Finals Week in Engineering as Told by The Grinch

Finals week is a hard time for almost anyone, however it can turn even the most resilient engineering student a little....

Grinchy 

When you're asked what the biggest take-away from your Environmental Engineering class was:

Finishing up everything you've learned this semester by going over all of the regulations like:

When your professor tells you that you need to remember the equations:

Filling out your class evaluations on the last day and letting out all of your pent-up frustrations:

When your first day of studying lasts 14 hours...

Those late nights at the library when most other majors are long gone:

When the week is halfway over, others are already done with their finals (and you're not), and they're feeling the Christmas spirit:

When your brain is fried and your friend asks you if you want to go to a Christmas party...

...But then the anxiety gets the best of you and you decide to stay in and study:

When you're trying to get the most out of your 4 hours of sleep but your neighbors aren't taking finals week as seriously as you have to:

But FINALLY the testing is over and you can finally walk away from campus stress-free

But there is one thing left to do....

                            

Passing your friend that still has a final to take but you're officially okay to get turnt on the holiday spirit:

The Blog if You Don't Know What You're Doing

Today I got the distinct honor of being able to speak to a group of girls in high school and middle school who are interested in possibly pursuing a career in the STEM field. When I was contacted about doing this, I was referred to as a "mentor" and immediately thought  "WOAH, I am not experienced enough for that word or this event". I decided to take it on because going out of your comfort zone is really important in my opinion and who wouldn't want to be called a mentor, am I right?  I went in expecting a group of girls who were all mini-me's, future engineers who had a passion for math and had a million questions about what it's really like to be a woman in engineering school. What I got was not that.

I walked into a group of girls who had no idea what they wanted to do. Some wanted to pursue accounting, athletics, education. Some thought they maybe sorta kinda wanted to go into something sciencey but they weren't sold on anything yet. At first I thought, why are you here? And then I realized that they are mini-me's. I was reminded that though I'm halfway through college and it feels like I've been fully committed to engineering for so long, there was a point in my life where I had no idea what I wanted to do. There was a point in my life where I wanted to be a teacher. There was even a point in my life where I wanted to be a mermaid-bus driver-lunch lady, but that combo was too complicated.

So I asked myself, do any of us really know what we are doing? I'm halfway through engineering school which implies that I should at least halfway know what the heck is going on. But the catch is, I honestly don't. I take my life day by day, never knowing what to expect or if I'm going to make it (I understand that is ridiculously irrational, I get it). I am trying to get an internship and soon a job and I honestly do not even know how to go about that. I don't know what my life will look like in 3 months. I don't know what my life will look like in 2 years. Or 5 years or 10 years or 20 years. And I don't think you do either.

But as I was driving home tonight my favorite Christian song circulating on the radio these days came on, and it was like water washing over me. It reminded me that no matter what I want, it doesn't matter. Its what God wants. His plan is best. If I fail a class, I will trust him. If I don't get an internship right away, I will trust him. If you have no idea what your day tomorrow looks like like me, let alone your next few years, trust Him. He's the only predictable, stable thing. The rock won't move. I think its super important to take a time out and reflect on this so I encourage you to listen to the video below because it truly is amazing. Im also a major believer in reading what inspires you, so I wrote out the best lyrics from the song below. If you listen to this song and read those words and your whole body isn't covered in goosebumps and you don't feel like you could do literally anything because God's got you, I don't know how to help you. God Bless, y'all.

"You are my strength and comfort,

You are my steady hand,

You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand,

Your ways are always higher,

Your plans are always good,

There's not a place where I'll go, You've not already stood

When you don't move the mountains I needed you to move,

When you don't part the waters I wish I could walk through,

When you don't give the answers as I cry out to you,

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you,"

I Stand with Ahmed

I’m sure by now through your Facebook or twitter scrolling you have come across the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed. Even those of you who are not politically motivated in the least have probably stumbled across the story of the 14-year old boy who built a clock and was told to put it away because it could be perceived as a bomb. You have surely heard that the boy was then arrested later on that day because the sound of his success rung in class when the clock worked and the alarm went off. Though I would be missing a perfect opportunity for a political blog post, I will refrain because to me there is no argument. I attended a public high school, I endured bomb threats, this didn’t even begin to fit the criteria of one- this was an act of racism. However, as an engineering student who has been in love with the sciences all her life, there is a more outrageous crime at hand- the stifling of a child’s passion.

