Housing Options for Sophomores

Last Friday, students received their lottery number next year for housing. The numbers are assigned randomly. Basically, the better number you get, the better options you have for housing next year. It's good because if you don't get that good of a number and the person you are rooming with does, then they take the better number out of the two.

For sophomores, here are the options for housing:

Founder's Hall, located near the academic buildings, has single and double rooms.

Alumni Hall, which is part of the Quad that is also with Ryan Hall, Joyce Hall, and Lyons Hall. It's open to sophomores and juniors with double rooms and some single rooms.

In order from left to right: Hamel Hall, Purtil Hall, and Linnehan Hall. All three of these buildings to live at are located on North Campus, which is a mile north from the main campus. A plus about living in these buildings is that there are kitchens and lounges. It's also pretty easy to get to North Campus and back to main campus by the shuttles that run every fifteen minutes.

Then, there's also a chance for sophomores to apply for suites. Usually, you have a better chance at getting a suite if you are in GREAT housing or Honors housing, but it never hurts to try and go for one. I was pretty fortunate because me and my friend Lhanzi (who is currently rooming with my friend and fellow blogger, Alex) did not have to go through the lottery system this year. We applied to Ambassador Housing and we found out earlier last week that we got it! We will be living in a four person suite with two international students next year in Pontigny Hall. Here's what all three suites look like:

Cashman, Pontigny, and Canterbury Hall.  All suites include a common room that comes with couches, tables, and chairs, individual bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a refrigerator. 

For first-year housing options, you can find information about that here.

Look forward to my next post about how my spring break was!

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Research Paper Tips

This week being the week before spring break has been filled with some of my teachers piling on some last minute work (teachers always pick the best timing, don't they?) At this point, I am more than ready for break. I'm excited to go home to see my friends and family and it's also to have a nice week off to chill and to not have to worry about any schoolwork. Unfortunately, it is still only Tuesday and my week is far from over since I have a test and a presentation that I have to prepare for. Luckily, I already felt somewhat of a huge weight off of my shoulders since I passed in my research paper for Digital Media today. Research papers can sometimes be dreaded once assigned but here are some tips to help make the overall process of writing one easier and less stressful :)

Give yourself enough time to work.  The last thing you want to do is get all of your research for the paper the night before. I've have had my moments of procrastinating, which only leads to all-nighters and a lot of unnecessary stress. Giving yourself enough time to work will help out a lot better because you will have a better idea of what you are going to say once it is time to write the paper.

Gather the information. 

This usually requires a good old trip to the Durick Library to get credible book sources. I've been here for almost full two semesters and the only things I know how to do in the library are study hard in the cubicles, print off papers, and type up papers in the computer lab. There are still a lot of things to find out in the library, so this research paper gave me a good chance to explore the book sections. Also, it never really hurts to ask anyone at the front desk for help if you don't have any idea where to start to look because they're always really helpful. 

Take notes on the text. Whether you write on post it notes, notebook paper, or index cards, it always helps to take some sort of notes to organize all of your information. That way, you can have all the things you need for in text citations and the bibliography.

 Use available resources around campus. Downstairs in the library, there is the writing center where many writing coaches are available to help you out if you are having any troubles with your paper. I went there last semester a lot for assistance on papers for my first year seminar, The Examined Life. I received a lot of beneficial feedback that made me feel more prepared and confident in writing my paper. Also, your teacher is another good resource because they are familiar with the subject of your paper. Teachers usually have very flexible office hours and if they aren't available the same time you are, they generally respond to e-mails quickly. 

tweet, formspring if you have any more questions about research papers or anything else in general!

 

Mardi Gras Parade in Burlington

In Burlington, there is usually a big Mardi Gras parade every year on the main street. It started today at 3, but me and my friends went there a little earlier to check out the other festivities on Church Street.

Here are some pictures from today! (Photo Cred to my friend Brianna)

Accepted Student Open Houses

Right around this time last year, I was on my way to Saint Mike's to come here for an Accepted Student Academic Day. I got to meet with professors that were in my major and do a lot of things similar to the things on the schedule for an Accepted Student Open House. In my post about why I chose SMC, I talk about how the Academic Day was also the day where I went over to Admissions to put in my deposit to officially go here. The Academic Day really helped show me what a typical day would be like here. I was immediately sold on how welcoming the community and the professors were. Unfortunately, the Accepted Student Academic Days are full, but I still suggest going to Accepted Student Open House because they can help with your overall college decision.

