Letter from OU

Dear Bishop Kelley High School Seniors,

First of all, as we all learned yesterday, life is short. So as much as grades, classes, internships, and jobs all matter, please don't neglect the relationships that you have with your friends and even with those you barely know because we really never know when God says our time on Earth is up. The relationships that you form with other people can and will last longer than anything else you have in life if you nurture them in the proper way. Not to completely disregard school or anything like that, I just wanted you to understand my first point. What I have learned since I got to college is that I NEVER should have complained about my high school work. Colleges courses expect 100% all the time and there are no such things as "blow off" classes. Every class is important and counts towards your GPA, and every teacher teaching their class thinks it is the most important class you will take. First and foremost, GO TO CLASS! I know it is so tempting to stay in your warm bed at 9:30 in the morning when you have to get up, but going to class is very beneficial and you will learn more this way. Get to know your professors! This may benefit you for many reasons: some are more lenient towards students that they believe showed an effort and they have to know who you are to know if you're showing an effort or not. Some teachers recognize attendance and try and award points for doing so. And others, you may need a recommendation or something of the sort in the future and they would love to help you out. Be kind and friendly to those you meet. Join an organization or group on campus to help you get involved. This will reap more benefits than a lot of things and will help you get plugged in and make this large campus a little bit smaller and more personal for you. Also, first semester is HARD. It's a complete life transition and it's gonna be rough, but don't give up, because you will find your place and your friends and figure out those grades and it will all be okay! Good luck guys!!!

- Kaitlyn

Bystander Behavior

I have been a bystander to many things in my life I'm sure. The thing that probably bothers me the most is that I have been a bystander to people my age drinking and driving. I've always been against it, but after awhile, the amount of people I knew doing it grew and it was harder to stop people from doing it. Some people just don't realize the consequences of making this wrong decision. I have recently become a bystander to this because I have had the attitude that at this point in our lives, if people haven't realized what's important to them and what is right and wrong then I don't need to be wasting my time trying to change their mind and get them help. But the longer I sit here and write this, it makes me think more and more how I can prevent it. And that if something were to happen and I were the one that could have stopped it and I didn't do something, how awful I would feel afterwards.

I remember one time at my high school my brother and I were talking out by our cars and my papers flew out of my binder all over the school parking lot. My brother was the only one to help me and no one else even stopped and I would have lost a lot less papers and it would have taken less time to collect them all had someone else stepped in and helped.

Personally, I think that college students (generally speaking) don't speak up against wrong doing because we feel as if someone else will do it. Especially at a university as large as OU. There is always someone else who can do it, so we think that the responsibility is not left up to us.

Priorities

Hmm... priorities in my life. Well I have to be honest and say that no matter what, my family has been and will always be my number one priority. They mean everything to me and without them, I wouldn't be who I am today. I prioritize my personal relationships with people above everything. I believe that when someone relies on and trusts you, you have to be there for them always and try and support and help them however you can. This is probably the most important thing in my life and I really try and do this. God has been a priority in my life in the past and I'm really trying to make him a priority now. Coming to college, it's been harder for me to keep up my relationship with Him, however, after New Years, I began a prayer journal and try to think of what He would do while making decisions throughout my day. Going to church has never been my favorite, but I do try and go every Sunday. Then my priorities fall to my school work. I always try and do the best that I can do for everything. This includes homework, tests, papers and quizzes. No, I'm not the best at any of these and I don't always make hundreds, but I really try and put 100% into everything that I do. The way I prioritize my free time has to do with what would benefit others and makes me happy. I absolutely love volunteering and this is always the first option when I'm not in class or having to struggle to make a grade. I would say that these are the main things in my life that matter enough to me to weigh each one against each other when having to choose between two things.

Influences

The greatest influence in my life would have to be my mom. She has completely shaped who I am today. She was there for me and my siblings through everything and has sacrificed so much for us to be where we are today. Some of the greatest influences in my life outside of my family are the people I come into contact with on a day to day basis. People's opinions shape my opinions and hopefully mine can shape theirs. Or at least we can learn from each other. Sometimes I like to think that I'm always right, so by having my friends and other people in my life tell me otherwise, it helps me see truth in things. I think that since high school graduation, I try to be less influenced by other people than I was in the past. I believe having your own mind and speaking your own opinion is important. The longer I've lived on my own and been able to make my own decisions the more I realize the truth in that.

Blog 1

Hi guys! This is my blog. Hopefully you know who I am by now, but for those of you who don't, you will shortly. Trust me :)

I think our life maps told a lot about who each of us were, but I'll give a quick recap:

I'm 19, born Dec. 6 (in case you wanna get me a present), love my family more than anything, and yes my family does include my dog, Jake. He's the best! I'll go ahead and upload a picture of him too just so you can agree with me! I also love my friends and am so lucky to have the ones that I do. I hope that we all get to learn more about each other in this class and that we can really learn the steps to make a difference in others lives in one way or another. That's why I'm taking this class! See you all on Thursday morning! (PLEASE NO SNOW - I'M A SUMMER GIRL!!)

Jake -