First of all I ask of you to pray for my fellow blogger, Natasha Jones and her family, as they are dealing with a death in their family. Our hearts go out to you!

As every day passes, I get more and more anxious about finals. I’ve never really had to study, or even really take a comprehension final. I knew I was freaking out when I called my mom every five minutes to ask a million questions then turn around and call her back to answer the same questions since I already forgotten what she had said. One suggestion she gave me was to visit with every professor to discuss how specific and detailed their final is and review my past tests. I have found this to be a valuable piece of info to ease my stress. Hot chocolate tends to help too!

I’m pretty excited to return home for a couple of things. My job, for example, would be one of the more exciting contributors. I absolutely love being a waitress. I’m definitely a people person so my occupation fits me perfectly. I have the best co-workers in the world. They’re full of advice, funny stories, support, and love. I’m very blessed to have a job lined up for break. Being a college kid hits the bank account pretty hard, so being able to get paid for something you love is absolutely incredible. A new thing I’m trying this Christmas season is getting a gym membership. Since my team and I have being working our butts off (literally) for season, I would hate to ruin our hard work. With my membership, I get to do yoga, Pilate’s, and zumba! If you haven’t done any of these, I highly suggest you test drive at least one! They’re such great stress relievers and have numerous health benefits! Since Thanksgiving Break was only a few days long, I didn’t get enough time to hangout with my friends, so I can’t wait to be reunited with them all and watch a few of my high school’s basketball games.  I’m looking forward to returning to my high school and reminiscing all the crazy pranks, pep-rallies, practices, and memories we’ve shared in that gym. I love to look back and see how much I’ve accomplished over 4 years and wonder how much I achieve within the next 4.  That is if I can pass my finals! Wish me luck as I pull all nighters, stress out, and panic. Till then, have a wonderful week!

After our football team won the game against Mid-American Nazarene to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs, it was time to hit the books for the 2nd test I had on Monday and Tuesday before break. I had no idea how challenging it would be to focus on studying on a Saturday but with the help of Pandora and God I finally got it all done.

The most satisfying feeling is when you realize you have all your homework done and have your entire Sunday night off. However my bliss soon ended when I discovered I had more Old Testament material to study while getting laundry done. On Monday, I heard repeatedly, “Just one  more day!” That thought was about the only thing that kept me from going crazy…just one more day till I got to see my family and friends, till I got to sleep in, and eat like food was going out of style.

Tuesday finally arrived and I had that “Christmas morning” feeling. Ya know, where nothing could rain on your parade and you’re high and mighty on cloud 9? My first class (Basic Psychology) was fairly easy. We finished up the movie A Beautiful Mind. It’s kinda like Shutter Island and Inception in one but nowhere near as intense. After lunch, I packed up all my stuff (total of 3 armful loads) and got my things together for my math course. Everything was going great until my professor said, “Everyone have a great Thanksgiving. Oh, and here are 4 pages of homework.” You can imagine the thrill and excitement that my classmates and I expressed. As I topped my massive pile of belongings with my calculator, I pulled out of Gillespie parking lot and headed west. One of my favorite things to do on the drive home is cranking up my radio and rolling my sunroof open.

Another favorite of mine is the wonderful welcome I get from my parents when I loudly announce that I’m home and the welcome back meal that follows. I’m getting hungry just thinking about my mom’s cooking. Anyway, Thanksgiving at my house is always the same every year. We cook, we eat, we sleep, we eat again, and then hit the town to save our place in line for Black Friday. Now that’s when all the fun begins. There’s nothing like waiting in 20 degree weather with wind chills and a barbaric crowd to save a couple bucks during the holidays! I don’t know about you but when I can spend hours in malls that have nothing but deals, I call that heaven.

My grandmother woke me up at 8:30 Friday morning asking if I would like to go shopping with her. I couldn’t turn her down regardless, even if I only had 4 and a half hours of sleep. My grandmother is 74 and she can shop like a champ. I thought my day would never end until we returned home several hours later. That day was like a blur to me because it felt like it was Friday and Saturday all in one and I was unbelievably tired. Saturday we said our goodbyes and I immediately turned on the UC vs. St. Xavier game on the ‘Net. Unfortunately, our team returned home without a championship title but  hard-fought battle to end a fantasic season.

