Coming to Gonzaga I was an Undeclared major. I didn’t know what I wanted to study, what classes I had to take to be on track, and every time someone asked me “What are you majoring in?” I always responded “Right now I don’t know what I am majoring in, I am just taking core classes.” Of course there were freshmen who knew what they were majoring in and some even had their four years at Gonzaga all planned out, which made me freak out even more! I felt like I was wasting time and as if I was falling behind on my studies. I went to the counseling office to take the Meyers Briggs test, talked to my advisor, and basically tried everything to see if I could figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I talked to upperclassmen and the advice they all gave me was “Don’t worry; it will all fall in to place. You will find what it is you are passionate about by just taking the classes you enjoy the most.” After stressing about it and trying to figure out what I was going to do within the next four years, I decided to follow their advice. Freshmen year I took some of Gonzaga’s core classes (religion, philosophy, an art class, etc) that way I would explore the various classes and also fulfill some of the classes that are required by the school in order to graduate. It was towards the beginning of sophomore year that I noticed what classes I enjoyed the most and started looking at the majors that coincided with those classes. I first declared a double-major with a minor, then flipped one of the major as a minor and the minor as a major; I basically moved them around more than ten times. I just couldn’t make up my mind and continued to change my four year plan.
I remember the first time I walked in to my Academic Advisor’s office with my four year plan and she asked me for my major, so I said “You see I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of months now and I think I want to triple major… I am not saying it is going to happen but I will the attempt to do so” I immediately took out my four year plan and placed it in front of her. She was quite impressed with my planning and although she thought it would be too much for me to complete within four years, she continued to say “well you definitely have it all planned out now it’s a matter of putting these steps into action, but remember that you can always turn one of these in to a minor so don’t pressure yourself.” I agreed to take it one step at a time and see how it would all turn out. Truth of a matter was I loved every single one of them that I just couldn’t give it up. I am currently a Junior (with senior standing –due to my credits), this past semester I completed my comprehensive exam for my Spanish major, and now have two more classes to complete my International studies degree and will focus my senior year in completing my art portfolio. Not to mention that I am currently studying abroad in Italy where I am taking my last core classes! Woo! Now that I think about how I started and where I am now, I cant believe they were right.. I was able to choose my major based on the classes I enjoyed the most. But hey I am not saying “get all crazy and triple major” but the moral of my story is to explore your classes’ freshmen year! Even though taking core classes were not my favorite I must say they helped me choose my major and actually see what it was that I enjoyed taking and what I didn’t. In case you were wondering about my triple major I did take some summer classes and never really took below 18 credits each semester. I think next year might be the first time I will be taking 16 or less!

Remember:
-Just because you come in as undeclared doesn’t mean that you are already behind
-One of the reasons why I chose GU was because it had over 70 academic majors, I knew (or at least hoped) that out of the 75 I at least had to like one.
-Once you declare a major take the time to create your four year plan (this helps a lot especially when class registration comes along, you will already know what you need to take!)
-If you are thinking of studying abroad or are at least considering it, remember to look in to the program that you are interested in and writing down the classes that they are offering the semester you are thinking of going abroad.
-Degree worksheets are a HUGE help! They can be found online and they basically outline all the classes that are required for each major.

Ciao from Firenze!
Here are some pictures of Florence (:

Elizabeth Class of ’13
International Studies of Latin America, Art & Spanish

Hello Everyone! My apologies for not posting for the last couple of weeks (more like months) but being abroad makes it harder for me to find the time. Anyway, I wanted to write about this for quite a while now so here it is! I know there are a lot of you who might not be considering studying abroad or might think it’s financially impossible to do so. Well that was me three years ago. When I was looking into colleges, studying abroad was probably one of the last things I was considering during my selection process. I remember taking a campus tour and one of the ambassadors said “One of the greatest things about Gonzaga is that there are over 40% of the students who study abroad before graduating, and most importantly that your financial aid transfers to most of the programs.” Little did I know I would end up being one of those students who luckily got the opportunity to study abroad! As a first generation student attending college was already overwhelming enough that I never thought/considered going abroad. So I basically never bothered to even think about it. Long story short, I fell in love with the campus and everything that it had to offer that I chose GU! Sophomore year came a long and I met this amazing Junior, Monicka M.(who would later be my supervisor). She had just studied abroad and constantly talked about her great, unforgettable adventures abroad. I started looking more in to it and when I started creating my four year plan I saved some of my core classes “just in case” I was able to study abroad that way I would have something to take while abroad that would count towards my degree and not just take random elective classes. The more I looked in to it the more I wanted to go abroad! But the one thing that obviously made it seem impossible was the financial component. I went to the Financial Aid office and made some visits to the Study Abroad office not knowing what I was supposed to do (obviously), but as always they were more than happy to help! (side note: before coming to GU the first thing I noticed was how people in general are so generous and helpful!) They provided me with the resources and information about the various programs that would offer the courses I could take, and they also gave me names of scholarships that students had received in the past and those that would most likely apply to my major and interests. Needless to say, after all the hard work and help from both students and staff I am here! Living in Florence and having the time of my life. I never thought I would actually be studying/living abroad that I feel blessed!!

