Coming back to school is not something everyone looks forward to with homework, studying, and not to mention the dreaded alarm clock.
The burdens of school seem to discourage many returning students. But for freshman Madelyn Smith, an English major who lives on campus, coming back to school was exciting.
“It was different than the first week,” Smith said. “Instead of meeting all of these people for the first time, it was more of a reunion with some of my best friends.”
For those living on campus, home is often far from their friends they meet at school, so returning to California Baptist University is usually an exciting and joyful experience for many students.
“At first, I was absolutely dreading the thought of returning to school,” said Gabriella Landeros, sophomore criminal justice major. “All of the homework and the studying and just needing to be diligent sounded like a difficult task.”
Landeros looked at this semester as daunting, a new challenge that many other students face. With new classes and teachers, the ideas of the unknown looms over students’ heads as they prepare for a new semester.
“Once I returned back to campus and got into the swing of things, I found myself rejuvenated and even excited to start school again,” Landeros said.
For commuter students, returning to school is an exciting time as well.
“Over breaks I miss friends that don’t live in Riverside, so I was excited to see everyone,” said Julia Gomez, senior Christian studies major.
At CBU students are encouraged to connect with others and form relationships that can last a lifetime.
For many students, returning to school is something to look forward to. While commuter students have to deal with the added struggle of morning traffic, most would agree the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Importantly, many try taking time to pray and spend time in the word of God when returning to school.
“You go through hard times, and things change around you, but Jesus is your constant,” Smith said. “Even if you fail a test or a class, God will still love you.”
Situations can arise and returning to school gives one the opportunity to grow in knowledge and spirit.