Another tradition in my house is putting up the Christmas decorations the Saturday after Thanksgiving. My mom is a perfectionist when it comes to Christmas decor so it takes a while to get the perfect look for her. Next morning I went to my home church. Another thing I dearly miss – my church family. It was great to see all the familar faces again.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you did as well. Don’t forget to sign up for our Discovery Day coming up in Feburary and be sure to file your FASFA in Janurary. Have a great week!

-Kandace Gibson

Last night I got to experience another “first” on campus. A few of my friends are involved in the UC Singers & choir and really wanted me to attend their concert. I know I couldn’t disappoint them, besides I wanted to be the loudest fan in the audience. Too bad I got there 10 minutes before go-time and every seat was filled! No problem, I was glad to stand in the back and watch my friends sing and their parents cheer them on. Right after the concert we headed to Gatliff Chapel to watch Andrew Norelli, a comedian that has been recently on The David Letterman Show…here’s a clip of him on the show->Andrew Norelli

Your teachers are probably telling you juniors & seniors how to survive college by now. Maybe mentioning things like actually attending your classes, keep up with your grades because mom won’t (unless she’s like my mom….I swear the woman has eyes in the back of her head), and most of all have fun (yeah, I’ll let ya know when writing papers and studying for finals tops going to midnight movie premieres and Taylor Swift concerts.) Even though they’re right, I hope they discuss time management skills. In my opinion, that’s the key to a successful college career.

My logic behind my day is typically like this…

“Okay, if I leave in 10 minutes I can make it to class without being distracted by the guy who rides the unicycle around campus. After class, I’ll have to do math homework for a good 30 minutes and should be able to finish it right after lunch. If I blow off my Psych homework I can probably hangout with my friends for about an hour before practice. Scratch that, I’ll do my report while I hangout…who I am kidding? That means if as soon as practice is out, I’ll study, dinner, study more, shower, bed.”

It’s a simple, yet complex  system every student has to adjust to. Some may put social life at the top of their priorities while others stress education. If you have too much friend time it could lead to skipping class, failing tests, or even failing the class. But if you have too much study time you could find yourself in the crazy house for over-doing it. It’s all about finding your medium. Can you sacrifice a few minutes to relax or do you really need to buckle down and knock the test out?

Having a planner make can make a huge impact on everyday life. Even if you use the one on your phone, it’s extremely important you have some kind of organization.

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do what we think we cannot.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Have a great week!

-Kandace G

• 1 Day till Election Day
• 16 Days till Thanksgiving Break
• 37 Days till Christmas Break
• 49 Days till Christmas

I hope you all have been following the election regardless if can or cannot vote. Eventually you will be able to and need to know where you stand on political issues and what candidate best fits your standards and morals. I’m blessed that this is election came right around my 18th birthday. Even though I have failed at discovering the differences between the Republician & Democrate parties, I still manage to watch the Governor and President present their ideas and opinions to decide my vote. Here we had a huge debate between a Obama fan and Romney junkie (both were professors.) Getting a convo credit and building your political knowledge…sounds like a good deal. In addition to the benefits, there was also a segment where students could share their thoughts about specific issues that the candidates promoted or disregarded.  A little heads up, if you’re an incoming freshman next year you’ll have a similar opportunity around your senior year.

This cold weather is another reminder of how soon this year is coming to an end. I start to think back on how much my life has changed since January. I remember filling out the FASFA form and filing taxes for the first time. Both were a major conflict between me and my parents since I thought I could handle it on my own but that idea was blown out of the water when I saw how quickly things spiraled out of my comprehension. Trust me, you’ll understand when time comes around. After getting that ordeal out of the way, I waited for UC  to create my financial plan. In the meantime, I finished up my last high school softball season and looking for teams I could further my passion with. I came back to UC in February for a final look and luckily the coach invited me to stay for practice. I don’t ever remember being as nervous for a game as I did when I closed the car door and started walking towards the field. Yet I was set and determined to not let my fears of failing get the best of me. I figured you can guess how my practice went. Having that said, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and believe in your dreams. Without taking the initiative to see how far you can go, you’ll never know your true potential. That doesn’t just apply to sports…it’s everything you can do at UC. From mastering the ping-pong table to getting a Master’s degree,  being a Patriot means never settling for less.

 A few weeks after the FASFA submission, UC was the most affordable and most of their scholarships lasted over the course of 4 years. I remember opening the letter looking for 2 things. One being how much of a student loan I was going to have to take and the second, if I had received any softball money. I’ll never forget the way my dad’s face was brilliantly lit with joy and happiness after I told him I wouldn’t have college debt and I made the team. After those last few months of high school flashed by, I said my good-byes and wished my summer away. I was filled with eagerness to start a new chapter in my life. I can still say I am as much as excited to see what God has for me here as I was those so many weeks ago. I truly wish you the best on your journey to finding your next step after graduation. Have a great week!

