A New You? A New Me? Some Tea Talk about Transitions

This may seem like an odd question, but why do we drink tea? To calm ourselves? To socialize? To ponder our lives? To appear sophisticated?

Though I am not the Queen of England, I drink tea every now and then. Today, I happened to set aside a tea time with my Examined Life First Year Seminar professor, and even though I am now a sophomore, I still sat with him to do the very thing we sought to do throughout that first year course: to examine my life.

Transitions are always hard, and to be honest, up until now I haven't been coping well with being a sophomore. I had so many convictions my freshman year about who I wanted to be, and what was right and wrong. I thought I knew so much about the world and about myself. This semester, I realized I don't know what I know.

It's an odd feeling, because then you have to figure out who you are from scratch. As a freshman, I relied so much on my intellect and my independence to make me happy, but coming in as a sophomore, I started to recognize some changes in myself. My social interactions started to change, as I started to rely on my sense of humor in showing people who I really am, rather than just presenting them with this image of who I thought I was supposed to be (which was pretty much the whole smart, successful, independent spiel. All good things, but not a complete picture).

Luckily, I am definitely not alone in this journey of figuring out who I am. Not at St. Mike's. Over tea and conversation, my seminar professor was very supportive of the "new me", or at least, the process of discovering a "new me". We both agreed that questioning yourself is a way to grow. It's exciting and it's freeing, because you no longer have to be confined to who you thought you were or who you thought you were supposed to be. You're finally free. Free to choose who you are and how you want to live your life.

I thought this blog might be helpful to those of you who have made a major (or minor) transition, whether it be your first year at St. Mike's, your last year of high school, or simply your transition into your sophomore, junior, or senior year. Wherever you are in your life, you should know that what you are doing is a good thing. It's okay to admit that maybe, just maybe, you were wrong. And it's okay to start from scratch, to wipe an old palette clean. This world is a wonderful, confusing place, and the only way to really appreciate it is if you really consider how you want to live in it.

St. Mike's has such a wonderful, supportive community, and I am so glad I have people like my First Year Seminar professor to put me in perspective and assist me on my journey. You can always find someone to talk things out with. So go on! Grab a friend, a professor, or even me! My door is always open, and I am just a tweet/email/holler-if-you-must away! Just remember to be patient with yourself during this time and appreciate the mystery! :)

“The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates

Her Campus is coming!!!

Hey guys!

Have you checked out HerCampus.com? Well if you haven't, get ready to because...

Thanks to the wonderful minds of Lauren Mazzoleni and Alex Brenock, we are starting a Her Campus St. Mike's chapter! If you don't know what Her Campus is, it's an online magazine that colleges all across the country are involved with! We're going to be posting cool stuff about different events around Burlington and on campus, SMC fashion profiles, Campus Cuties, Campus Celebrities, and more! Our launch date is SEPTEMBER 18th, so make sure you log onto www.hercampus.com/smcvt to check out all the cool things we will be posting!

Oh, and by the way, Her Campus isn't just for girls! We have guys writing for us, too, so if you happen to be a guy or know a guy who is interested in St. Mike's, don't be afraid to log on!

I just wanted to share this exciting news with you! I hope you are all having a good week and I will be blogging again soon! :)

Welcome to SMC - First Week Survival Guide

To the class of 2016, I only have one thing to say to you...

WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME!

 

Okay, so maybe that's three things, but I just want to make sure you know how thrilled the SMC community is to have you! Now that you have officially settled in and completed your orientation, you are ready to experience all that SMC has to offer!

 

College is a wonderful time of exploration and self-discovery, but before you start to quote Socrates and listen to an insane amount of Bob Marley, you have to get through your first week. To help you out, I've decided to put together a First Week Survival Guide, full of tips and tricks to help you survive your first week at SMC!

 

First Week Survival Guide - Tips and Tricks to Having a Successful First Week as a College Freshman

 

1. Know Your Schedule - During the first week of classes, you are not expected to know the ins-and-outs of all the academic buildings and you may have trouble finding your classrooms. This is completely normal and expected, but knowing your schedule is extremely helpful. There should be a new and improved version of your class schedule in your mailbox, so make sure you pick that up and carry it with you as you travel from class to class. It's almost impossible to memorize all of your classrooms on your first day, so in order to prevent any unnecessary mix-ups, make sure you are well prepared with your schedule in hand.