Some things to keep in mind:
-Gonzaga Financial Aid Transfers to most of the abroad programs like GIF (Gonzaga in Florence)! There are students from other schools that literally receive no financial help from their schools.
-Most abroad programs offer core classes or classes designed for special majors, so if you are considering going abroad look at programs that would work around your schedule!
-Engineers are the only exception for studying abroad second semester of sophomore year.
-I LOVE LOVE LOVE Florence and if there is one thing I highly recommend is looking in to study abroad programs and applying for SCHOLARSHIPS!
-Talk to upperclassmen! they always have tips or “must knows” about the campus and programs in general.

Beautiful view of Florence, Italy

Waiting for the sunset

Outside the Pitti Palace

Elizabeth Class of ’13
International Studies of Latin America, Art & Spanish

One of the things that I LOVE about Gonzaga is the number of programs and clubs it has to offer to its students. There are so many ways that students can get involved, it’s not even funny. In high school I tried to be involved in volunteer programs and cultural clubs, and now here in Gonzaga I’ve gotten the opportunity to be part of various extracurricular activities that I would’ve never thought of joining before. Of course I won’t be able to mention EVERY single one of them but I will try to list some of the many programs that I’m a part of or the ones that I’ve heard of.

Comprehensive Leadership Program (CLP): Program designed to “develop leaders for the common good.” I learned about this program at the beginning of freshmen year. Not many freshmen know about it and miss the application deadline (apps are usually available towards the end of Fall semester).  The great thing about this program is that only 40 students get admitted and you basically get the opportunity to take courses with that same group throughout your four years at GU. You get to learn about leadership in the context of self-identity, the various theories of leadership, profiles in leadership and much more!

Campus Kids: Along with this mentoring program there are many more like: GAME, Earthbound, S.M.I.L.E, Zag Study Buddies, etc. Every program works differently; some you get to visit the school of your mentee and others bring the students to Gonzaga. Freshmen and sophomore year I was a mentor of a 6^th grader. One day of the week (depending on which day you are available) they brought our “mentee” to campus and another day we were expected to visit them at their school. One of the things that I really loved about CK was that you get to work with the same student every weekend, so you get that mentor-mentee relationship and really get to know your student at a more personal level.

Cultural Clubs: La Raza Latina, BSU, FASU, HPIC, Chinese Club, ISU (International Student Union), Italian Club,  Japanese Club, and many more. A lot of students are part of more than one club, sounds crazy but it is manageable. Unlike high school where meetings were during the lunch hour, here in Gonzaga meetings tend to be at night or when most students are available. I know that cultural clubs try to have their meetings on different days, that way they won’t overlap. But remember don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to be a part of everything, because sometimes it is exhausting. Try to pick the things you are most passionate about.

Volunteer Programs: The two things that come to mind are April’s Angels and Campus Kitchen. There are many many more , so don’t think these are the only two. You would be amazed to learn about all the volunteer opportunities that there are here in Gonzaga, so many that you can always find the perfect fit! To tell you more about April’s Angels it takes place around April 14^th and it is a one-day volunteer event where Gonzaga students work together to renovate and air the local neighborhoods and community. Since it is such a big event there is usually more than one site, so you can do anything from gardening, cleaning parking spaces, painting murals, dusting, moving furniture, etc.

This picture is from Dream Act Week -an event put together by La Raza Latina to raise awareness about the DREAM ACT (acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors)

This picture was taken during a Club Fair at the beginning of the year. It’s always a great way to learn about all the clubs at GU!

Leaving our hand print on the wall! Throughout the semester there are various clubs/programs that have students sign the wall, leave your handprint, or something similar to show your support

This picture is from my sophomore year when I was part of April’s Angels. We spent the day painting the “music room”

Remember: Being involved is one of the most important aspects of your college education. Not only that but it is a great way to make new friends and have new experiences!

Elizabeth Class of ’13
International Studies of Latin America, Art & Spanish

My name is Elizabeth and I am currently a Junior here at Gonzaga. I am attempting a triple major in Latin American Studies, Art and Spanish, so if you are interested in any of those majors let me know! Anyway I am from Fairfield, California but I also lived in Arizona for a couple of years. With that said, Spokane was the last place I thought I would end up.

It was not until I came for a college visit that I fell in LOVE with the campus. Unlike many I didn’t get the opportunity to come for GEL weekend, so I pretty much learned about the campus through the campus tour I had during Christmas break, the school website (which I think is AMAZING), the YouTube videos, pictures, and student blogs.  The fact that I got to visit the University helped me a lot with my decision, but don’t let that discourage you because if you are unable to come up for a college visit, you can still learn about the campus through our school website and even get some virtual tours of the campus. Just so you know there are students that I have talked to that said they had never visited the campus until the day they got to move in to their dorms! Crazy right? This just goes to show that even if you don’t get the opportunity to experience the GU community prior to your decision there are still ways to learn more about the campus, so take advantage of all those resources!

With that said I would like to leave you with one of my favorite Gonzaga videos that I think explains what the Gonzaga Culture is all about.

Elizabeth Class of ’13
International Studies of Latin America, Art & Spanish