That Awkward Moment When Suze Forgot to Blog

     Actually, I didn't really forget. Things here at SMC have just been insanely busy lately. Between classes, rugby, homework, and giving tours, these past couple of weeks have honestly just been more of a blur. I totally apologize for that. Anyway, it is hard to believe that this semester is already half way over. I mean, I just had a midterm today which basically indicates that I am already a quarter of the way done with my sophomore year of college. Hold on for a second while I have a mini panic attack... AHHH I DON'T WANNA GROW UP! And now we are done. So I thought I would take this time to give you a little update about my life and what is going on here in the lovely 802!

• Classes: I am loving my classes lately. Granted, they are a lot of work and when I say a lot of work, I surely mean A LOT of work. Sometimes all I want to do is crawl up in a ball and just sit and not do anything. That can never really happen, but all my classes keep me engaged and I find them all pretty interesting.

                     Magazine Writing: (T/TH from 8:00-9:35) This is an elective class and I took it because I thought it would be really interesting. It is really interesting in the sense that I get to design, write for and create my own magazine. How many people can say that they have actually done that? I originally planned on taking this class for fun, but it has proved to be harder than it looks. This class, by far, gives me the most work. It is way harder to write your own magazine than people make it out to be. All those big, well-known publications make it look all so simple! Other than the workload, I really do love the people in my class and Professor Cleary is very knowledgeable and such a sweetheart!

        

                     Media Law & Ethics: (T/TH from 9:45-11:20) I really really really like this class. Oh, I forgot to mention, I REALLY like this class. I have always been interested in law, I guess it was all of the Law and Order and CSI shows that I watched growing up, but I find it all fascinating. I love Professor Griffith who teaches the course. You can really see her passion for the topic as she teaches and I think that makes me like it even more. 

                    Digital Media (M/W from 1:30-3:05) Again, I really like this class. Going into it, I didn't expect it to have as much reading as it actually does. For each class we either have to read a large portion of a book or we have to read about 3 to 5 long articles and write about them. There is normally an online portion as well where we are creating something on Illustrator or Photoshop. I personally really like this class. I love learning new things on the computer and love being creative. Also, Professor Swope, who teaches the course, knows a lot about the information that he is teaching and he is very enthusiastic about it which keeps us engaged and willing to learn. 

                     Physical Geography (W/F 9:45-10:50 Lab F 1:30-4:30) I am not a science person, never have and never will be. I am taking this course to fulfill my science requirement of my LSC. I actually enjoy this class, as I like the professor and I think that the material is somewhat interesting. I think the only reason why I don't really like this class is because I am not sure how I can relate it to my media studies major, but I think that will just take time. To say the least, I have no intention of switching my major to environment studies anytime soon, I just like media studies way too much! Professor Stroup is amazing though and she really knows what she is talking about and is always willing to help!

• Rugby: as you probably already know, seeing as I talk about it a ton, I am on the women's rugby team here at SMC. I adore this team and it is one of my favorite things about SMC. The season has been going fantastic so far (we currently post a record of 4-0). We are working with a brand new team this year, which, at times, proves stressful, but we have all learned to work together as a cohesive unit to complete a singular task. This season we have a lot of away games, for example, this weekend we will boarding a bus to play at Merrimack on Saturday at 1 (if you are in the area, you should totally come!) We really have high hopes for this season and hope to keep possession of our title of reining champions of the Rugby Northeast Division 2 Women's 15 Champions! if you want more information about rugby, you should check out both the Rugby Northeast Website as well as the SMCRFC Facebook page!

Line out during the game versus Providence College. SMCRFC came out victorious with a close 3-0 win.
(picture taken from the Saint Michael's College Women's Rugby Team facebook page)

• Tours: last year I was offered the position as a tour guide for campus. I was so excited as it was one of my goals coming into college. I love talking to people and sharing my love for SMC with them. I have been giving a lot of special tours lately (tours that run on off hours, such as Sundays, or after an information session). I enjoy talking to the families and answering questions about SMC. I am super excited to keep working as a tour guide and encouraging people to come to Saint Mike's! To sign up for a tour, click the link HERE.

• Fall at SMC: When the autumn months roll around here at SMC, I get so happy. Why? Because it is absolutely beautiful here. The leaves change color and everything looks like it just hopped right out of a painting. The crisp air wakes you up on your morning walk to your 8am, the pumpkin spice latte just tastes better and the apples are much crispier and delicious. Basically, I love fall. Especially fall here at SMC. 

300'S Townhouses and a lovely hot air balloon.

Field Trip to the Proctor Maple Weather Center last Friday with my Physical Geography class. 

Love and being insanely busy,

Susanna

OH! P.S. There is a KnightChat TONIGHT! Starting at 7:30 pm and going until 9. If you are possibly considering SMC as a school, I would totally recommend checking it out! You can login HERE.

P.P.S: One of my really good friends here at SMC, Q, has a radio show here on campus. It airs every Tuesday from noon to 2pm on WWPV 88.7 The Mike! Here are some links for it!

    Listen          blog

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What am I listening to???

