A Semester at Ferrum!

by Grant W., Panther Blogger

A semester here at Ferrum is a four-month roller coaster that many ride. The semester starts with a great deal of anticipated excitement as friends get back together and tell stories of their summer adventures, along with preparing for the first of the firsts. The first Monday/Wednesday/Friday class, the first Tuesday/Thursday class, the first tests, the first quizzes, the first papers, and of course, the first meetings of extracurricular activities. After the firsts are over, we all have our routines pretty much set, and we begin the long haul to the bittersweet end.

Each semester poses its challenges and excitements, and this semester was no exception. From juggling 18 credit hours of courses including calculus and organic chemistry, independent research, the presidency of Mu Sigma Chi, and a social life, I've had my hands full like many other students. Through the gauntlet of hosted events and the never-ending task of achieving the grades you desire to move on to the next step, we all still find time to have fun no matter how buys we get. Here on campus, we have an unspoken policy that fun doesn't find you; instead, you have to get out of your room and find fun.

From attending concerts to hiking and hanging out with friends on the weekends, Ferrum College students find a way to etch out some pretty amazing memories through their four years in this "out in the middle of nowhere" land. I think the so-called "lack of things to do" here actually pushes people's imaginations to create things to do here on campus; it's from this pressure that most of my memories have been made.

The best part about the fall semesters here is the changing of the leaves, cooler weather to have Friday and Saturday night campfires, football, and some great holidays. Many students have early Thanksgiving dinners together and, of course, Secret Santa gift exchanges.

Along with the semester, all of this hard work, stress, and fun comes to an end though -- as all good things must. Many times this end is very bittersweet. Great friends graduate, final grades come in, and we all get to go home and try to relax. Ferrum College is forever changing and evolving as students come and go -- each one of them leaving their mark on this campus for all who follow. Semesters get challenging no matter where you go to school, but Ferrum has a way of offering a sense of comfort and a break from the rigors of this precious time of life.