Here Right Now: February 2013

Monday, February 18, 2013

Accepted Students Days!

Hello all! I know, it has been a while. It has been a little nuts around here lately. But today has been a lovely day! I had class at 8am and was done for the day by 9:35. That is pretty lovely if you ask me! But the best part of my day you ask?! Welllllllllllll, at noon I got the chance to eat lunch with accepted students and their families and answer questions and tell them how much I love Saint Mike's....because I really do love Saint Mike's. It was really great to get a sense of what they were looking for in a school and to answer questions that may not have been answered on tours. So here are some of my tips for I guess "surviving" accepted students days, because let us be real here, they can be pretty freaking terrifying.

1.) If there are 10 activities on the list, go to all of them. I know, you are probably thinking, do I really have to go to every single thing? And I am able to answer honestly, no you don't, but you probably should. I know sitting through something that you may not be interested in may be more than boring, but whatever you sit through you will gain some information that you didn't already have before.

2.) If there is a tour of a dorm, do it. I guess this one is kind of a no brainer. You obviously want to see where you will spending a whole year of your life living. To me, this is a really important thing.

3.) Ask questions about things that interest you- everyone basically has to give you the same basic overview of the school. But say you are really interested in biology for instance and your tour guide or someone on your panel hasn't talked about it, speak up! They would be more than happy to answer your questions!

4.) See if you can eat lunch with a current student- I did that today and I had a blast! The two girls were amazing and so were their families. I tend to like the more personal settings to ask questions so that I don't have to speak in front of a super large crowd because sometimes that just freaks me out. Also it is great because you get to take the food for a little test drive!

5.) If you do number 4, chances are the person you ate with will have your email address. They will probably email you after the little lunch "date" (for lack of better words). Feel free to respond with any lingering questions you may have, add them on facebook, follow them on twitter or do whatever. They are a great resource for you, especially if you plan on coming to the school in the fall. They will always be willing to help you find places on campus or anything else along those lines. Also, another super big point that you may want to look into is doing an overnight on campus to see what it is like on the weekends. They are some great people to ask about that!

6.) Don't be nervous- we have all been there. It really is no big deal.

7.) Introduce yourself- be brave. See someone sitting alone? Go sit with them and be all like "Hey I'm (insert name here)". Then BAM, one new friend/ familiar face. Also, I would recommend introducing yourself to teachers or people of higher stature in the college. It is great later on when you may need their assistance for something and they are able to put a name to a face.

8.) After your tours, make a pros/cons list. It really helps when it comes time to actually make a decision to figure out what you are actually looking for.

9.) Join the Saint Michael's College Class of 2017 page on facebook! It is a great way to meet other incoming students and to get questions answered if you have any!

10.) Take the time to stray off the beaten path. After the day is done, take the time to just walk around campus and explore. You never know what you are going to find!

I hope all the students that came today had an amazing time and I hope to see many of your faces in the fall!

Oh and another little incentive to come here, the sunsets have been AH-MAY-ZING.

Love and first steps,
Susanna

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Friday, February 8, 2013

Guide to Surviving the Vermont Winters

As you may, or may not know, we are currently in the midst of a blizzard here. Currently, as I sit in my nice warm bed, I can look out my window and see a ton of white powdery stuff start to create a super think layer on the ground. I'm not kidding. There is about a foot of snow currently and it is only going to get worse (or better. I personally love the snow so it is better for me.) But anyway. So before I made my decision to come here all my friends back home were like "isn't it cold there?! how are you going to survive with all that snow?" I told them it would be easy. So here are some of my tips to make walking through that blizzard a little more bearable!

1.) LAYERS. I'm telling you... you NEED to layer up when you go outside, especially if you are walking to class. It tends to be freezing outside and as soon as you get into class you feel like Frosty the snowman on a hot summer's day. It is always good to layer!

2.) Get a good pair of snow boots and a good coat. For the ladies- while UGGS are so comfy (I know, I own 3 pairs) they have absolutely no traction on slippery walkways. Make sure you get a good pair that won't make you fall flat on your face. I currently have a pair of Sorrell boots and while they are a little clunky and fairly expensive, I know that they are keeping me warm and dry, keeping me on my feet and they will last for a while! Also, get a good coat that is water proof! This is really important because you don't want your clothes underneath your coat to get soaking wet. A good coat will help to keep you nice and warm.

These right here are Sorell boots. I would HIGHLY suggest getting them or something like them! They really do make a difference!

3.) Check the weather often. This is something I do almost every morning. I always check the weather app on my phone before I start getting dressed in the morning so that I know exactly what the weather is going to look like for the day so I can dress properly.

4.) Moisturize and use Chapstick! My hands tend to get super dry in the winter, so I am totally guilty of putting on lotion about 10 times a day. Also, chapstick is super important. Not only does it keep your lips nice and soft, but most of them smell super good (my current favorite chapstick is Orange Cream from Blistex. It tastes so yummy!)

5.) Blankets! I am a self proclaimed blanket addict. They keep you so warm and cozy. I love to just snuggle up in a ball under my blankets and watch a movie with a nice hot cup of tea or hot coco!

As always,

Love and blizzards,

Susanna

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Monday, February 4, 2013

Smuggs!

This past weekend I went to Smuggler's Notch and I just wanted to show you all a few pictures! Being a student at SMC is great because we get a $30 season pass through the Wilderness program. It is really awesome and I highly recommend that everyone take advantage of it! Also, as a student, you get 50% off rentals which is AMAZING.

Here are some pictures!