Aaron's Party

Yes. I did go to an Aaron Carter concert. Yes. It was awesome. One of the many perks of coming to SMC is its close proximity to many music venues. One of my favorites is Higher Ground. Higher Ground is amazing. It has two rooms on the inside, one bigger room and one smaller room, and it has this really cool retro vibe throughout. Tickets to see the show were only $15 and it was well worth it to fulfill one of my childhood dreams. I went with a bunch of friends and we all had a blast. It was packed in the venue and sometimes it was hard to see (because I am short) but it was still really good. Well enough of me babbling. Here are some lovely pictures from the concert!

So close. And yes, I did touch his hand. It was amazing. 

VT <3 AC.... but really.

*fangirl* *childhood dreams coming true*

Before concert picture!

After concert picture!

ALSO! Tomorrow, Saturday, is a RUGBY DAY! The Saint Mike's Women's rugby team will take on Providence College tomorrow at 4pm at Providence. So if you are in the area, come and stop by!

Come see this in real life! Yes, it is pretty awesome in pictures, but it is EVEN BETTER in person!

Love and childhood dreams fulfilled,

Susanna

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What am I listening to?

Aaron Carter of course. 

Things Summer Camp Taught Me

     I can't believe that I have been at school for over 2 weeks now. It honestly feels like I have never left. I love the life I live here, but everyday I miss camp more and more. I can't talk about it enough; the laughs, the friends, the memories. I was the hardest, most tiring job I have ever worked but the best three months of my life. Working at camp has also taught me a ton of stuff. Yes, there are the trivial facts, but then there are the things that I now carry with me for the rest of my college career and the life ahead of me. Here are some of the things that I have learned.

• "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Yes, self explanatory, I know. But it is crazy how quickly most people seem to forget this. It is one thing that I pushed to my kids at camp and it made a huge impact. I took the time to thrust the importance of manners and being courteous on my kids. It is one thing that is so simple but yet can get you so far in life. Professors, bosses and possible friends look for people who are nice and who have manners. It is something that will follow you for the rest of your life. 
• "Being goofy is seriously underrated." Seriously. I mean, let's be honest, how many times do you get the opportunity to dress up as the opposite sex, MC a talent show, dress up as a character from Harry Potter or celebrate Halloween in the middle of August? If your answer was never, well then, become goofier! Summer camp taught me that it is ok to unleash the crazy. It is totally normal to step out of your comfort zone and become something that you never imagined. We get so wrapped up in how other perceive us now a days that sometimes we just have to wear crazy high socks and paint our faces to step away from everything. 
• "Help out for the communal good." I will be the first person to admit that I hate cleaning. Like really REALLY hate it. At camp this summer, we had chores everyday and I will also admit that I was right there moaning with the kids that we had to do them. Both my kids and I learned quickly that the more we work together, the faster the chores get done. If you finish your chore before the person sweeping, offer them an extra hand. When we help each other out, things get done so much faster and that allows for extra time for other things that we may find more enjoyable. This can be a great tool in a school setting as well as an office setting. There is always that saying that "two heads are better than one", I guess in this case we can modify it a little to say that "four hands are better than two."
• "Money doesn't always equal happiness." No, I did not get paid all that much this summer. No summer camp counselor gets paid a ton, that is to be expected. I suppose the point of it all is that joy of the job does not come from the money that you make from it. The smiles you get from campers and the friendships you make with other counselors are priceless and will most likely last longer than the money awarded to you in your paycheck. I guess the take away from it all is that in later in life when I actually have to grow up and become a functioning member of "adult" society, that the job that I will have will make me happy no matter the sum of money that I am making. I can only hope that a job that I possess one day gives me as much joy as this job has brought me. 
• "Be enthusiastic about everything." One of the best memories I have from this summer is from a campfire that me and a few other counselors had to run. I can honestly say that I have never been that enthusiastic about an event in my life. I have never been so happy about ITS P-A-R-T-Y ITS PARTY TIME AND YOU KNOW WHY in my entire life. Being enthusiastic is one of the best things a person can possess. It makes people around you get excited about a situation even if that situation isn't ideal. You should always be enthusiastic in everything you do. 

I suppose those are some of my "take aways" from camp. As you can tell, I miss it a lot, but I am so happy to be back at the place I call home during the school months. SMC is looking fantastic by the way. The sunsets are as glorious as ever and the new building is looking fabulous. The squirrels are as nuts as always, I saw one the other day trying to eat part of the construction rope, I couldn't help but laugh. Now I am just rambling. I will stop talking now. Oh! And be on the look out for a blog post coming soon about my new dorm room in Alumni!

Love and "take aways",

Susanna

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What am I listening to?

First Day of Classes Eve- Tips for Freshman!

Hello lovelies! So, tomorrow is the first day of classes. Weird, I know right? I remember last year, I was so nervous for classes to start. Will my teachers be nice? Will I get a ton of work? Will I know anyone in my classes? Where are my classes? Trust me, all of these questions plus more ran through my head. To help settle you a little bit, here are some of my tips.