 

2. Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help - This tip is extremely important! As a Freshman, it may be intimidating to walk up to an upper-classman or professor and ask them for help, but know that the SMC community is so open and supportive! Everyone here wants you to succeed, so make sure you take advantage of that and seek the help you need, whether it be asking for directions, acknowledging that you will need a professor's guidance during a challenging course, or having a peer look over one of your first college papers. Also know that professors have office hours and email accounts for you to utilize, so make sure you reach out to them if you need to!

 

3. Introduce Yourself to Anyone and Everyone - The greatest way to get to know someone is to start off with hello! There is no need to be shy! Everyone in your freshman class is in the same boat as you, so they will want to get to know you! You are going to meet many people with diverse interests and opinions, so make sure you embrace that, too. At college, it's okay to be different. In fact, the great thing about college is that you are appreciated for the things that make you you, so make sure to branch out and introduce yourself to anyone and everyone!

 

4. Make a Visual To-Do List - When you have a visual, you are more likely to accomplish the tasks that you set to get done. I personally find this very helpful in listing my daily duties and making sure that I fulfill them. I organize my to-do list on my whiteboard by listing my schedule in one section and my activities in another, but any kind of visual that works for you will do. Here's what my to-do list looks like right now:
 

 



5. Let Your Professors Know You - The great thing about St. Mike's is that we have such small class sizes, so professors are really able to know their students on a personal level. Participate in class, give them a hello when you see them, and even shoot them an introductory email if you feel so inclined. Your professors want to get to know you as a student and as a person, so make sure they know who you are!

6. Find A Good Study Space - Your first week is a time for you to figure out what works and what doesn't when it comes to your studies, so the best thing you can do is find a study space that works for you. If you find yourself getting easily distracted in your room, take a walk to the library and explore! There are so many different spaces in the library for you to use, so take a look around each floor and try out different seating areas. This may seem silly at first, but it's something that really works if you want to find the spot that works for you. If you find that the desk in your room is the space for you, then use it! Find the space that you feel gives you the best work ethic, and you will be set for the rest of the semester!

7. Take Breaks When You Need Them - If you want to make sure your time at the library is well spent, take a breather every now and then! Go for a walk around campus, get a coffee or a milkshake at the Knightstand, or just take some time to talk to some friends. Your brain is going to need some rest, so make sure you give it the rest it needs. Just don't go overboard. There is a fine line between procrastination and taking a break, so try not to cross it!

8. Check Out the First-Year Friday Videos on Youtube - I can't stress enough how helpful these videos are during your freshman year, especially during your first week! They're only a few minutes each and they are great for helping you discover SMC and Burlington! Here's one of the most recent First-Year Friday Videos:



9. Have Fun! - You are going to learn so many new things and meet so many new people, so make sure you really take time to enjoy and have fun with it! This is your time to experience your first week of college to the fullest, so don't stress, commit to your studies, and enjoy yourself!

I wish you all the best of luck and truly hope that you have a great first week! Stay true to yourself, enjoy your classes, and know that the SMC community is here for you! I hope to see many of you around campus, and welcome to your new home! :)

 

As Second Semester Comes To An End...

As it turns out, I am now one of those freshmen who can fondly look back several months ago and say, "Ah, it seems as if just yesterday I had begun my college education..." and then I can continue to flip through my scrapbook while I sip tea and listen to classical music.

All right, so maybe that's not exactly how it happens, but I can fondly look back on my past several months here and come to appreciate the independence I've claimed and the home that I've made here at Saint Mike's.

When I entered high school, I was sure that I was going to have the "best four years of my life". I was sure that I was going to be able to define myself and emerge from high school as a secure, confident adult. However, high school taught me many important life lessons, and lesson number one just happened to be that things don't always happen the way you plan or want them to. In high school, you go through so many changes, and between all the schoolwork, extracurriculars and teachers telling you who and what you should be, it is such a confusing time. I was so busy and so frustrated. I didn't have any time to think for myself. I didn't have any space to discover the world on my own and really take possession of the person I wanted to be. I saw my youth as a prison and I was dying to break free.

I wanted a much different experience in college. I wanted my independence, but I didn't know how to claim it. When senior year came around, it seemed as if the best way for me to truly discover myself was to go away. Two years ago, I never would have imagined myself in Colchester, Vermont, but by some great grace of God I received the Saint Michael's College Book Award May of my junior year and found the place I now call my home.