There are two days that you can still register for:
Saturday, April 14th
Saturday, April 21st

Here's what the schedule looks like for the day:
8:45-9:45 a.m. : Honors Program Reception (McCarthy Arts Center- by invitation)
9:30-9:45 a.m. : Registration for Tours in Ross Sports Center
9:45-10:45 a.m.: Tours leave from Ross Sports Center
11:00-11:15 a.m. : Registration in Ross Sports Center (for later arrivals)
11:15-11:45 a.m. : Opening Presentation in Ross Sports Center where Vice President of Enrollment Jerry Flanagan, college President Jack Neuhauser, and a current student speak about Saint Mike's and welcome you to the college
11:45- 12:30 p.m. : Lunch in Tarrant Recreation Center or Academic Fair (Ross Sports Center)
- At the Academic Fair, you have the opportunity to find information about MOVE, study abroad programs, internships, student resources, honor programs, athletics, multicultural events, residence life, campus ministry, wilderness program, fire and rescue program, and a lot of other programs!
12:30- 1:15 p.m. : Lunch or Academic Fair
1:30-3:00 p.m. : Student Panels
***This part was a big reason why I was also sold to come here. At the panel, you are allowed to ask any questions to current students on whatever may be a concern to you such as professors, classes, or the social scene. The students are really open and honest and they help give you more of a perspective on what Saint Mike's is like.

Even if you can't come to one of the Accepted Student Open Houses, I suggest going on a day visit, especially during the school session. It gives you a chance to see what a typical day is like for a student here!

Have anymore questions about the open house or anything else about Saint Mike's? tweet, formspring

Knightchats!

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow from 7:30-9:00PM, there is a student Knightchat that I, along with some other bloggers, will be participating in! It's a great opportunity to ask any questions that you may have been wondering for a while about Saint Mike's or even the college experience. To jump into tomorrow's chat, go to http://smcvt.edu/knightchat/ (web page shown below) and click on enter the Knightchat. If you can't attend tomorrow's, then it's fine because there are two more left after that!

Changing Majors

Hello Hello Hello!

If you guys have read my About Me section or my previous posts, you would know that I have been struggling with what to major and minor in. As of right now, I am a Psychology major with my minor as Media Studies, Digital Arts, and Journalism. I have been wondering for a while if I should flip flop the two of them or double major in both subjects. After taking more courses in Media, I've realized that I want to officially change my major to Media Studies and minor in Psychology! All I have to do is get signatures from my current advisor and the director of Media Studies and get a new advisor, then I should be all set!

Have any more questions about changing your major or any questions about Saint Mike's?
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Unexpected Travels

Being sick is never really fun, especially in college. You miss classes, extracurricular activities, and school events. Luckily, professors are completely understanding when you can't make it to class, even when you give them a short notice about being sick. That is something that I learned this week from having to go home suddenly since I wasn't feeling well. To make my unexpected travels sound a little bit more exciting, I like to put it that in the past two days (Wednesday and Thursday), I went to three different states ( my home state New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont.)

Here's how my two days went and what I learned about leaving school during the middle of the week:

WEDNESDAY

•  Calling a taxi to go to the Burlington Airport, where my bus was leaving from.To be safe, always call the taxi company at least 30 minutes in advance to make sure they arrive on time. 
• Taking the Greyhound bus to Manchester, NH.  When taking a bus, it is important to have your confirmation/reservation number and/or ticket to make sure you can get on the bus. Also, most Greyhound buses offer Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi definitely made it easier for me to do homework for classes that I was missing.
• Hanging out with the family. When I finally got home, it was awesome to see my family and hang out with them.  It was also just good to get some chill time to kick it back and watch TV and movies.

THURSDAY

• Going to Beth Israel in Boston, MA in the morning. One valuable thing I learned about the doctors is that when you are sick with a persistent issue, it's good to stay seeing one doctor. When more than one doctor gets involved, then you might be getting mixed results. When you go to school, it is important to notify your primary doctor about where you are going and how you two can stay in touch. Luckily, I was able to get a quick appointment in Boston with my doctor.
• Catching the Megabus from South Station back to Burlington. A lot of students that don't have cars use Megabus to get to Boston from Burlington because it is easy, reliable, and extremely cheap (only 13 dollars one way!).
• Arriving at Royal Tyler Theatre at UVM and taking a cab back to Saint Mike's. My bus was at 3:30 and got to Royal Tyler Theatre at 7:00! 

Overall, leaving school in the middle of the week is exhausting, but it is possible since the bus tickets can be purchased the night before.

Hope you all have an awesome Super Bowl weekend! GO PATRIOTS!

any questions? tweet, formspring