All About My New Room!

Happy Sunday night! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!



This year I live on in Linnehan on North Campus. North Campus is about a mile away from Main Campus and has extra housing and some art classes. North Campus is also home to Turtle Underground (a place where bands play & there's open mic night on weekends) and Knights of the Round Table (a restaurant-style  dining option that is delicious!).

I love living in Linnehan because I live my three best friends, plus tons of other great girls, a few of which I was friends with last year and some I just met this year. Rooms in Linnehan are double rooms with a bathroom per floor (girls are upstairs and boys are downstairs). There are about 25 kids per floor, so Linnehan is a pretty small dorm. I like it because it seems like our whole house is going to get pretty close this year.

So now, without further adieu, here are some photos of my new room!

Our door! Not too exciting. On the left is our refrigerator/microwave and Cait's desk. On the right is my bed and our closets.

My bed! Our closets are on the left and our dressers are on the right. Cait's bed is to the right past our dressers.

Caitlin's bed & dresser! My desk's on the right.

This is my desk! Cait's bed is on the left and her desk is on the right. I don't have desk shelves but I have tons of papers taped up on the walls.

Cait's desk. My desk is to the left and our door is to the right.

And that's it! Basically I love our room. It's so cozy and the ceilings are soooo high so it feels really open. Also we have Christmas lights and about a million posters. It's just very us - you can totally see Cait and I in all our decorations.

I'll blog again soon but if you have any questions feel free to tweet me or send me a message on Facebook!

Montreal Trip

Happy Monday! Hope you're all having a wonderful start to our third week of classes (it seems so much longer, doesn't it?).


This past weekend my friends & I took a trip up to Montreal, Canada. We left Friday after classes and came home Sunday morning. It was SO MUCH FUN. It was great to have a weekend together, but we primarily went to Montreal to see the Jason Mraz & Christina Perri concert on Saturday night which was AMAZING! (My friend & fellow blogger, Lauren, also went to the concert this weekend with her friend Sheila.)

Last year, the four of us (my roommate Cait and our friends Merrill & Emma) saw Christina Perri at Higher Ground in Burlington. At the time I only knew a couple of her songs - her hit 'Jar of Hearts' and 'A Thousand Years,' which was on the recent Twilight soundtrack. The show at Higher Ground was incredible, and when we heard that she was performing with Jason Mraz (who I've loved since the '90s!) in Montreal, we couldn't pass that up! We actually bought our tickets in May so we've been pumped all summer!

Christina Perri was incredible, as expected, but Jason Mraz totally blew me away. I already knew that he was tremendously talented, but the whole concert was so creative. Several of his songs flowed right into the next so that for about an hour he played almost continuously. You could just see how much thought had gone into the artwork, the song selection, the line-up of songs. It was all amazing!

The band singing "I'm Coming Over" - such a great song!

This is one of my favorite songs by him & this is a video 

I found online from our concert this weekend

I basically had the best weekend ever! I was in for a rude awakening when I had to finish homework Sunday afternoon. Have a lovely week & enjoy the cool, Fall weather!

ORIENTATION!

Happy orientation everyone! I'm on campus today for campus ministry & I'll be around tomorrow during move-in. I hope you're all almost done with packing & are excited to start your Saint Mike's adventure!


Here are some links in case you've missed em:

New Student Orientation Info:
http://www.smcvt.edu/Admissions/Class-of-2016/New-Student-Orientation.aspx#tab1

New Student Orientation Schedule:
http://www.smcvt.edu/Admissions/Class-of-2016/New-Student-Orientation/Orientation-Schedule.aspx



The most important info for your first years to keep in mind is that, due to construction, move-in will be a little crazy. Since there will be limited parking, students will move in during two separate blocks. Here's the announcement from the SMC site:

So now about the orientation schedule - when you first arrive you'll park and go to the Ross Sports Center to check in. Orientation leaders will be stationed around campus to show you your way. Park your car and go into Ross. There you'll get an info packet, sign up for work study if you need to, and stop by some tables to learn about certain clubs and organizations on campus. There will also be some local business there, like People's United Bank, who has an ATM located in Alliot. You can sign up for a bank account with them right then if you like. When you're done you can drive to your dorm to move in.


When you pull up to your dorm, you'll first need to grab your key from a tent outside. It should be located by the dorms, but if you can't find it orientation leaders will help you. After you have your key, your orientation leaders will grab EVERYTHING from your car & bring it all up to your room! Then you get to move in, talk to your floor-mates, and meet your RA. When you're done, make sure you move your car so other students can have access to the dorms.


If you can't move in right away (or when you're done moving in) go down to the post office to get your mail key. Find your mailbox and grab your class schedule. This is a great time to wander around campus, find your classes, check out the library, and basically get comfortable at Saint Mike's.


