September 28th, 2009

      

       Recently I have graduated from Chestnut Hill College (CHC) with a degree in Accounting. Soon after I had a great summer, I traveled to Europe and played a lot of basketball. Then after returning to United States I quickly enrolled in the Graduate program at CHC, studying Administration of Human Services. Some would ask “do you like CHC that much?” I reply”why yes I do.” The truth is I have been blessed with the opportunity to further my education through use of my athletic ability to play basketball. It has not been an easy transition from undergrad to graduate, but it also has not been a hard one either. Here is my answer to the forever asked question “So how is graduate school.”
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Tagged As: Adult Life, Back to School, Chestnut Hill, classes, courses, Graduate School, summer
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September 26th, 2009

Hey Commuters!

I know it can be a downer when you have an 8:00am class and don’t have another class until 2:30pm. That leaves you with nearly five hours of complete and utter boredom. The logical things you think to do include: hanging out in the computer lab and checking your Facebook incessantly for the next few hours, e-mailing your pen pal in New Zealand, and checking out E online to catch up on the latest Brittany gossip. 

Though these are all ways you can use up your time, I have a few other suggestions on how those hours in between classes can go a bit faster and not leave you catching zzz’s in the commuter lounge.

HOMEWORK

Though it may be tempting to save all your assignments for the last minute, you know that deep down getting a head start would be the best thing to do. And when can you start getting ahead on all the work you have to do?  During that long break you have between classes. Using that time to start typing a paper, doing research, or studying for an exam will help decrease some of  your late night cram sessions in the future. Plus, it will leave you with some spare time in the evenings to meet up with some friends for half price appetizers at Applebee’s, or catching the newest episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

Side note:  The Logue library is one of the best places to study on campus. The library has lots of resources at your disposal, which makes it easy to get a head start on, let’s say, your history research paper. For more information about Logue library check out http://www.chc.edu/atchc.aspx?id=430&ekmensel=e2f22c9a_50_84_btnlink.

BIKE RIDING IN FAIRMOUNT PARK

Fairmount Park is one of the finest attractions that Philadelphia has to offer, and we are lucky that CHC is located across the street from it.  If you want to breathe in some fresh air and get some exorcise, take a trip to Fairmount Park. At the Griffins Den (located at the bottom of Fournier Hall) you can rent bikes for free! Is that a great deal or what? So, instead of watching time pass you by grab a fellow commuter, rent out a bike, and enjoy a fine afternoon in the park.

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Tagged As: Career Services, Chestnut Hill, Fairmount Park, Griffins Den, Logue Library, Work Study
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June 24th, 2009

When looking at colleges, you know by now to get a good look at each campus. (You can do so by following Andréa’s helpful scavenger hunt!) However, almost as important as the campus itself is what you find off campus. Your college’s surrounding neighborhood is where you’ll undoubtedly spend the second-most amount of time.

CHC has what we call a “geographic identity crisis”: one side of our campus borders the suburbs, the other borders the city. Not to mention, we’re 100 feet away from Fairmount Park. Our closest neighbor is the town of Chestnut Hill, a historic, cobble-stoned array of shops, restaurants, and beautiful buildings. Get to know it well; it’s where your parents will surely be treating you to dinner every time they visit.

Here are a few of my favorite things Chestnut Hill has to offer:

Two Train Stations
In town, you’ll find two SEPTA regional rail lines: the R7 and the R8 (Chestnut Hill East and West). They provide easy access to center city, Amtrak, or New York City (via Trenton).

Amazing Restaurants
Chestnut Hill is home to some of Philly’s best dining. Every time my parents and friends from home visit, I introduce them to Solaris, my favorite restaurant (the house penne is incredible). The Chestnut Grill and Osaka sushi are other favorites, and even have CHC students on staff.

Indulgences
Whether you’re into pastries, gourmet smoothies, or honey sticks, Chestnut Hill has something for you. A must-try is Bredenbeck’s Ice Cream Parlor, which has ice cream, sorbet, smoothies, and cakes to die for. It’s a little pricey, but well worth it.

I recently discovered The Hill Tea Bar, a bustling tea shop with free wifi, outdoor seating, and delicious iced pomegranate chai.