            Upon enrollment in my current engineering program, my instructors tried to prep me for the rigor that I was going to endure in the next four years of my life. Many would start the race but few would finish. I had a class my first semester of my freshmen year specifically meant to mentally and emotionally prep the engineer for what they were about to invest their time in, making sure that we knew exactly what we were getting into. Through this course I learned that, whether you know it or not, successful engineers are created at birth. Those annoying children who always are asking “why?” or “how does that work?” usually are also the ones to figure it out themselves. The kid that takes apart the VCR and puts it together again. The one that likes to play with legos, likes to stay outside, likes to observe the natural world around them- that is a kid that has the love of science and logic bred into them. That is the kid that will push our world forward with their use of innovative engineering.

            When I heard this story I was sad because Ahmed was obviously this kid.  In college, inventions such as his are common. I am friends with clock builders, program writers, the kinds of people who make their calculators say their names on a Saturday night instead of attending a frat party. Last year, when the #BeAnEngineer hashtag (A hashtag I proudly sport in my twitter bio) exploded, I was sure that all people would be more aware that there are people like Ahmed out there-that they have existed since birth. However, this story proved me wrong. While a police officer was arresting Ahmed (again, a 14 year old boy) he asked him “why would you build a clock?”. I’m sure Ahmed didn’t even have a response because he and I are the same. Because it’s fun, because he found it interesting, because it’s second nature to him. It’s like playing with legos, working on a car, going to the gym. He even mentioned that he has numerous other inventions of his lying around at home. Making things is his hobby, his passion. Why wouldn’t he make a clock? I have an uncle who does these things all the time and I don’t think anyone in my family has ever asked him why he does it. He enjoys it, its how his brain works, he just does it. While I’m not like Ahmed in that I’ve never built a clock, my brain works just like his. I like fixing stuff. Whenever something doesn’t seem to work as it should, I find it really fun to play with it until it does work correctly. See what makes it work, compare it to other things, understand all of its functions instead of just using it. I like cooking things, building things, creating things. Understanding all of these things in their completeness. There is a high we get from getting things. Getting why a math problem is done the way it is, not just knowing how to do it. Getting why roads and bridges and neighborhoods are laid out the way they are. I can completely identify with Ahmed. I know why he wanted to build a clock.

            However I think the saddest part of this story is on the teacher’s part. I became an engineer because a teacher in high school looked me in the eyes and told me that he believed in me. I could do this. It would be tough, but I would be one of the ones that finished the race. I can’t count the number of days that we didn’t have class, just talked about college. Those are the hours that built me. Two years later and I still reflect on those conversations as I study late at night instead of hanging out with friends. Here, however, we have an example of a teacher stifling Ahmed’s dreams. Instead of a “how cool!” he got a “put that away!”. I mean, isn’t anyone else amazed that a FOURTEEN year old made a clock? Doesn’t that just blow you away? Ahmed made something and found a teacher he thought he could identify with and that teacher proved him wrong that day. I can’t imagine what disappointment he felt. His creative mind was put second to racist paranoia and I truly feel for him from the bottom of my heart. Before I wanted to become an engineer, I was dead-set on becoming a teacher. To this day I plan on getting my masters in Engineering simply so I can teach if I ever decide that’s what I want to do. Next semester I will be teaching a Calculus class. Lighting the same fire in others that was lit in me is very high on my priority list and God gave me a teacher’s heart. I can’t imagine a student choosing me to share their accomplishments and passions with and me just completely shutting them down. No person who can look a boy in the eyes and tell them that their creation must be hidden should be a teacher. Period.

            Ahmed, if you for some reason ever stumble across this blog post one day, I hope you know I believe in you. I too am part of a minority in the engineering field and I too wake up every day having to prove myself to others who feel like they are more worthy of this education. I work in the office of the Dean of Electrical Engineering and just the other day he was expressing that he wants his students to tinker with things, go home and build things. He said that that is what makes a great engineer. You fit the bill. I hope you go to MIT, get a great education, and keep on pushing limits because that is how all great things have came to be. #BeAnEngineer.

Dear Class of 2015

I am about 3/4ths of the way finished with my first year of college and I inevitably have great amounts of wisdom to pour out on the class of 2015,right?
Wrong. Truth is, I'm learning as I go. I want to share some of the things I have learned, but I'm definitely still learning. I am going to be 100% bluntly honest on what you should expect going into college, some practical tips for success, and even some very poorly taken pictures of items that I didn't think to get for my dorm at first but ended up saving my life (literally and figuratively).