Being at Saint Michael's has been an amazing experience. I came knowing no one (although by some strange coincidence my cousin David decided to attend here as well, we're in the same class and we met at Orientation!) and almost nothing about Vermont, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It really gave me my own space to think about myself and the person I wanted to be, and there's just something about those green mountains that are good for the soul! I've met so many people here, both students and professors, that are so trustworthy and compassionate. I've never been around so many people that truly think about their lives and how they want to live it every day. I've really been able to live in each day and love the experiences that I have here.

The students here at Saint Michael's have such life in them. Their willingness to create change and their belief in themselves and in each other helped me to realize that my youth isn't my prison. It's my power. As second semester comes to an end, I find myself both invigorated by the moment and hopeful of the future. In less than a month, I'll be in Pontigny, France with other Saint Michael's students and faculty members for an amazing medieval history course. Next semester, I'll get my first start on my Psychology courses and I'll be a part of the VITA (campus ministry) team leading LINK along with Alex and Maura. This past academic year has been an incredible journey that has helped me to grow and experience things I never thought I would, and I am so blessed to call this place my home.

On a side note: For those of you who have already sent in your deposit

and decided to join us at SMC, congratulations!! Welcome to the family!!

I highly advise you to check out/consider our POW, WOW, Community

Service Weekend or any other summer programs that we have

for you incoming freshmen! I went on POW and had a

wonderful time, I'll probably blog about it soon

so keep an eye out!! :)

So.... How's The Weekend Life?

Though I am sure that many of you are more than eager to learn about the academic life here at St. Mike's, I am also sure that many of you are bound to wonder about the weekend. What do we do? How much is there to do in Burlington? In Vermont? On campus?

While we do have plenty of opportunities for fun on the weekend, it honestly depends on what you like to do. This past weekend was pretty busy (and fun!!) for me, so I figured talking about my weekend would help to give you insight into the many opportunties we have here at St. Mike's and in Vermont.

Starting with Friday...
My friend Laura Dam has been dying to see Titanic... so this Friday we finally went! Freshmen are allowed to have cars on campus during their second semester so we drove to the Majestic 10 in Williston, which is only a 10-15 minute drive from St. Mike's, and saw Titanic in 3-D! I loveeeed the 3-D experience! If you don't have a car on campus and ever want to go out with your friends and see a movie, you can certainly take the Essex 2 Junction bus that comes right to Saint Mike's with your Knightcard and go right down to Cherry Street! You'll find the Roxy theater, one of downtown Burlington's many gems! It's really popular on weekend nights, so you're bound to have a great time!

Then on Saturday...

I woke up bright and early to go to the Jay Peak Pump House Water Park with DREAM!! For those of you who don't know, Jay Peak is typically a ski resort but they've just added a new waterpark!  The kids had SUCH a great time, and so did the mentors! There's this one water slide that drops you 60 feet per second! It's insane, so of course I was too chicken to go on it, but mentors and mentees did it multiple times and never seemed to get tired of it!

And Saturday night...

I had a blast at the VITA  Girls' Sleepover! We stayed in the upper room of the chapel watching movies, eating tons of junk food, and we even had our breakfast made for us by the lovely Alex Byrne!! It was a great time to relax with some of my best friends and enjoy myself!!

And Sunday...

I went to the SMC Earthfest going on in Ross! There was tons of free food, including fair trade chocolates and Ben & Jerry's fair trade ice cream! There was also a smoothie bike and great music from Mission South! And finally, to finish off my weekend, I went to the 7 PM student mass. If you're ever on campus with your family, you should join us for mass and check it out! We'd love to welcome you!!

I had a lot of fun this weekend, and if you decide to come to St. Mike's, you will too! There's so much to do, both on campus and off, and I can assure you that no matter what you choose to do on the weekends here, you will always know that you are at home! :)

Hippity Hoppity... May Is On It's Way!

I'd like to start off by wishing you all a Happy Easter!!

(Well, belated, but I'd like to think it's still in the season!)

Courtesy of Joyce 3rd floor :)

While many of you may have been joyously celebrating your Easter, you may have also been contemplating the inevitable question you must answer on May 1st. Where do you send that pretty little deposit?

The answer seems quite obvious to me (*hint*SAINT MIKE'S!!!*hint*), but of course I'm biased and it's a very hard and difficult decision. I didn't confirm my decision until late April, after I visited for one of the Accepted Student Days. So I'm going to try to give you some pointers that worked for me and made me know that I was making the right choice.