-Kandace Gibson

This past week has went by pretty slow but I think my excitement to see my family contributed. My parents, grandparents, my sister, and few of my friends from high school came to watch the UC vs. Campbellsville University football game. Even though it felt like it was 10 below, we stuck it out to watch UC outshine CU, 62-19. I didn’t get as much time as I wanted to spend with my family since my flag football team was leaving right after the game. Yet, I did get to see my brother for a few minutes then time to say goodbye to the rest.

I’ve never played flag football so this weekend was quite an experience. We rode a 15 passenger bus all the way to UVA-Wise. Around a 2.5 hour drive that seemed like forever long but well worth it. We had 10 girls on our team and the guys had 13. When we arrived a few of us just stayed up for awhile driving the hotel attendees crazy. Next morning all of us loaded back up and headed to the football field. Come to find out our opponents decided not to get out in the snowy weather and forfeit the tournament….fine by me since we came home champs! The other men’s teams that were there felt pretty bad for us and wanted us to play at least one game. Yup, you guessed it. We played the Bloomfield men’s team. I was somewhat intimidated until I realized they played like a bunch of girls. Ha! Just kidding. They were pretty good and, of course, we lost but we still had a fun time blocking guys that could jump as high as we stood. Our guys made it all the way to the championship game with a broken nose, busted knees, and frostbit fingers. Too bad a mini snow blizzard put us on the road earlier than we expected. The ride home was a little rowdy from the several ounces of hot chocolate that was running through our systems. It made the time pass a little quicker and sleep much easier to find.

Last night Insights (required class for all freshmen) had their last meeting. Our stars & stripes (academic advisors and upperclassmen helpers) showed us how to register for next semester’s classes. I found it scary because I had no idea what I wanted to do. Think about it – you have to choose a few general ed classes, a few that apply to your major, and electives. Not to mention they all have to be within the corresponding times with each other. Then you have to keep in mind that your classes are selective since the upperclassmen get to pick first. I was getting overwhelmed until my stars helped me decide what I wanted from my schedule and how challenging I wanted it to be. They helped my find the perfect fit for me and my time. As an incoming freshman you get some say over your schedule and Dr.Broome does a wonderful job at trying to find a perfect medium of what you want and what you actually need. Don’t panic if you don’t know what you want to major in! You typically declare when you’re a junior so you’ve got time to test the waters.

This time last year I was still on my search for which college I was going to attend. I hope your journeys are going fantastic and you’re learning alot! I wish you all the best! Happy Halloween! What are you dressing up as?

-Kandace Gibson

Thank you all to whom attended Discovery Day. It was a pleasure to meet you all and I really hope you enjoyed your visit with us. If you missed us, we will be at the next Discovery Day in Feburary! I’ve heard that was the biggest day of all…it’s hard to believe that about a year ago I attended the same one.

This week I have asked a few of my friends to share a little about themselves!

Name: Shelby Powell

Hometown: Winchester, KY

Year: Senior

Major: Exercise Sports Science

Why UC? I love basketball & softball and didn’t want to choose just one sport and that was an option at UC. Plus they offered me the most finical aid.

What keeps you coming back to the ‘Burg? My passion for sports and education and my friends.

Favorite class? Why? Without a doubt, anatomy. I love learning about the body.

Name: Tanner Baker

Hometown: Fayetteville, GA

Year: Sophomore

Major: Criminal Justice

What do you love most about UC? The awesome campus. Not only is it beautiful but classes are close to eachother so you would’nt have to leave your room 30 minutes before classses actually start. Plus there is alot to do on campus. Best thing to do is get involved.

Favorite memory at UC? Summer break!

Favorite class? Insights. It’s an easy A and you get to meet other freshman.