1. Take a deep breath. It will all be ok. Chances are, your professors understand that it is the first day of classes and are a little more lenient on the first day. All the teachers here at SMC are fantastic and there is nothing to worry about. They are all so nice and want to get to know you as much as possible. 

2. Expect work the first week. This is college by the way. There is work. No one said it was going to be a walk in the park. 

3. Chances are you will probably see some familiar face in your class, if not more than one. But if you don't, use it as an amazing opportunity to make a few new friends! YAY for new friends! 

4. Use today/ tonight to get your schedule out of your mailbox in the mail room. Go around to your classrooms just to be sure as to where they are. I did this last year and I believe it saved my life multiple times. It was so much easier to find the path that I would walk to classes by knowing beforehand where the classes were. Like I said earlier, professors know that it is the first day of classes and that you may be a little lost. So if you are a little late, don't stress, just don't make a habit of it! 

5. Eat a good breakfast! Don't skip breakfast. You need energy to get you through the day and you don't want your stomach to be rumbling in the middle of class. That really takes your attention away from the professor and puts it all on how hungry you are. 

6. Speak up! Professors want to get to know you. Also, some professors have participation grades, whether they mention it or not. Speaking up and volunteering in class can be the difference between a B+ and an A- in the long run. It is super important!

Those are some of my tips! I hope it helped calm you down a little bit. Just chill out, relax and don't stress. Everything will be fantastic!

Love and First day of classes eve,
Susanna

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Back At SMC

     Holy crapola, it has been ages since I have written. I totally apologize for that. So I am back up at school for preseason for rugby. I moved in yesterday to my new room in Alumni Hall and finally finished unpacking. It was so lovely to see all of my teammates again. I missed them all so much over the summer. It is kind of weird though. It feels like I never left. I guess it will hit me on Thursday when the class of 2017 start to move in and the whistles from the O- Leaders begin. It will be weird not being one of the "new kids". 
    
      My summer was beyond fantastic though. I worked at a sleep away summer camp in upstate CT and I could not have asked for a better summer. The people I met were amazing and I miss them to pieces being here at school. Thank goodness for technology so that I can keep in touch with all of them. The cool part was that the majority of my co-counselors came from all over the world. So for a girl that has never been out of the country, it was like going on a mini vacation all around the world. Camp had its ups and downs, but for the most part, it was the best time of my life. Who can say that they had the opportunity to work with hundreds of kids, got to dress up in all types of costumes and basically relive their childhood and be a big kid all summer? I can and that makes me the happiest person. Here are some pictures from my amazing time at camp! 

Pajama party in Shawnee cabin!

Girl Counselors!

Rachel and I before our final staff dinner!

Jordan and I got mixed up a lot. It is clearly because we look so much alike. *sarcasm*

Happy Olympics from Sam and I! (Harry Potter themed)

First night toga party!

I'm a professional at putting up tents as you can see. 

Goat Shirt day co-founders. 

The Lion King!

Skylar:)

Final staff dinner with Todd. 

The amazing staff that I had the privilege of working with all summer. 

That's all I really have to say. For now I am relaxing in my bed before my second practice of the day. Feels good to be back home. I've missed ya SMC.

Love and camp memories,

Susanna

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Things I Miss About School

     To preface this, yes, I am still alive. Yes, I am still at summer camp and loving every second of it. It has been a long 5 weeks, but it has all been worth it. But as I sit here looking at old pictures from school, I realize how much I actually really miss it. Here is my list of the things that I miss most about SMC.
     1. My friends. I miss being able to walk down the hallway and see 20 other smiling faces.
     2. Rugby. I miss my team beyond words and I cannot wait to get back on that pitch in August with all of them. 
     3. My classes. Even though they were a ton of work, I really do miss them and the professors that taught them. 
     4. Alliot. I miss going in at anytime of the day and seeing tons of familiar faces where ever I would turn. 
     5. The view. The view has to be my favorite spot on campus and on days like today (hot and sunny) I would love to sit on a blanket out there and look at the mountains.
     6. Founder's Society. I just miss Founder's. Plain and simple. 
     7. The squirrels. Enough said. 
     8. The word garden. The word garden is my second favorite place on campus. I love writing on the rock chalkboard when I have time. 
     9. Dunkin Donuts runs. Dunks is right around the corner from school. On Sunday afternoons my friends and I normally take a run to Dunkin just to get a break from our homework and to chill out. 
     10. SMC in general. I just miss being at SMC. It is one of those places that just makes you happy. I cannot wait to be back in August. 

Love and random lists,
Susanna

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I'm Still Here

     I'm still alive. I promise. And I haven't forgot about all of my lovely readers either. As you should know, I am working at a summer camp all summer long. On Monday we began the first of 3 two week sessions. I have been placed in a cabin with ten 13-14 year olds and I couldn't be happier. All of my girls are fabulous and I love both of my co-counselors. The job is exhausting but it is all worth it in the end. I love seeing the smiles on kid's faces and hearing them laugh and calling each other family. It makes everything I do totally worth it. While I am here though, I do find myself missing my SMC family. I hear from my friends a lot and it makes me miss school more and more. I cannot wait to be there in a couple months!

For now,
Susanna

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