Lyon College Blog

One of the things you first hear about Lyon when you first start looking at it is its “Honor Code”. I know the first time I heard about it, I really didn’t understand it, even as I signed it at matriculation. However, as most students do, I found that it actually does surround us everyday here at Lyon. The first time I really experienced it was the first open format Biology exam I took. I could have never imagined just being able to take a test basically whenever I felt like it (within about a 3 day span) and not even had a professor there to watch what I was doing. You may not believe but you never really feel tempted to cheat. It’s really a respect thing in that I really would feel like I was letting the professor down by not putting in the same amount of work to learn the material that he did teaching it to us by just using my book or notes. It is hard to explain it until you experience it though, but it’s just another part of Lyon that really makes a difference in the relationships you build with your proffessors. Of course from time to time there are sometimes when some get caught up in the stress of school and are a bit dishonest in their work, and this is dealt with by the Honor Council.

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What the heck is a house system? The house system really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense here at Lyon until you get here. Basically the “houses” are set up based on class. Of course there the beginning in the Freshman “quad” called Spraggins House. For many, you haven’t met a whole lot of people that are going to be in your class, so the roommate situation can be sort of a worry. Luckily, my roomie graduated with me from high school and we had been friends since junior high, but let’s be honest, we don’t all get that lucky. Sometimes, even after all of Student Life’s attempts to pair people with similar interest and habits, you end up with a roommate that isn’t exactly your style because let’s face it, it’s hard to match people up on just a piece of paper. That’s kinda the beauty of coming and living at a new place. You do actually grow from this and learn a few things. 1) You gotta accomadate from time to time. From this I mean, getting use to your roommates bad habits. For instance, I’m somewhat of a clean freak, but even though we’re good friends my roomie tends to just throw stuff around. All it takes to solve this problem though is a little communication and compromise - Big things to learn for the real world. 2) You’re not stuck with them for all four years. That’s right, you’re gonna get out and meet new people that you get along better with. Maybe that means that you go hang out with your new friend and their cooler roommate. Who knows, but what’s garunteed is that you can find someone else that you fit better with and room with them the next year, or if you’re really that picky -  go for a single. It all works out in the end though and my roommate and I have made it through three years and ready to live it up for our final year.

I guess, I would if I had to go to the Bahamas and chill for two weeks and earn some credit hours for it, lol. Seriously though, the Nichols Program is a great way to get out and see the world. We’re not talking about joining the Navy either. Each year, several professors sponsor a trip through an endowed program known as Nichols. A couple on slate for this year are a trip to the Bahamas to sail throughout many of the islands and study marine biology or go to Greece to study the culture both modern and ancient. Of course it’s a summer trip so it’s not all business. There’s plenty of time to relax and check out the awesome scenery or work on the tan (if you’re into that sorta thing). The great thing is that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars doing it. The programs are really affordable due to the endowment. It can also go towards you studying abroad in places like Spain, France, or England to name a few if you’re interested in actually leaving town for a semester. Lyon has deals worked out with several sister institutions around the world so you can experience a different culture for long term. Either way, you can expect to have an amazing experience you may not get to have anywhere else.

Weekends are definately the time to kick back and relax from the painful week you just had. If you enjoy the outdoors, there is nothing like an outting to Syllamo to make your weekend right. Next weekend, I plan on taking the next one of my excursions out near Mountain View to the Syllamo Bike Trails. Here there are several miles of scenic trails ranging from beginner to expert based on how mean of a ride you want. I’m looking forward to my descent of the Stairway to Heaven and hopefully fewer scars than last time. There’s always someone willing to go with you as many of XAS also make regular trips during biking season. So, if I’m not back by 5pm next Saturday, call Fish and Game to come find me out on the trails :).

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I’m not gonna lie, there’s some nights where studying is just out of the question. I’ve got a couple tests coming up, but I decided I was going to break the cardinal rule and study the night before because baseball is on TV.

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When I look back to my freshman year, I realize that being involved in a mentor group greatly eased my transition into college life.  I first met with my mentor group during one of the summer accepted students sessions.  I remember walking into one of the classrooms of the Lyon building, sitting down with the group, and thinking, “Wow, I’m going to be spending the next 4 years with these people!”  College was no longer something in the future; it was a reality.  We sat down and did an ice-breaker activity which allowed us to share a bit of our personalities with the group.  I remember being amazed at the diversity of those in my group; we were all from different backgrounds and were working toward different goals in life.  When classes began, our mentor group met once a week for class and attended various functions and assemblies as a group.  Some of the friendships that I now treasure came from the relationships built within this group.  My transition into the college world was greatly aided by the relationships that I developed with members of my mentor group.  Whether I was walking down the sidewalk or walking into the cafeteria, they were friendly, smiling faces that I recognized and could depend upon!

Things can sometimes get a little overwhelming during freshman orientation.  There always seems to be somewhere you have to go, something you have to do.  When I was a freshman, I remember wondering why we had to be so busy…I mean, my goodness, classes hadn’t even started yet and I was already worn out!  Now, I realize that actually it’s good to stay busy during the first few days on campus.  It’s very important to be able to socialize and develop relationships with your classmates at the onset of the semester.  For me, staying busy helped quell that sense of homesickness that I might have otherwise experienced.  Ok, so getting back to my original point…:) One really great event that occurs before the start of classes is Club Carnival.  At this “carnival”, various clubs and organizations on campus host a table that contains information about who they are and what they do.  It’s great to just walk from table to table and visit with the upperclassmen.  If you think you might be interested in a particular organization, you’re encouraged to sign up and then information about meetings, etc. can be sent to you via e-mail.  You’ve heard it before–the more involved you are on campus, the more you’ll enjoy your college experience.  Honestly, I can’t reiterate this point enough.  Campus involvement helps build the sense of community that Lyon College is founded on, and it also helps you build leadership and communication skills that will be a big help in the future!

At Lyon, a huge part of the liberal arts education focuses around the core curriculum.  Sometimes taking these classes may seem pointless and leave you thinking, “If I’m a biology major, why the heck do I need to take a music class?” But seriously, the core curriculum is a good thing.  By taking part in religion, history, foreign language, writing, natural science, and mathematics courses, students gain exposure to a wide array of topics.  Possessing a solid background in these areas helps Lyon students become well-rounded and knowledgeable at many different levels.  Often, a particular core requirement class will spark a student’s interest in that area, leading them to pursue either a minor or concentration in that particular course of study.  So if you find yourself grumbling about having to sit through some class that you think you have no interest in, address the subject with an open mind and willingness to learn; you might just be surprised at the results!

One of the key elements of a successful college career is having good time management skills.  As you progress through college, the courseload and level of responsibilities seem to continually increase.  It becomes extremely important to make good use of your time.  In Core 100 class during my freshman year, we kept a log for one week and recorded what we did on an houly basis.  This activity was really an eye-opener for me.  While I was spending a sufficient amount of time studying, there were many instances throughout the week in which my time was not used productively.  Over the past two years, I have made significant improvements in managing my time.  I still remain as one of the world’s worst procrastinators and have learned that sometimes, it’s better to just get the hard, most difficult task out of the way first.  In general, you will find that often there’s simply not enough time to do everything that you want to and have to do.  It becomes necessary to do the most important thing first and complete other tasks as time allows.  However, it’s also necessary to set aside time for yourself, whether that’s time spent working out, walking, watching TV, shopping, reading, or visiting with friends.  Because trust me, you’ll go crazy if you study all the time!