What is college REALLY like?
I am an engineering major. My view on college looks radically different from another major's view. My experience is also very different than someone who is a super genius, so if that is you, this post probably won't help you much. So if you are planning on majoring in something science related (or medical, maybe), this will run pretty close to what you should expect. If not, or if you scored a 36 on your ACT, this could be drastically different.

College is hard. I went from making high As in high school without trying, competing in math competitions, and being in the top 5% of my class without even studying to becoming a "study zombie". Most of the classes you take as an engineer throw a lot of complicated information at you and you are expected to master it in no time. For me, this meant that I no longer had a life and became a slave to books (I will talk more on this later... just know I am by no means actually advocating this). It is really tough for me to transition from the student I was in high school to the one  that I am right now. I know when I was in your shoes and people told me it would be hard, I didn't believe them. I thought if I just studied 24/7, how could I not make an A? You won't realize it until you're here, but that's how college works. It's really really intentionally tough.

So, for most engineers, the college experience is different than what other people might get to experience. My social life outside of study groups and talking to my mom on the phone at night doesn't really exist. I don't always get to attend sporting events or other events on campus because every day calls for hours of studying. I even left our homecoming game at half-time to study for a chemistry exam (that I made an 88 on, might I add). I sleep as much as I can, I go to the gym whenever I can squeeze it in, and that's about where it ends.

I'm not exaggerating here. I have many many friends in engineering and their experiences are very similar. It's tough and taxing, but it's not all bad. It's interesting and you reach a level of pride in yourself you never have before because you never thought you were capable of doing these things (at least I didn't, maybe you do). It's definitely going to be worth the effort put in, and almost every day I think about the moment when a diploma gets put in my hand.

Tips for Success:
1) Get a planner! I will talk more about this later, but my planner literally saved my life. It honestly holds my life together. I know what I need to do and when every thing is due and when my next test is and scholarship deadlines. It has my life in there. Every school year I tried to keep a planner and without fail after two weeks I never touched it again. In college, its impossible to be a sane person and not have some planner-type item. My first semester I did not have one and I constantly had nightmares of missed deadlines and tests I didn't study for. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown (no exaggeration) and my planner saved my life. It's that important people!
2) Mentally Prepare Yourself: I still work at this every day. The probability of failing a class or making a C is very high as an engineer. Around 50% of engineering students fail their first semester of Calculus, let alone the other classes. I have scholarships that I am determined to keep as long as possible, but I make sure that I tell myself if I lose them it's okay and its not the end of the world. College is very much of a mind game.
3)Come here with a purpose/GET INVOLVED WITH CHURCH: I can not stress this one enough. I would have no drive some days to get out of bed and do the things I do if I did not wholeheartedly believe that God put me on this earth to be an engineer and to serve him through it. Sunday mornings are heaven on Earth for me. Jesus carries my burdens. I am always worth it in his eyes. I draw my strength from my God and oh my gosh I can't imagine trying to tackle this without him. It couldn't be done, not for me. The first Sunday you are in college, find a church. (If you are going to Tech, Steven's Street Baptist is a WONDERFUL church and I'd be delighted to take you).
4) Try your best to live like a normal person: It's stereotypical that engineers don't have a life, but I encourage you to try to live as normally as possible. I try to go to the gym at least 2 week nights and every day on the weekend. I get 8+ hours of sleep best I can whenever I can. I eat healthy things so I feel good. I try to relax every now and then and watch a movie or hang out with someone. You have to have an outlet.
5) Get a strong support system. As I said before, I couldn't do this without Jesus, but I also couldn't do this without some other people. My family. When I think I fail a test, my mom is the first person that I call. She is able to talk me out of the "post-test insanity". I'm constantly given money by family members to get whatever I need, being encouraged by them that I can do this. My boyfriend, who is also an engineering major, and I try to talk each other up as much as possible. My room mate is always there to listen when I need to vent. I don't care who you get to listen (even though Jesus does need to be one of those people), just make sure you have somebody.

THE PICTURE SHOW!
This is a smallish list of things that I did not think to get before college started and then realized I desperately did need them, so I thought I would share these with you. But first, heres some pictures of my dorm al together!

1) As I already said, a planner. Mine is the Lilly Pulitzer Agenda. I got this because, as I said, I don't have a very great history of keeping up with a planner, so I decided if it was pretty enough I would have to use it. I love love love it and I will forever buy one now.

