Hey freshman...Welcome to Jessup. I used to be one of you. A long time ago, when Rocklin was still hot and unbearable, I was a freshman at William Jessup University. Hopefully, you're a bit different than I was. I was the 20-year-old freshman who had taken two years of community college, scraped together 20 units and had something like a 2.00 GPA.

Class standing, age and horrible GPA aside, I was a freshman. School starts this week, and you're probably riddled with excitement about the new year and new opportunities to make William Jessup your home for the next four years. Whether you're a christian leadership major, a biology major, psych major or even an English major, like myself, I've been through the Jessup beat, and there are a few things you should know.

Firstly, pay attention. As a freshman, you'll be catapulted into an incredible class with the other 150 or so freshman called Contemporary Discipleship. My word of advice is this...never take for granted a single word that Jim Crain says. You will build a lasting foundation of who you are, who you want to be and who God wants you to be. All of that will begin in this lecture hall. For a lot of you, Jim Crain will be your foray into William Jessup, and it will be an experience that you won't soon forget. If Jim Crain calls you out on the first day of class because you have one vowel in a six letter last name and he can't pronounce it...roll with it, because every freshman on the block will know you for that very reason...it happened to me!

Secondly, go to chapel. When I was a student, Monday night chapels were just beginning to be a thing on campus...and it quickly became known as the "make up" chapel. Don't be that kid! Go to chapel, because it will become one of your favorite aspects of your journey at Jessup. Plus, you don't want to wake up one day and realize you missed the opportunity to hear Francis Chan speak! You'll soon realize the 9:30-10:20 time block is the perfect time to reset from that 8 a.m. math class that you're eventually going to have to suffer through. Everybody needs a dose of Jesus after an 8 a.m. class...NEVER FORGET THAT.

The next thing you know, your freshman year isn't going to be so freshman anymore. It's going to smell like sophomore. You're going to have new friends, new classes, new experiences and a new dorm...My third piece of advice is this; if you ever hear an older student, professor or other staff member mention the Staybridge Suites; repent for your sins and praise God for the super awesome, brand new, Sunset Hall.

I promise you, no matter how much you fight it, Humans Vs. Zombies is going to be immensely popular...and that super cute youth ministry guy that you had your eye on... he's going to revert back into a five-year-old boy for a week and there's nothing you can do about it. So you might as well throw on an orange bandana, grab a nerf gun and learn to shoot.

Another thing you need to know, almighty freshman. William Jessup isn't the TV show "Glee." On campus, the choir and orchestra kids...they're the popular kids. They run the campus. Your best bet for survival at Jessup is to schedule a random bump in with Tom Ruscica...make friends, and all of a sudden, you have an in with the mightiest man on campus.

Let me appeal to the freshman who commutes. That was me...for two years I drove to campus every day from the far reaches of Loomis. I would go to class, duck out and dart home. Don't be me. Just because class is over, doesn't mean your day should be over. GET CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. Dodgeball tournaments, midnight breakfast, air band... none of these traditions will be wasted on you. If you're like me and uneasy about getting involved... find the most outgoing person in the school, get connected in a group project, and just let the Jesus in them drag you into the community. It'll be the best thing about your time at Jessup.

Freshman...Don't make an enemy out of the student life office. Think of them as mom and dad... away from mom and dad. If you don't check your student mailbox on a regular basis, it's going to overflow... and you know what happens at home when you don't do your chores and mom and dad get mad.

Make friends with Mr. Bingley. Some say he lives in a glass bubble. It doesn't matter, he's your friend. Just trust me.

Freshman...You're going to be walking on campus one day and see a really familiar looking guy. You're going to swear you recognize him from somewhere. Eventually it'll click and you'll realize you've seen him in various movies. When that moment happens, I have one word of advice for you. Stop comparing Mark Moore to Wes Bentley. And freshmen ladies...he's married...stop it!

Freshman...Don't be daunted by the eight or nine required books for the semester. Take the C.S. Lewis class. Mere Christianity alone will change your life. Just...you know...do it as a junior.

Yes, it is possible to find a smarter man than Dennis Nichols...No, it isn't possible to find him on this side of the country. If you have the opportunity to take a class with him, do it. If you have the opportunity to be in an SFG led by him, jump on it. You'll come out a stronger, better and more spiritual person on the other side.

Yes, freshman, Portia loves Shakespeare. And yes, Portia will know when your essay reflects that you didn't read your Shakespeare. Read your Shakespeare and none of this will happen!

Freshman; when given the opportunity, be the first one to start the hashtag, #VonVogtssuspenders. I never did, but it needs to happen. I think of Jessup as a startup business. You're coming in on the ground floor. If you see something that you want to create, something you want to change, or something you want to build on, you can do that at Jessup. You can start a tradition or leave a legacy... #VonVogtssuspenders needs to be one of those things.

Freshman...Mary McFarland is going to help you more than anybody else on campus is going to help you in your entire time at Jessup. Never forget to show her your gratitude.

Freshman...If you start the semester complaining about the cost of the full meal plan... you'll stop complaining about the cost of the full meal plan at the end of the year. The Crossroads Cafe is "on fleek."

Freshman...this is a private Christian liberal arts university...don't ever use the term "on fleek." It will never be the answer when you think "WWJD?"

Freshman...yes, that accent you'll hear in your Romans class is Australian. And yes freshman, David Timms is authentic.

Creative Arts freshman... no, Derek Martin is not 25.

Freshman...Go to the mens basketball games. Pack the Warrior Arena and make it loud. They're really good. And...Go to the womens basketball games. And go to the soccer games, and the baseball games, and the softball games. Go to the cross country and track meets, go to the volleyball matches. Jessup athletics need your support, and you're not going to find a more dynamite environment than the sporting events.

Freshman...You may have never heard of It's A Wonderful Life...But go to the play anyways. Go to the choir and orchestra concerts, check out the art show. The arts are under appreciated, and at Jessup, they're really, really good.

And freshman...Keep a running counter of how many times John Jackson says, "Yay God!" at chapel during your four years. You won't be disappointed.

And lastly... don't take any moment in your time at Jessup for granted. The time flies by faster than you will ever know. And before you know it, you'll be walking across the stage with your degree in hand, and it will all be over. Cherish every moment, every community outreach, every game, every class, every relationship and every professor. William Jessup is in the business of shaping lives, and I promise you, you won't walk away the same person you walked in as.

Take it from me freshman. I walked in with a 2.00 GPA, a healthy disdain for school, no motivation and a part-time job. I walked away from Jessup with a bachelors degree, a 3.25 GPA, a full-time job, a stronger relationship with Christ and a beautiful girlfriend who is becoming my wife. I wouldn't be where I am today without the people who poured into me during my time at Jessup. If I had one last piece of advice for you, freshman, it would be this: Be vulnerable. Open yourself up to be poured into, to be influenced, to be loved, to be taught, and most importantly, to be sought by God. At the end of the day...you'll be grateful that you did. Trust me...I'm a Warrior; and now...so are you. Welcome to the family.