Samantha’s Blog

Wow this winter here in the Salem area sure can go down in some type of record book. It was nice, however, to have a white Christmas! Snow is a beautiful thing, but I’m so much of a planner that it makes it difficult to plan ahead your week or even the night ahead of you! Well besides that… I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am for winter term to begin. I’ve got about 6 more days. Now I’m not some crazy person that loves school every single day, but I really do like starting new classes. I love having a new teacher for the first time and also meeting the many people in my classes. Starting a new term is kind of like starting school for the first day all over again. You don’t always know what to expect. This term I have about the same amount of credits, however the classes I am going to take seem a lot more interesting! I feel like having an enthusiastic mind set going into school, is definitely going to help you achieve more while actually taking the class. If you are dreading the class from the get go you’re more than likely going to dread the class the entire term. So take classes that interest you, and even the ones that you are required to take that aren’t so fun, make it the best it can be. Well I hope all of you are as excited as I am for this term and maybe I’ll see you around

My favorite class would have to be either my volleyball class or my Psychology class. I really like my volleyball class because it is a huge stress reliever. I like the atmosphere because it is all about learning and having fun, but people are still competitive as well. The class is aimed towards any volleyball player at any level, so do not be afraid to join if you feel like you skills are not up to “parr.” I really enjoy my Psychology class because it is extremely interactive. We talk about real life issues and have great class discussions. Also, because Chemeketa has such a diverse campus of students, I have many different ages of people that come from diverse backgrounds. The most challenging class I have had this term is probably my math class. That is mostly because it was known as a hybrid class. I really like having it a hybrid because that means most of my work is online, but it is also difficult at times if I need to ask my instructor a question. However, if anyone else is having math problems we have the math tutoring center located up stairs in building 3 which is a great tool to utilize if you are having any type of math problem. Over all I feel like if you keep up with your reading, turn in your assignments on time, and pay attention in class, you can keep up in your classes

This year more than ever, I have been so excited for this Holiday season. I swear since Halloween I have been hearing Christmas music and smelling some good Thanksgiving food. This Thanksgiving was a little different than the rest. I actually drove myself down to Eugene to spend time with my dad and his side of the family. I am so used to just going with my family where ever they go. I guess I am getting older now and can choose what I want to do on holidays. Having the 4 days off for Thanksgiving were really nice, but kind of felt like a tease for Christmas vacation. I am so excited to see all of my friends come home. My best friend since 4th grade moved to Oklahoma and I can’t wait to pick her up from the airport. Not only am I able to see all of my friends, but I am also turning 19! Then of course there is Christmas and New Years. All thrown into a couple of weeks. It is going to be one extremely busy and exciting month. Probably one to go down in record books. I’m taking a whole week off from my other job just so I can see everyone and spend some good quality time with my family. I have already done most of my Christmas shopping I definitely recommend getting that out of the way early. It is a big stress relief. Well anyway, I just thought I would share in the holiday spirit. Have a good one!

My first impressions of Chemeketa back when I was in high school, was that there was NO way that I was going to attend here. It is way too close to home and if I was going to work so hard in high school to get the grades that I did, then I was going to go to a University– No matter how much money I didn’t have. I honestly thought that Chemeketa was some where you went if you couldn’t get into a better school. That’s what I thought all Community Colleges were for. I was extremely mistaken. Once I found out about the scholarship opportunity, my school provided us with a JumpStart session which enabled us to take our placement exam and familiarize ourselves with the campus. Once here, I realized that Chemeketa is just like any other college. Real students go here. Real classes take place. And people actually really have fun. It was a big surprise. I feel every day that I made the right decision. I’m not telling everyone that Chemeketa is the right place for you, but I would strongly suggest looking at it as an option. I am saving thousands of dollars while taking the same classes as some of my peers that are at some of the major Universities.

So you may be asking why I chose Chemeketa out of all the other schools around the area. To be completely honest, when ever college came to mind, Chemeketa was out of the question. It was just too close to home for me. I really didn’t want to stay that close and wanted the “full” college experience. I wanted to try something new; be in a new town. And, I also thought that with all my hard work that I had done through high school, I didn’t want to start at a community college. So, I had sent my application to the University of Oregon, been accepted early and all that jazz and literally almost paid the down payment for the dorms. But, then something awesome was told to me through my counselors at school. Anyone who lives in the Chemeketa school district and has a 3.5 gpa can receive free tuition for 2 years. I was sold. I was already pretty stressed out about having to get loans and everything like that. It is probably one of the best decisions I have made thus far in my life. I am saving thousands of dollars while taking the same exact classes. I got an awesome job here on campus as an Ambassador and more more great things are happening. I would definitely recommend taking an opportunity, such as mine, if ever given. It has been a great experience so far and I am happier every day with what I chose.