Community | John Brown University Student Life Blog

Making Friends at JBU

Apr 03 2019

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Coming into college, I expected to immediately make amazing friends without putting in a lot of effort. I dreamed of evenings exploring Siloam Springs, hiking local trails on Saturday afternoons and having late nights with lots of laughter and long conversations. I made plenty of friends my first semester at JBU, but I only had one friendship that went beyond the surface level. I struggled to find anyone else that I really clicked well with. As a result, I found myself sitting in my room, lonely many afternoons and throughout my weekends when she wasn’t available. I couldn’t figure why[…]

Mar 04 2019

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As JBU students, we are inundated with the gospel, which is a huge blessing. Chapel is held three times a week. Professors pray in classes. Core Bible classes are required for every major. Not to mention the Bible studies, spontaneous prayer/worship sessions, and general Jesus talk that takes place all over campus every day. Our minds are never far from the Word of God, but where are our hearts? My first semester at JBU, despite being constantly surrounded by God’s truth, I found it difficult to draw near to God. When you’re talking and thinking about God so much as[…]

Mar 01 2019

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I chose to attend JBU on a warm June night at 3 in the morning during a sleepover with my friends. I was thinking about how I wanted a cold glass of apple juice and how tired I was of not knowing where I was going to college. I had hoped that I would walk onto a college campus and just know that it was right for me, but my memory of JBU’s campus was of walking through the winter wind to scholarship interviews and panicking in one of the practice rooms in the cathedral before my piano audition. Still,[…]

Dear Joe: Welcome to JBU

Feb 20 2019

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Before my younger brother came to John Brown University, I decided to write him letters containing advice to help him succeed and enjoy his JBU experience. I think you’ll find some useful information in these letters, as well as some personal stories about my time as a JBU student. I hope the information in these letters will help you to succeed at JBU but, more importantly, I hope they help you to enjoy this formative time in life. Dear Joe, I hear you’ve decided to follow in my footsteps and attend JBU this coming fall semester. As your older brother,[…]

Nov 30 2018

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I’ve mentioned in numerous previous posts about the group here in Northern Ireland, and how they’re some of the best people I’ve met since coming to college. But I realize that these good relationships didn’t just happen. It was a mix of effort and events that made it possible, so here I present the top 4 ways to bond with others while abroad! Step #1: Be intentional and open. I’m the kind of person who takes a while to get to know people and open up, so I really appreciate all the people who took the time during the first[…]

Nov 25 2018

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I’ve had the opportunity to write a previous blog post about celebrating the 4th of July while in Jordan–a unique experience of mashing together very different cultures and time periods–and I’ve had to continue this trend of celebrating holidays (particularly American-specific holidays) in other countries this year. And while this isn’t the first year I’ve spent away from the States during holidays, it is the first time I’ve been abroad and separated from my family. But despite this, I still spent a really good time with really good people. The feeling of the holiday season for me actually started a[…]

Oct 25 2018

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This last week I had the opportunity to follow my resolution to get out and explore on the weekends in a big way: I got to go to London, England! The Irish fall studies group is allowed two free weekends, a long one of four days and a short one of two and a half days, and my friend/roommate Katie and I decided that we were going to invade–that is, tour–London for our long weekend. Having never been before, I was eager to see all the sights: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London,[…]

Respectful Disagreements

Jul 01 2018

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Before I started going to John Brown University, all the Christians in my life seemed to think the same way. I wasn’t really confronted with opinions that drastically differed from my own. Once I came to John Brown University, however, I learned that people do not always have to think the same way. I personally believe that it is through disagreements that we actually come to better ideas, because no one can be right at all times. When disagreeing with someone, it is important to remain respectful. Here are a few tips for when disagreements come up: Actually listen to[…]

Jun 20 2018

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I’m sitting with two of my best friends by a window in the cafeteria. The sunlight is streaming in… it’s a beautiful Monday, a great start to the week. As I look around at everyone entering, sitting, leaving, I see four different friends getting their own food and then sitting down at individual tables. Less than three months ago we ate all of our meals together. This is a thought that makes me pause. Can it be? My semester studying abroad in Ireland feels so long ago. It’s like it was a different lifetime, and I’m a time-traveler, jumping between[…]

Mar 15 2017

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There was one thing at the forefront of my mind as the first semester approached. Friends. Who will they be? What will they be like? What will life with them look like? If you’re like me, community is your lifeline. Trying to do life without it is like being four years old in the wave pool without your floaties. It’s exhausting, and it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning. As I was preparing to come to JBU, I worried about community. The more I thought about it, the more building a community from scratch seemed daunting. I can tell you now that a community of[…]

Category - Community

Making Friends at JBU

Stagnant Faith and the Christian College

Finding Home

Dear Joe: Welcome to JBU

Forming a Family

Not Home for the Holidays

The 2018 Invasion of London (AKA Two JBU Students on Fall Break)

Respectful Disagreements

What if Seasons Never Actually Ended?

Community—Finding Your Floaties