Students roll out of bed on a gray Wednesday morning after only a few hours of sleep. They mismatch their socks, have completely given up the idea of wearing cute outfits to class, and purposefully ignore the look of their hair and the bags under their eyes. They have a million and one things to do listed on their calendars for that week, not to mention all of the chapels they have yet to finish. Oh, the chapels! Somehow between the 18 credits, two clubs and their social lives, they have forgotten their chapels.

Unquestionable Scheduling

The picture described above has often defined many Biola students mid-semester. 20 chapel credits could not be considered a small amount by any means, yet some students appear to have mastered the scheduling and check off their chapel credits early in the semester with ease.

Junior English major Andrea Riskey suggests looking at the chapel schedule before the semester starts, then schedule into your calendar the chapels that you can and would like to attend. She encourages students go to those chapels without wavering or getting lazy.

“Just make that a part of your schedule that you don’t even question, and that way you’ll get them done on time,” Riskey said.

Avoid Stress Later

Sophomore intercultural studies major Lyndsey Ryan tries to complete a large number of her chapel credits towards the beginning of the semester to avoid stress later.

“I have gone to as many at the beginning of the semester as I can and then just kind of gotten to the point where I can just go to Singspo every Sunday, and that gets it done,” Ryan said.

Junior social science major Alexis Jones adds another method to the list. She picks chapels to regularly attend throughout the semester.

“I plan to go to Singspo every week and then AfterDark almost every week,” Jones said.

An Opportunity for Growth

All three girls also encourage students to view chapels in a positive light. Riskey explained while 20 chapels a week could seem like a large amount, the school she previously attended required students to go to three chapels a week, and they could only miss six chapels a semester. To her, the chapel requirements feel much less restrictive.

“Try to look at them as an opportunity to learn stuff and try to pick the ones that you think will really enrich your life,” Riskey said. “You’re a Christian, and it’s part of your job to teach yourself and learn and grow. So chapels are a great opportunity to do that. Just look at them as part of your life.”

Jones suggests students bring their journals to chapel in order to remember the message taught. She said students can also write down the prayer requests of the students around them or make note of the content from the message that moved them specifically.

“Make good use of them. Don’t just go because you have to get them done,” Ryan said.