1. Vist, Visit, and REVISIT: Choosing a college is hard, but it's even harder if you've never stepped foot on campus. Try your best to visit ALL of your options, and if you can, try to revisit them time after time. Try to sit in on classes, too. In the beginning of my senior year, I thought I had my first-choice pegged out from the start. However, when I visited the school for a second time and sat in on a number of classes, I realized that it was not what I wanted. I wanted to go to a place where I could be challenged and surrounded by students and professors who cared. That school, as it turned out, didn't seem to have any of that. Then for the next series of months, I made sure I visited every possible option. However, some of you may not be able to visit a college that's too great a distance away, so make sure you check out any online tours! Many colleges now have their tours on youtube, including Saint Mike's! If you're unable to make it to campus, make sure you take a look at our interactive tour!

2. Make a List of Pros and Cons: Trust me, it's corny but helpful. There are pros and cons to every choice, so make sure you know what they are. It'll make the process so much simpler. Whether being 300 miles away is a pro or a con for you, it would help to write it down and confirm your feelings about it.

3. Don't Tie Yourself Down: Don't completely disregard a school you like just because it doesn't have "your major". Do you know how many college freshmen, sophomores, and even juniors change their majors not once, not twice, but three times? Quite a lot! You may think you know what you want to do for the rest of your life, but the truth is that none of us know the future, so remember to take chances and explore your options! You don't have to tie yourself down to one thing just yet!

4. Talk to a Variety of Students: Tour guides are great for handing you information about a school and being cheery about all the positives, but if you really want a full picture, it's best to talk to a variety of students on campus so that you can get a variety of feedback. I did that for every school I visited and found it was a great way to explore my options. I talked to a number of St. Mike's students, and they all gave me their genuine input. They genuinely liked being here, and I'm glad I took their opinions to heart because now I like being here too :)

5. If you can afford it, Be Selfish: Of course, parents, teachers, and the like are going to try to influence your college decision.  However, know that this about you. What would make you happy? Where can you see yourself? While others may try to tell you what would be best for your future, don't make your decision based on what others are telling you to do. Go with your heart. We all know financial aid is also a primary factor, but there are plenty of scholarships and opportunities if you are passionate enough about a school to do the extra work and pursue them. Fastwebs is a great resource for scholarship hunting! Try it out or search for other scholarship hunting websites online. You'd be surprised what you can get money for!

*Tip: Even the smallest amount helps. $500 can help you pay for school books!

6. Don't Stress: I know, easier said than done but in the end you'll end up where you're supposed to be. Enjoy the rest of your senior year (study hard, too!!) and remember, you'll find it. You'll find that one college that fits your every dream. I really hope it's Saint Mike's, but if not, best of luck and you'll do great!

Wishing you the best of luck as you go on with

your senior year and final decisions! :)

Guess Who Popped Into My Classroom Yesterday?

If you guessed CNN and ESPN columnist L-Z Granderson,

then you are correct!

Talk about hands-on experience! L-Z Granderson came to visit my Media Revolutions class yesterday and was more than happy to answer the many questions we all had for him. He's written so many columns for CNN and ESPN, and he seems really passionate about what he does. If there's anything you should do with your life, you should do what you love, and L-Z Granderson is a great example of that!

Of course, he had his trials. There were many people who told him "no" simply because of his sexual orientation. The key is not to take "no" for an answer. If you have a passion for something and know that it's what you want to do with your life, you have to work for it. There may be times in your life where you may not get the answer you'd want to hear, whether it be from a college, a job, etc, etc. But don't let it bring you down! Keep going! The only way you're ever going to achieve something is if you keep working at it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

If you're thinking about Journalism as a career, or even just becoming a Media/Journalism major, you're going to have to listen to a lot of "nos". Not everyone is going to like your work, but if you're passionate about it, you have to try not to get discouraged and stay true to yourself. Remember there's always room for improvement, but improvement and change are two different things! Don't change who you are, what you stand for, or how you create. Just make sure that you are doing the best that you can so that you can progress and be the best "you" you can be!

This can basically go for anything you want to do in life. If you work hard and stay true to yourself, you'll achieve great things. Saint Mike's really encourages that, and that's why they're constantly bringing professionals into our lives and classrooms. They want us to know that no matter how hard things may get, there are plenty of success stories from people who started out at the very bottom but continued to work hard and pursue their passion despite all of the "nos" they received. So many people spend much of their lives hearing nothing but "no" (just think of JK Rowling), but as long as you keep doing your personal best, that "yes" will come and it will be worth it :)

On a side note, it's really great to get informed about what's happening in our world, or even just our country, and reading opinion columns is a fun and interesting way to get that kind of information. L-Z does a great job, so if you're interested, read a couple of his CNN or ESPN columns. You won't regret it!