2) Good sheets: I love my bed. My bed is where I go to destress, and it's likely to become yours too. With that being said, I can't stress enough how important it is to get good sheets. Let me clarify: good does not necessarily mean most expensive. I got mine at Target for $14.99 mostly because they were the right color of royal blue. However, I had not yet tapped into the magic that are the Target sheets.For years when I went to things such as Girls State or church camp, I used my brothers old knit sheets from his college years and HATED THEM. I always woke up in a cold sweat, and then lay awake fearing what might happen when I start college. Would I sweat ice water? Would my sheets bring me pain??? Then I slipped into these babies. Miraculously, when its hot outside they keep you cool inside. And then when it's cold outside they keep you nice and toasty. Also, they don't get stained from benzol peroxide, a common agent used in acne medication (that I use, and most of my towels are bleached from). And finally, they wash up so nicely which is very important to me because I wash my sheets like a obsessive freak. Sheets are important people. 

3) A bedside fan. Depending on your sleeping arrangements, this may or may not apply. However, most college dorms include a loft setup of some sort and as we all know, heat rises. After one night of sleeping in a lofted bed without a fan, I knew something had to change. So my parents and I searched until we ran across this 10 dollar wonder from staples. Not only can it be used as a clip-on fan, it also comes with a stand to use on your desk. Mine is stylishly fashioned to the side of my bed with duct tape because the clip isn't technically big enough for the railing, but it gets the job done. I am not exaggerating one bit when I say that I would burst into flames at night without this baby. 

4) Similarly, a beside lamp: Again, I am in a lofted bed, so lamps that hang up in the air aren't very prevalent. Investing in a clip-on lamp is essential. I have a room mate who also likes her sleep, but I also want to go through flash cards in bed or read my bible in a more relaxed setting. This bad boy solved the problem. Now I don't have to worry about waking up my room mate from her slumbers and I also don't equate my desk with a place where relaxation goes to die. Sometimes it's nice to crawl into bed and study. 

5) Keeping along the same lines, a lap desk. This is something that I knew I needed before college and my sweet Nana actually got this for me for Christmas in 2013. To actually get into bed and do work requires some form of desk in a lot of cases, and this one is perfect for that. It also comes in handy when I go to do laundry and am waiting on my clothes to wash. I just take it with me and sit in the lounge and study why my laundry finishes up. Thanks Nana!

6) Finishing up with the things that can be used in bed, it's also beneficial to have a back rest(I'm not actually sure what these are called). It makes doing work in bed (or even just reading) a lot more comfortable. Again, thanks nana!

7) I lied, one last thing for your bed. If you are in a lofted bed, a mattress caddy is essential. Mine holds things like my retainer, my bible, my headphones, glasses, lotion, and phone. You don't really think about things you might need by your side in bed until you're suspended in the air without a night stand. I got this off of ebay for probably 8 bucks. (props to me for this sweet aerial view, right?)

8) A yoga mat. For the nights I don't really have time to go to the gym, I pull out my yoga mat and exercise in my dorm. Yoga not only is a great work out, but it also helps you de-stress. There are lots of videos on youtube specifically for college students. Its great for sleep, digestion, studying, you name it. It also is one of the only forms of exercise you can do in your dorm room. This was another item I got beforehand, actually as a graduation present, thanks to my brother. 

9) Dry Erase Markers: For engineers, this is so important. I invested in the 18 pack at Sams club because I use them that much. The library is covered in white boards, the study room in my dorm has one, I even have a small one in my room. I keep expo markers in storage, on my desk, and even in my backpack with me because you just never know. I use these probably every day. Great for doing math/chemistry. I swear by these. 

10) For my ladies, a jewelry carrier. This works so perfectly and I am so in love with it. If you are like me, you have lots of fashion jewelry and you are really stressing about how you are going to lug all of that bag and forth with you. I come to you with a solution: This holder comes with a hook. At school I leave it hanging on a command hook for easy access. It rolls up for travel, and in .5 seconds I have packed all of my jewelry to go home. It really is THAT simple. I keep earrings, headbands, hair bands, necklaces, and bobby pins in there and it works wonders. My nana got mine from 31 gifts and it is a life saver. 

11) Finally, A comfy chair. I use this one separate from my desk chair that comes in the dorm. I learned last semester that it is good to have places in your dorm for you to relax and unwind and without them you learn to hate your desk. I use this to watch the occasional movie or tv show mainly. It also works great with company. When not in use, it folds up and slips between my desk and the wall. It also looks super cool because its a BUNGEE chair! Cool, right? Unfortunately I think I raided every Target in Nashville looking for the last one in Middle Tennessee, so you might have to find a substitute. 

