountain!  I was able to talk with a few of the girls I don't normally see during the day, so it was fun to catch up and talk about our week.  I really hope that I can connect with everyone throughout the year, so events like this really help! 



Friday, October 26th

Check back with me next week to hear all about our LeTourneau Pumpkin Party! 

Friday, October 19th

Every Tuesday night the first and second floor girls in LeTourneau get together for a prayer meeting.  It helps us escape homework for an hour and focus on God together as a dorm.  Cathy, our Resident Director, leads the prayer group each week and gives us new verses and topics to discuss.  Recently, we made prayer bracelets that had our names on them.  We then put them all in a bowl and chose someone else’s bracelet.  After finding whose name was on the bracelet, we asked that person what prayer requests they had for the week.  Cathy said the bracelet would remind us to pray for our designated person throughout the week. 

 

So far, we have kept this up for two weeks and I have already seen prayers answered!  I also like this idea because it gets us to chat with those who we don’t regularly see during the day due to crazy schedules so it brings us all closer to each other!

At the beginning of every prayer session, we turn in the other person’s bracelet and pick out a new one for the week.  The process is meant to be repeated throughout the year.  Cathy said that when we get to Christmas or summer break, we will keep the girls’ bracelets and faithfully pray for them to keep us connected.  

Friday, October 12th

Group time

The whole collection

On Saturday night, the LeTourneau girls gathered together for a cereal, crochet, and movie night.  The night started by us gathering in the outer lobby of the dorm where we came bearing our favorite cereals. The RD of the dorm provided the milk for us, and the night began on a delicious note.  In addition to watching the movie, many of the girls learned how to crochet. Have any of learned how to crochet? Let me tell you, it’s interesting! Once you get the hang of it, it’s not bad. I am hoping to be able to make my parents a Detroit Tigers blanket for Christmas!

Delicious!

A highlight of the night was getting to hang out with the ladies from the LeTourneau Basement (LB) and getting to know the rest of the girls there.   As we were watching the movie, we talked about our favorite cereals as kids--my personal favorite being Kix cereal-- our conversations focused on what we liked as a kid, what we did for fun, and where we all grew up. What one of your favorite cereals?

 Also we painted our nails-- what girl’s night is complete without painting your nails?! 

Rainbowish

The movie, cereal, and crochet night was fun for all of us because you didn’t have to choose one or the other; you were free to do what you wanted!  I also got to go to Wal-Mart earlier that day to get supplies for the event and got to know my other RA’s a bit more as we were getting cereal.  Our dorm is great because every day of the week we try to have a social event going on so we can connect with others in our dorm or on campus!  

Friday, October 5th

The Roomie and I

This first month of school has been fantastic! It was even better being able to meet my roommate, Andrea.  So far, we have found that we both like the same music, soccer and we both have the same major!  Aside from getting along with her, I have also made friends with a few LeTourneau girls who run cross country with me.  Between cross-country, classes, Barnabas groups and going to SGA events, I have met nearly all of the freshmen girls in LeTourneau and they’re all wonderful!  

Crazy Study Night

The ladies of LeTourneau stay connected through our Facebook groups too!  We have a Facebook group for our floors and then we have a large group for all the ladies in LeTourneau.  This really helps us organize events, find rides home for breaks or even find people who have similar interests.  Another great thing about living the LeTourneau life is our Sisterhood ceremony.  At the beginning of the year, we got introduced to an upperclassmen, typically a sophomore living in the basement, who will serve as our mentor for the year. Throughout the year we can turn to our “big sisters” whenever we are going through something rough or just need someone to listen.

My "Big Sister" and I

Our dorm events have been a huge hit so far and continue to be something to look forward to. As you all know I am from Ohio, so not being able to go home every weekend doesn’t seem so bad with all the dorm events going on!  Here are some that have happened so far:

Scavenger Hunt

Our first major event was the LeTourneau open dorm event!  During this time we watched UGA kill Missouri with ladies in Fant (the other girl’s dorm) and the guys from Forrest (the guys dorm)!  We had a number of foods available like buffalo cheese dip, popcorn, huge dill pickles and veggies.    Along with exciting events like the open dorm party, we also have hiking trips, shopping trips and Wal-Mart runs.  Last weekend, my RA drove us to the Mall of Georgia where I had Chik-Fil-A for the first time, ever! YUM!

First Time at Chik-fil-a

Open Dorm!