Here is a few videos to show you what we enjoy most about UC…enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNUwVFa84-w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwaf634ldw8 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcDLG34xCLY

We are putting the finishing touches on our tri-fold that will make its debute at Discovery Day coming up in the 20th. All the bloggers are very excited to meet everyone (make sure you stop by our booth…we have TONS of candy!) Please feel free to ask us about anything! We would nothing more for to share our experiences, thoughts, and opinions with you guys. If nothing else, please visit and explore our campus. Keep in mind you’re not the only one who’s nervous and/or excited to be here. Chances are the person you sit next to is feeling the same way. For me, it helped when I made a few friends to stick together for the day. One thing I greatly remember is stopping by the Physical Therapy booth and eyeing the coolest “bone” pen ever made. That’s one booth I recommend you stop by. You’ll recieve a copy of this years Student Handbook. They’re kinda interesting to look at just to see what our school expects from the student body. I hope you enjoy your visit and hopefully I will see you there.

The big talk around campus is Saturday’s game against Georgetown. We were tied with them just about the entire game. The last few minutes were crucial. Just 5 points behind GC so Coach Bland had to act quick. We headed to make the winning touchdown within seconds of the buzzer when one of the GC players intercepted the ball to keep us from scoring. Tough loss but we’re hoping we’ll see them again in the playoffs for the MSC title.

One thing I didn’t know about convocation is you will receive a grade for your attendance. Good thing I went to a few! 4 attendances=A, 3=B, 2=C, 0-1=F. I hope you remember this for a heads-up next year. Class attendances can majorly affect your grade. It’s vital you attend your classes regularly. It’s fine to miss a few but you only get 9 absences for a class that meets 3 times a week and 6 for classes that meet 2 times a week. My advice would be keeping up with how many absences you have in all your classes. Professors do not take kindly to “irregular students.”

If you haven’t signed up for Discovery Day, it’s not too late! http://www.ucumberlands.edu/admissions/discovery/

Thanks for reading!

Kandace G

This week has been pretty short since we only had classes Monday through Wednesday. I didn’t realize how much work it was packing up all my Summer stuff and replacing my closet with all my Fall things. About an hour and a half later, I took all my clothing and other things I no longer needed to my car. Let me tell ya, that was a job. It’s a wonder how I stuffed all that stuff in my room and shoved in my trunk. I didn’t have practice Wednesday afternoon so after class I packed up and headed for Horse Cave. I don’t know about you, but I seriously don’t know why I haven’t won American Idol yet (my guess would be because I can’t really sing but I like to pretend I’m the next big thing.) My 2.5 hour car ride turned into a country/rock/ rap/ any kind of music concert. Too bad Randy J wasn’t there to tell me, “Congratulations, you’ve moved on to the next round.”

I was greeted by an open drive way and an empty house. No prob for me because all I really wanted was a tall glass of water and my queen-size bed. After a quick nap I went to unpack the unorganized cluster of clothing when I noticed my dad coming down the street. First thought, “Yay, it’s my dad!” Second thought, “I wonder if he can carry all this stuff?” Even though I know he would deny it, I’m pretty sure I saw some teary eyes when he saw me for the first time in 4 weeks. It was good to finally have my mom’s cooking and my parents sharing their college stories.

I’m still pretty close to my old teachers and a few staff members from my high school. I figured they would be a tad bit upset if they found out that I was in town and didn’t stop by. It was great to hang out with them once more as they wished me well, they reminded me that they were on my FB so they will always have their eyes on me…kinda scary right?

Tonight my sister is coming in to top off this lovely weekend. We haven’t done anything too crazy since we’ve been 18, therefore I feel like we are entitled to something. That something would me getting my left rook (in my ear) pierced and she wants her tragus (also a part of her ear!) pierced. Wish us luck! One thing I really missed was our local gas station’s hot chocolate and my friends. Can’t wait for the group to reunite over some hot cocoa. Although I miss home, I wouldn’t trade my life at UC for anything. I want to wish our football team the best of luck against Georgetown! It’s going to be a heck of game!

Don’t forget to check out Discovery Day coming up October 20th!  http://www.ucumberlands.edu/admissions/discovery/

Thanks for reading!

Kandace G

My first UC homecoming was a success. On Saturday, many parents, family, friends, alumni, and community members filled the campus. One main attraction was the festival held on the band field. Several booths were set up, with the neatest things from small business owners, campus organizations, and local services. I had the best cake pops ever, bought a glitter headband (I know you’re probably jealous), and had the opporutunity to meet some alumni. I noticed some folks were wearing an Indian on a Cumberland College shirt. As it turns out, the school’s mascot used to be an Indian. That would explain why there’s a huge native painting in the intermural gym (the smaller gym beside O. Wayne Rollings gym.) Some more history for you, Cumberland College was renamed University of the Cumberlands in 2005. Before Cumberland  College, the school was known as the Williamsburg Institute. After working to softball booth, I headed to the game with a few friends. It was so hard finding seats for a crowd of 5. The statium was packed but we squeezed and wedged ourselves in. To ease the pain, we introduced ourselves to the people we forced to “suck it in” so we could sit conveniently. Come to find out that we were sitting by a few of our football friends’ parents! I enjoyed our conversations and their hospitality.