Of course, this list doesn't include the obvious. You know you need bedding and flash cards and pencils. These are just things that improved my life so much that  I realized I could not possibly live without them, no exaggeration there. Remember, you are moving away from home. This new place you are moving into is your new home, make it as comfortable and accommodating as possible. 

So, we have come to the conclusion of a very long blogpost. I hope you all are enjoying the last few months of your senior year. These months were by far my favorite ones, so take it all in and please do not rush to this moment. Senior year is very unique. I wish you all lots of success and happiness in your years to come and if you have any questions, want more advice, anything, please contact me. God bless!

It's the Fries Talking

Today served as a fairly large milestone in my life to me on a personal/spiritual level. It was the last day of classes of my first semester of college. Big deal, I got 7 more heading my way before I can throw a real party. But really, big deal. I know this is fairly a common thing these days, but to me its extraordinary. As many of you know, the path I am on right now is not one that I chose but one that God chose. I wouldn't be at the school I'm at or pursuing what I'm majoring in if God hadn't intervened. Sometimes, while I'm sitting in my room studying for hours, I regret this decision. Not because I don't absolutely love what I'm studying, but because I see people with the major I intended to pursue hanging out with friends and attending lots of school events. They "cram all night" (they don't) for a test in one of their classes and the test barely compares in difficulty to a normal quiz I might take or a homework assignment I have. It's pretty crappy sometimes. But I remind myself that I'm not just here for me, I'm here for the Lord's work, which is a super weird thing to hear coming from someone not majoring in anything directly theological at a school that is about as secular as they come, but I am. I love studying what I am studying and pushing myself, and today I reached a milestone. A semester of saying yes to God's plan and to pushing through the adversity that I face literally every day (no one takes me seriously in my major because I'm a girl and I wear makeup) and totally trusting him when NOTHING has gone the way I thought it would. So, with that huge introduction, here's the actual meat of the blogpost. The REAL college. This is the list of lies about college I grew up hearing and the reality of these lies. So sit back, relax, and laugh at my life. It's totally cool, I'll be laughing with you.

***Disclaimer: None of these terrible awful things may actually happen to you. My dumb roommate actually lost weight and eats lots of pizza and has beautiful skin and sleeps 12 hours a day (Hate you Bailee). ***

1) You're Going to be SO Fit: This was the thought running through my head when I first toured the college I currently attend. LIE. This might be an easy task for certain majors (let's be real here), but engineering is not one of those. If you want good grades, you find time to work out in an empty study room once or twice a week, something I do quite often these days. If you don't really care about your grades, go to the gym daily. I know many people who do this and their grades are mediocre at best, but hey, that's their choice. I went through my last two years of high school working out daily and my whole life playing sports so this fact is still pretty hard for me to deal with, but we're getting there.

2) Our Food Accommodates EVERYONE: FALSE. College food is the definition of suck. Our cafeteria comes complete with tasteless food and a staff that is so comfortable with our students that they feel free to take on our mom's job of yelling at us. You then find yourself eating at the restaurants around campus a lot, which gets old quickly. Yes, I'm saying it, Chick-Fil-A ain't cutting it anymore. I actually had a breakdown in my dorm about 20 minutes ago because I don't remember the last meal I had where fries weren't served. I was fortunate enough to grow up with a mom who cooked really healthy, amazing food every night. So this one's for you mom, get to cooking.

3) You will Get the Best Sleep of Your Life: Oh yeah I've bought into this one for a while. However, I underestimated just how fried my brain would get. I now find myself so wound up with stress that insomnia and I have become best friends. The other night I actually found myself solving calculus problems in my head while trying to sleep. Many nights have I woken up dozens of times because my dreams were filled with the homework I had just worked on or how I could have solved that problem on my Chemistry quiz. I went through high school getting 8+ hours of sleep no problem. I could fall asleep just about anywhere. Now I can't even escape from school in my own sleep people. There should be a scholarship for that.

4) Acne is a Thing of the Past: Perhaps the most cruel lie of all. I've had a mild problem with acne since middle school, however over the course of my senior year my acne had almost completely disappeared. Now my face could be mistaken for a pepperoni pizza. I think the culmination of lack of exercise, shoving greasy food into my face, and the restless nights all piled onto of the crazy amount of stress that I have is the main cause here (I'm working on all the above, bear with me). Oh, and incase you're interested, this reason what why I had today's mental breakdown. It's all good though, I swore off french fries.

