Student Blogger: Liz LaPlanche

Finals Week and Graduation

Hey All!

         We have come to the end of Spring '10 semester :(. This week has been filled with a lot of schedule conflicts and a lot of adjusting. You really don't realize how jam packed your schedule gets until the last few weeks of the semester when everyone needs you. I enjoy doing a lot and keeping busy. It's good stress for me. But unfortunately this week is finals week and graduation. Library is open 24hrs and Starbucks (across the street from campus) becomes your best friend. I had three finals this semester and they all were a lot more than expected. Personally, I'd rather write papers than take exams, but I think it's because I have become accustomed to writing papers. 

    But the best part of this week is not only seeing the results of my hardwork this semester (grades), but also getting to watch my friends graduate. This year's graduation is close to my heart because I get the opportunity to see my friends graduate. They are off to the real world and some are scared while others are craving the excitement and the unexpected. I will try to post pics of graduation so that you may see what a Guilford graduation is like. 

-Liz

Serendipity and Spring Informal Pics

Hey Guys!

I apologize for taking so long to put pics up for you from our Serendipity fun and our Spring Infomal. But as promised:

Girl Scouts setting up their table. 

CAB Members & helpers eating breakfast before the long day of festivities. 

GPS setting up their piece fest table!

One of the coolest things, I think, we had at Serendipity Street Fair was the make your own music video station. 

Boba House setting up their station!

Let the festivities begin!

Rugby Sponsored Jello Wrestling

Slip-N-Slide Inflatable

Spring Informal's theme this year was bottom drawer. The tackiest of the tackiest things is what were aiming for this event and we even held a tackiest dressed contest.

  

CAB this year was great! We put in a lot of work and a lot of effort to host a lot of great events. Hopefully next year we can be even greater!

      

Serendipity, Spring Informal, and Last few weeks of courses

Hi All!

I apologize greatly for not blogging for the past few weeks. Between spring break, my boyfriend in the hospital for emergency surgery, and back to back weekly papers, I lost track of my blog. So much has happened since I last blogged, and I wanted to catch you up. 

Serendipity

Serendipity is one of the biggest weekend festivals Guilford offers. As a CAB member, Serendipity is the most important event for us to plan. We provide non-stop entertainment all weekend long that runs from 5pm Friday afternoon to about 1 am Sunday Morning. Serendipity provides a safe, fun, on-campus weekend where you can meet most people on campus that you haven't already done so. Here are some pics from this year's Serendipity Festivities:

 

 

 

More SERENDPITY PICS to come!!!

21, Midterms, and Spring Break

Midterm week... still going, but not for me was good. Stressful but good. It was filled with lots of papers, tests, and of course, my usual busy schedule. Spring break starts this friday, MARCH 5TH and I'n sooo excited. I'm heading to Savannah, Charleston, and Richmond but I'm not only excited for getting a break from a stressful schedule, but also excited for my 21st birthday on MARCH 8TH. I'm extremely excited!!! So for all of you getting ready for Spring Break....I hope you enjoy it!!

Midterm Week is Here!!

Midterm time at Guilford is often one of the craziest time, besides finals week of course. Students, including myself, read, write, and go over notes that they didn't a chance to before. I have had all of my midterm exams already, but I do have midterm papers coming up. 

Wish me luck!!

Study Abroad in Morocco and Culture Shock

Hi All!

       As mentioned briefly in my previous post, I spent that last four months or so (Fall  '09 Semester) studying abroad in Morocco. Our host city was Rabat, but the program provided a great opportunity for us to travel across the country and to countries nearby such as Spain, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, etc. 

    Many college students struggle  with the decision to study abroad and being one of these students, I highly encourage it. Studying abroad opened my eyes and my heart to many experiences. While in Morocco, I made many friends and still keep in contact with them. Though studying abroad has its great advantages (see pictures below), it also has some downfalls; culture shock both leaving to the US and returning into the US. 

    For me, returning to the US and especially heading back on campus was the  most difficult part of the study abroad experience. It had nothing to do with Guilford Campus, but being away in a different country with different customs and cultures, it was strange to be back at Guilford. I think it was because I spent most of my time at Guilford and in Greensboro. Having taken classes year--round (Fall, Spring, Summer) since my freshman year, I have come to consider Guilford my home. And being back at home and noticing the difference was quite strange, and has taken some time to get used to. Classes and subjects that I normally would find easy, have gotten harder, speaking English and communicating with others have gotten harder as well... when you make small talk in French and Arabic for four months it's so hard to do the same in English... lol. But with those came the unexpected things that made culture shock a little harder, but my experience that much more fulfilling; I've changed. The experience in Morocco has changed who I am, for the better, I suppose. My friends has noticed this change as well and they love it. I went from being a shy, wall flower to an extremely outgoing person. 

    Though these changes and culture shock may seem like a huge CON into not studying abroad, the experiences and the changes (for the better) of who you are as a person are extremely worth it!!!

Here are some pics of my trip!!
My school. Though we only had classes with each other (only student from Guilford btw), Moroccan students were also taking classes there as well. 

A little blurry, sorry, but this is my home-stay week for a week. I didn't have a home-stay while in Morocco, I chose to live in a dorm filled with Moroccan girls. I liked that experience better because they were so curious as to American culture much in the same way I was about theirs.   

Pics from Marrakech, Morocco:

 

Pics from Chefchaouen:





 

Pics from Essouria:

Pics from Fez:

                     

Hi All: Brief Intro, Update, GUILFORD!!!

My name is Liz LaPlanche and I am currently a junior here at Guilford College. I'm originally from Chicago, IL and being in Greensboro, NC from such a big city is a big change. Though this is my third year at Guilford, I remember freaking about how laid-back and relaxed everything is. I'm used to the hustle and bustle of the big city. But once you come to Guilford College Campus, you'll absolutely fall in love with it. On campus I'm usually pretty busy. I'm an RA (Resident Advisor), Director of Internal Affairs for CAB (Campus Activities Board), balancing a full load of classes, as well as work-study. Busy Bee. I recently came back from study abroad in Rabat, Morocco and being in the states, let alone, Guilford, is a big change to get adjusted to. I will post late about my study abroad experience. This week has been pretty spastic. We had a pretty big snow storm, well, at least for North Carolina, this past weekend and most colleges are closed. We have been having late starts so far this week... school opening at 10am instead of 8:30am. 

Here are some pics of the snow...Enjoy!!!
 The Snow Covered Friendly Ave....

One of the entrances to campus.....

Dana Auditorium...

Removing snow...

Milner Hall...One of the Freshman Dorms on Campus!!

Milner Hall Patio