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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, SEPTA, shopping
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April 27th, 2009

There is one reason Chestnut Hill has been named Philadelphia’s official Garden District: everywhere you turn, you see green. The tree-lined, cobblestone streets are scattered with flower pots. Morris Arboretum, the official arboretum of PA, is up the street from our school (which is next to Fairmount Park, the largest park system in any U.S. city). Philadelphia’s premier florist, Robertson’s, calls Chestnut Hill its home. 

As a Chestnut Hill College student, it’s safe to say our neighborhood will become your very own victory garden. Here are a few ways to get your floral fix on campus, in town, and everywhere in between. 

On Campus
Need some new scenery for studying? Maybe you just want to get outside (which can be a challenge when the three most important buildings on campus are connected). Either way, both main campus and Sugarloaf are full of flowery goodness. Try a study session in CHC’s chapter of the Garden of Forgiveness. Ours is full of roses, with bench space to spare.
The courtyard is another hotspot. Every season brings new life, with flowers in the spring and beautiful leaves in the fall.
Sugarloaf’s vast array of flowers made for a great nighttime photo shoot with fellow blogger Andréa, especially during the late-April heat wave. Every time we saw a security van, we ducked into the trees! 

  

UPenn’s Morris Arboretum
Located within a five-minute walk of the College, Morris Arboretum contains over 13,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 types. It focuses on Asia, but represents North America and Europe, too. The 92-acre former estate was founded in 1889 and is now maintained by the University of Pennsylvania. Admission for all students is just $7!

Fairmount Park
At CHC, we like to think of Fairmount Park as our backyard. We do service there, along with 98,000 other volunteers each year, from planting trees to cleaning the Wissahickon creek. We hang out there, too. Near the park’s entrance, there is a sandy beach that is perfect for sunbathing, or in my friend Bleu’s case, a dip on a hot day. Feeling equestrian? You can see the horse stables with rentals from our driveway. Check out their official map to see everything the park offers.

 

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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, Fairmount Park, garden of forgiveness, Morris Arboretum, Nature, Wissahickon
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March 21st, 2009

The 10 Best Things About Warm Weather at CHC

When the temperature goes up and the sun comes out, CHC comes alive. We finally have reasons to leave our rooms besides going to class! As the weather gets summery, an abundance of activities pop up on campus (and off) that didn’t exist during winter coat season. 

Warm weather at CHC means…

1. Walks in Fairmount Park
The biggest park system in any city in the United States is less than 100 feet away from our campus. On a nice day, rent a bike (for free!) from the Griffin’s Den in exchange for your student ID, and take a ride. Or, just go for a walk or jog; there are both flat trails and steep terrain.  

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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, Fairmount Park, Picnic, Quidditch, Schuylkill River
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March 1st, 2009

As you’ve probably noticed by now, Chestnut Hill College is technically in Philadelphia, even though we’re removed from the hustle and bustle of Center City. Consequently, we’re able to take advantage of many city benefits without actually being an urban campus.

One great Philly event to take advantage of is Restaurant Week. Center City District organizes two Restaurant Weeks each year: one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. More than 100 restaurants in Center City (and the surrounding area) offer dinners consisting of a minimum of 3 courses for only $35 (before taxes, tip, and alcohol). While that might sound a little steep on a college budget, it’s actually a great deal. These aren’t restaurants like Applebee’s or Red Robin; they’re restaurants like The Melting Pot, Phillips Seafood, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Swanky Bubbles Restaurant & Champagne Bar.

This year, my friends and I decided to participate in the “spring” Restaurant Week, which was the last week of January and then extended into the first week of February. We picked
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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, Discount, Food, off campus, Philadelphia
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February 11th, 2009

 

On a cool January day my roommate and I decided to put our textbooks aside and enjoy a nice day in Chestnut Hill. It was the nice day for a drive into town. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the trees where bear, however, in their leafless wintery state still expressed the beauty of the season. The air was chilly, and caused our cheeks to become rosy and our noses to run, and it was delightful.

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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, shopping, starbucks
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October 29th, 2008

    

What do college students do between 1:00pm-2:00pm? Go to class! I don’t think so. We take a break from our crazy college lives. How do we do this?

By playing in the leaves, of course.                                                              
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Tagged As: Chestnut Hill, Fall, Friends, shopping, starbucks
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