From 11:30 - 2:00, Alliot offers a free lunch for everyone. You get to experience your first meal in Alliot with your parents! Soon after lunch your parents will probably head out on their own to explore campus or go to their hotel/head home. They're welcome to join the 'New Student Convocation' later in the evening, and if they're around for a couple days they can definitely find time to come back the next day, but after lunch you should finish moving in, bond with your roommate, and then go to your residence hall meeting.


At 5:30, head over to the lawn behind the library with your roomie to find your orientation group & have dinner. If you don't know which group you're in you can ask any o-leader. You have some more time to chill until 7:00 when you'll go to the 'New Student Convocation' at the church. Basically you'll get big welcome from President Neuhauser, as well as other Saint Mike's staff & students.


From here you'll walk over to Ross again for the 'Fun For All' (believe me, it is a blast!), then do any more room organizing until 10:00 when you'll have a floor meeting with your RA and floor-mates. Finally, spend some time with your roomie meeting all the guys or gals on your floor.



Move-in day is a long, chaotic, stressful, & busy day, but it's a blast and you'll have tons of fun. Hope you all have an amazing orientation - I can't wait to meet you all and welcome you to the Saint Mike's family!

How to successfully navigate Alliot

Hi guys! Three more days until orientation starts! I know all you first years must be pumped & I'm so excited to meet you all!


Last year, when I was a first year student, I was terrified of orientation. While I'm not shy, I'm also not a particularly outgoing person and I was a little worried about being out of my element and not knowing anyone. Obviously I made it through orientation okay (if you're nervous, remember that orientation is awkward but wonderful - I felt at home by the end of my first day!).

After orientation ends, all students return to campus. This isn't too big of a change, but it can definitely make eating in Alliot a little bit awkward. Here's why:


1. When ordering food at the egg station or stir-fry station, ordering sounds insanely complicated.

2. While there are trays out to carry all of your food to your table during orientation, there are considerably fewer trays during the rest of the school year. That means you either need to balance all of your plates, or go up several times to get everything you need.

3. After you get your food and head over to the tables, it looks like there are a trillion people sitting in the dining room...watching you.

4. With those trillion people in the dining room, it can be impossible to find your friends. Cue awkward wandering...

5. You regularly hear a hundred cups being dropped at once for no reason.

6. When you're done eating it looks like there's nowhere to put your dirty dishes.


Here are some tips to help you through your first few weeks in Alliot:


1. Ordering is easier than it sounds! If you can't follow along, just ask questions! Everyone knows that you're new and there will be no judgement. 

Harvey makes the eggs, & if you order from him enough he'll remember your order. For ordering eggs in the morning, you can ask for scrambled, egg whites, or fried eggs (they don't do eggs over easy). Also, if you want your eggs on a bagel, toast your bagel & hand them your plate when ordering - they'll make you an egg sandwich! Be sure to get to Alliot a little early on the days you want eggs - if you go right before class there will be a huge line.

Steve is the main cook at the stir fry station. For ordering here, just take a look at the ingredients and tell the chef which ones you want. You an also grab something from the salad bar to put in your dish. Steve can get a little grumpy when his station is really busy, but he's such a nice guy. Make friends with him & he'll be chatty & brighten your day! I love Steve, & I go to his station so much that he remembers that I don't like peppers in my food.

2. Definitely DO NOT try to balance all your plates at once. When someone drops a plate in Alliot, everyone in the dining hall claps for them. Embarrassing? Of yes, very. If you can balance things well, by all means do it! But if you're nervous that you'll drop something, there's no shame in taking several trips to get all your food.

3. Honestly, no one is watching you walk through Alliot. Okay, maybe that's not completely true, especially the first week of school when upperclassmen are checking out the freshmen and looking for their friends. But  after the first week or so, no one really watches you walk through Alliot. That being said, I know seniors that are still intimidated when they walk into the dining hall, especially when they're alone, so I totally understand if you're nervous!

4. Saint Mike's is a small school, but since we only have one dining hall, it can get pretty crowded. I suggest that you find a place to sit with your friends BEFORE you get food. That way you don't need to wait for them to sit down, nor will you need to do the awkward room scan searching for your friends.

5. Ah, the infamous Alliot cup drop. This usually starts when someone accidentally drops their cup, then everyone else follows suit and drops their empty cups too. It's kind of funny, kind of pointless. Basically it's just a Saint Mike's tradition! Be sure to pick your cup up afterwards to the Alliot staff don't need to clean it up for you.

6. There's a little area by the door into Alliot that has a trash can to dump your food into & a conveyor belt to put your trays, plates, cups, & silverware onto. It's simple - just throw your food out & plop your plate down, then you're on your way!


Eating in Alliot can be intimidating, but don't be nervous! Just find some friends or floor-mates to eat with & get friendly with the Alliot staff! I'll be posting more before orientation, but for now, happy packing!

Vlog Post: I Can't Wait to Meet the First-Year Students!

Yet another beautiful freeze-frame photo they chose for me

As I said, feel free to ask me any questions! No question is too silly (I asked a million detailed questions, so I'm sure my stupid questions trump all of yours!).