To start October off, a monsoon flooded the campus. Well, maybe not a monsoon, but when it rains down here it pours! I ordered a few things off the internet and wanted to return them, so I had to use the UPS service located at one of the local pharmacies. I chose to walk instead of drive, which turned out to be one of the worse decisions of my life. About half-way there, a down pour came…without my umbrella…running in rainboots. I’m starting to think that I should mention to :

1. never leave your room without your ID and

2. always take an umbrella when its cloudy out.

If you’re wondering how im juggling life, studies, and sports, I’d say I’m doing well. In high school, I had a 3.8 GPA but here I’m about 2.8-3.0. Out of my 5 courses, math and psychology are struggles for me. I have no confidence in my math skills, so when it comes test time I second-guess myself, which makes it that much more difficult. Psychology has a lot of vocab of the brain that is also hard to remember. However, taking Anatomy in high school has eased some of my pain. One professor I hope you get the opportunity to take is Dr. Kirby Clarke. He is a very gentle man with a great sense of humor! In Old Testament, he discusses the background of the biblical characters and the purpose of their stories. Dr. Clarke also gives you an easy to understand study guide for each exam.  Most professors do give you a heads up when test are coming up, but not all give you an insight to their test! Be prepared to study all of your notes/book chapters for a few classes.

Don’t forget to check out our Campus Discovery Day coming up, October 20th! http://www.ucumberlands.edu/admissions/discovery/

Best wishes,

Kandace Gibson

Last week was wonderful. My friends made my birthday one of the best. It’s great having people you’ve known for a few months act like they’ve known you for your entire life. Just so ya know, even though this is a small town, you can always find some way to celebrate a birthday, night on the town, or a date. Corbin is only a 20 minute drive and there is tons of places like movies, bowling, tons of resturants, and my favorite, Fro-Yos (frozen yogurt.) We are also a hour’s drive south from Knoxville, Tenneessee – Home of the University of Tenneessee Vols (UK Wildcats all the way!!). Endless shopping, food, and entertainment. Tons of concerts are held here and in Corbin, too. If you’re coming from a big city, hopefully you won’t experience too much of a culture shock.

To top it all off, we played…excuse me, we hurt the Univeristy of Pikeville by 63-21, continuing our undefeated season and jumping from #14 to #12 in the NAIA. I was able to watch most of the second half due to Saturday afternoon practice. I enjoy being right next to the football field so we can get a score update every so often. However, I won’t be missing a second of our Homecoming game this weekend. UC is going to be pretty crowded with students, parents, alumini, and fans but it’s going to be worth it. With homecoming, we have had many activities going on. Monday, we had a huge poster sale in the BCC. They varied from favorite movies, bands, and art. Tuesday, we had two events. One was a guest speaker discussing the creation of Christian rock music. The other was a instrumentalist that played along with all popular hits.

Yesterday, we had a blood drive open to the public. I love to participate in giving blood but I decided not to since I had practice that afternoon. I do encourage you to donate when you can. Don’t let the fear of needles hold you back from saving 3 lives within minutes! I promise, I am the biggest baby when it comes to shots but when it comes to giving back to someone in need, it changes my perspective.

Tonight the school has set up a free movie night at the movie theatre in London (30 minutes off campus.) We get to choose any movie and I’m pretty sure we get popcorn and a drink for free too! Yeah my high school teachers were right…college is so hard.

Just kidding, college is somewhat difficult. If you do not have organization, study skills or time management skills, I highly recommend you cram before starting college. I’ve personally never had a problem with it, but I have friends that seem to get easily overwhelmed and stressed because they never had to in high school. My biggest issue is not knowing how to say no. I cannot turn down fun or an invite to hangout with friends for nothing. I’m terrible at pushing things off and doing them around 11 or 12. I learn the hard way when I get my test scores back.

I was told that there will be another Campus Discovery Day on October 20th. The campus will be absolutely beautiful covered in Fall colors! Just the other day Mrs.Taylor (the wife of the president of the university, Dr. Taylor!) was putting out her fall decorations! I hope you all have a great week!

-Kandace Gibson