Andrew Edwards

Major: History

Seeking Excellence 

Andrew Edwards is a freshman from Topeka, Kan., who quickly gravitated to Jewell in his college search. “I loved the campus as soon as I got here. It felt right as opposed to any other campus I had visited before,” he says. He was also impressed by the school’s prestigious reputation. “People may think Jewell is a hard school, but as long as you apply yourself and manage your time wisely, it’s not that difficult. And when you get a degree from here, it actually means something.”

As a history major and a football player, Andrew divides his time between the classroom and the playing field. He finds challenges in both areas: football practices are more time consuming than they were in high school, and class tests are less frequent. “In each history course I have taken at Jewell so far,” he explains, “there have been only four examinations per semester. For each test, I had a huge section of notes to study—about 16 pages front and back.” But Andrew has enjoyed his major field. “My current history professor uses PowerPoint slides, film clips and historical documents to tell a story, and that’s the best way for me to learn history. Just memorizing dates and facts doesn’t stick as well.” He admits that “It gets kind of rough to space out my time because playing college football is basically a job, and I want to do my best in my courses, too.” However tough his schedule, Andrew refuses to let his school work suffer. “I always do the assignments I’m given, no matter what it takes.”