I'm so excited to meet you all in one week! Have a wonderful Orientation!!!!!

How to Rock Orientation

Happy Sunday! Hope you're all having a lovely summer!

With less than a month until all you 'class of 2016' students move in, you must be all excited! I'll be on campus throughout orientation & I'm looking forward to move-in day & to meeting all of you!

Before my orientation last summer, I was super nervous about my first year of college, and especially of move-in day and orientation. For lots of students, your first year of college is tough. It's absolutely fabulous, but it's also the first time you live away from home, you need to make new friends, you're more independent, and you have a more difficult course load. Even the most prepared students can get overwhelmed with all of that. During Orientation, it's important to take a deep breathe and to live in the moment. Forget about everything else and focus on moving in, meeting friends, and learning about Saint Mike's.

SO, HOW TO ROCK ORIENTATION 101:

1) Talk to everyone!

Just be friendly! The best way to make tons of new friends is to talk to everyone around you at orientation activities, in your hall, or while getting breakfast in Alliot. Remember that everyone is trying to make new friends, so they'll be overjoyed if you initiate conversation

2) Meet your roommate

This is a no-brainer. During orientation is a great time to get close with your roomie. Organize your room together, go to orientation activities or eat in Alliot together. Basically just get to know your roommate. Establish some rules for your room (like no guests past 12 pm during the week or clean your dishes after you use them) and make sure you have a mutual respect for one another. Your roommate can definitely become your best friend - I'm super tight with my roommate!

3) Attend every orientation event

This can be hard to do. When making new friends during orientation, it's easy to start spending time with them and stop attending orientation activities. While it's not the worst thing in the world (I mean, if you're skipping with friends it means you've already made friends - go you!) it's definitely beneficial to go to orientation events. This is because 1) they're fun (the 'Fun for All' on Friday night is so hilarious and 'Connections' shows you what an amazing, supportive community Saint Mike's is), and 2) the orientation leaders spent a lot of time planning them just for you!

4) Talk to your O-leaders

Your orientation leaders applied to be an O-leader, THEN went through a rigorous selection process, THEN had to attend training days before move-in. As upperclassmen, they know a lot about Saint Mike's. They know how to get over homesickness, which professors are great and which simply enjoy assigning mass amounts of homework; they even know what the best food in Alliot is, and which foods should be avoided at all costs. They know a lot about SMC and they want to share it with you!

5) Call your parents

If your parents are like mine, they're worried about you adjusting to college! I'm not saying that you should call them every single day, morning and night (in fact, that may be a tad bit unhealthy) but you should definitely check in with them to let them know that you're doing good. After all, they're sad to see you leave them after 18 years!

6) Find your classrooms

Basically just prepare a bit for Monday morning classes. Check out the mail room, know where the library is, find your classrooms, make sure you have all your books. Getting ready for classes, even just the tiniest bit, will really calm your nerves come your very first college class.

Hope these tips helped! Check out the orientation schedule here. If you have any questions about move-in, let me know! I'm so excited to meet all of you! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Super Awesome College Tips

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July & are having an amazing summer!


A it gets closer & closer to move-in day (49 days to go!) I wanted to give all the first-years some tips for an amazing first year of college! Here goes:



1) Take advantage of campus resources
Moving in to college is kind of scary. Yes, it's amazing and fun and totally awesome but it's also a huge change. Don't be afraid of using all the resources around you! Orientation leaders are so happy to answer any of your questions, as are other students, staff, and professors. Everyone wants you to be comfortable & happy!

2) Alliot is pronounced 'ally-o'
This was by far the best advice I ever received before coming to Saint Mike's

3) Be friendly!
It's hard to be outgoing & friendly to everyone during orientation, especially since you don't really feel at home at Saint Mike's yet. No matter what though, it's extremely important to talk to people! No need to go crazy, just be a little friendly, chat with the people near you at orientation activities, and leave your door open when you're in your room so you can meet people on your floor.

4) Make a good impression on your professors
Obviously it's hugely beneficial to have your professors like you. More than that, when your professors know that you're a good student, they'll be more inclined to give you grades to reflect that. About 99% of this has to do with actually doing good work, but the other 1% has to do with how your professor feels about you. By arriving early or on-time to class, being respectful to your professor, contributing to class discussions, and going above and beyond on papers and assignments, especially early in the semester, professors will definitely like you and want to help you succeed.

5) Have fun!
Freshman year is a strange time because it's all about getting used to life on your own. For many people, college is the first time you're out on your own, away from your parents. You need to make new friends, get used to a new room, take harder classes, eat cafeteria food, etc. Everything is different and a lot of freshmen year is about exploring Saint Mike's and the surrounding area. While this is scary and nerve-wracking, it's so much fun!



I'm so excited for all you first-year students & I can't wait to meet you all next month! If you have any questions email me or send me a tweet!