5) And all the rest: You will be so much poorer than you ever thought you would be, you will miss your friends from high school more and more every day, anytime you see an animal will be a big deal because colleges have issues with animals, (if you go to a state school) your professors won't give 2 craps about you and the parking will suck, you will pay out the whazoo for your education, everyone around you will suddenly start turning into liberals, your chances of becoming a stripper skyrocket.

Yeah, I think that about covers it all. Now, there are very many wonderful, great things about college. However, no one ever wants to complain about good things. I'm hoping I will discover more and more good things as time moves on, but you never know how God works. I could hate my life for 7 more semesters, but I'm here for Him. Bottom line is, I don't care how crappy college is, if that's where God wants me then that's where God wants me. I will work as hard as I possibly can to make it, but only for Him. That's where I draw strength from because I can NOT do this on my own. I'm not smart enough, I don't have enough determination, I would go insane. God is the ONLY reason I'm doing as well as I'm doing (contrary to the impression you may have just gotten). I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for him making it possible. He's piled on blessing after blessing for me to be here right now, complaining about these things. I'm not about to give up on Him. Truth is, I kinda love being an engineer. Can this college thing just happen in the comfort of my own home?

Thank you for reading my rant. I promise my life isn't the joke I just made it seem. I'm extremely happy and blessed :)

"But my God you never will"

Quick update on my life: I'm in college, I have a hard major, I am stressed and don't have time to think.

That about sums it up without going into too much boring detail. I've had some ups and some downs in the last month, many of which were cleaned up after dropping a class taught by a professor who thought very highly of himself. All in all the college experience is getting progressively better, even as I head into a very hectic and stressful week.

The worst thing about college, for me at least, is the intimidation. I am a woman engineering major, which means I am among the a vast minority of people. I go to a college where every freshmen enters majoring in some type of engineering field and quickly changes to a business major. Engineering is HUGE here. Definitely the best college to go to for engineering in the state, and almost in the entire southeast. Engineering companies around here only hire graduates from my school in a lot of cases. But think about how incredibly intimidating that is! I am in a male-dominated field, and I am by far not the smartest student in the college. I live every day in intimidation and awe that I can actually do the things that I am doing. I mean, a year ago I was going to go to a private school and become an elementary school teacher. My life has not always looked like what it does right now. The difference is God stepped in and told me what he wanted me to pursue. He laid on my heart mission work that I can do as a Civil Engineer. He put a love of math in me (something I was NOT born with) and a fascination with structures. And so I made the switch and here I am. And I'm doing pretty great so far.

Granted, it will get much, much harder as I get into higher level classes. But I trust God. I know without a doubt that I am in the major God wants me in. He blessed me with scholarships specifically for engineering, something I know he wouldn't have done with this is not where I was supposed to be.  I know that right now I'm not studying for me, I'm studying for the gospel. I will not ignore the mission calling that God has on my heart. I can't wait to see how that unfolds, but I'm not giving up on it. But bottom line is, I'm not in school for me. Which is why I am working my butt off. I'm doing the Lord's work right now. And I truly believe that. It may sound crazy, but I truly believe it.

The only thing that is getting me through it is knowing that God is stronger. I go back to a worship song I have sang many many times. Part of it goes a little like this:
"I may be weak,
but Your spirit's strong in me,
My flesh may fail,
but my God You never will"

Whenever I'm intimidated or scared about what the future is going to look like this, I remember these verses. I know that I can do NONE of this on my own. Not joking, none of it. I would be doing terribly in college. I am not strong enough to handle this pressure by myself and I know that. I know that sounds crazy because many people go through college without Christ, but it's been a tough transition and on my own I am not emotionally or mentally capable of handling it. But God is. And God never fails. And I'm here by his calling, by his plan. So I know he's got my back, and I'm going to follow him throughout this journey, no matter if it takes 6 years and I lose all my scholarships and I'm a nervous wreck. I'm where I need to be.

I challenge you all to find exactly what it is that God is leading you to. It may not even be a degree or a call to the mission field in the sense that most people see it as. It could be something totally different and crazy. I just want you to listen to that calling and stick with it. It will be intimidating, but let God amaze you. He will work wonders in you, no matter how crazy it is, and you will push through. I'm going to use the very over-used bible verse Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". It's over-used because its so incredibly true. Go out there and be awesome. And listen to this worship song because it is the bomb. (ps. I'm a civil engineering major, not a computer engineering major, so you're going to have to copy and past the link below into your browser, but it's worth it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMVvqI1-tM4