Pump it out

Living in the college dorms can be quite distracting sometimes. I can say I will sit down and complete my list of tasks, but let's get serious.. it doesn't happen. Someone will engage in a conversation with you, you'll catch a glimpse of a TV show you haven't watched in weeks, or hear a song that won't escape from your head. We've all done it, and I probably have a little too much experience with it. Colleges have libraries for reasons. Sometimes for the occasional, "I'm bored, I need to kill time", but mostly to GET WORK DONE. Take advantage! If I put my mind to it, I will accomplish everything before dinner and the night is free. How often does this happen? Not so much, but when I do it feels awesome. I tend to rid of the easy and quick assignments first, but it's all a mental game. If you take care of those long assignmetns ahead of time, those quick things will seem that much faster. If i know an assignment isn't due for two weeks, I will push it off to the side. This will build, and build, until you're stuck the night before. I constantly write it down every day in my planner so the thought crosses my mind. It works and it feels good to completeley black out with ink everything I've done. You need days like this too offset the others when you accomplish nothing. This is all working towards that main goal of offsetting yourself from the rest.

College Board Help

http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/csearch/know-the-options/37014.html

Less is more

Aside from the social aspect, I want to take the opportunity to discuss the academic role here at fisher, and stay accurate and on the road to standing out. St. John Fisher is quite the small school, consisting of just a couple thousand undergraduates. Some class sizes are comparable or even less than High School graduation ceremonies. This can have its positive and negative roles, but as far as academics, it’s an extremely encouraging atmosphere. It’s impossible to hide in your seat and let the education come to you. I am in class sizes ranging from twenty to thirty students. Heck, some of my grades are even based on how well I participate and interact. This is pretty rare at Universities. A more common scene would involve a lecture hall with over 400 students, listening to a teacher ramble about the day’s notes. Here at Fisher, the rambling is quite possible; however the professors care about you and how well you perform in the class. My teachers know me by name, not by number 236 in row 13. You have a chance to stand out and become a better learner, and individual. Seeing as I am a shy person, the small campus allows you get comfortable and always feel like you have someone to go to for help, not just a student aid. (I am not trying to bash Universities, just simply bring up what I feel are benefits to this school). I have sat in classes with some of the most educated, influential teachers. Relationships form and I feel you perform well when you know you’re cared about. Anyone can 100% disagree with this view, but that’s why it’s college; choose where you want to go. This was a huge consideration when it came to narrowing down schools. I toured UB and probably wanted to walk out after our parking spot was approximately 20 minutes from our final destination. It was overwhelming and Fisher was quite different. We received personal attention and help with everything necessary. Along with the small campus, it opens up the opportunity to get involved. It’s extremely easy to join clubs and organizations, and feel as if you’ve impacted life here on campus. You only go through this experience once, why not cram as much as you can into the four years you can never take back?

Tour de College, Other Colleges

Okay, so lately I haven't been staying true to life here on campus. Thus far, I've visited SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, University at Buffalo, and RIT. It was either to see friends, sports events, or to get off campus for a little bit. I need to get back on track and focus on life here. You don't have to be a sophomore in college to realize you can't save all your homework for a Sunday night. Having a car, I'm able to leave more frequently, pushing back my schedule of things to get accomplished around here. It also doesn't help that I live extremely close to home. It's very tempting to run home for a few things, grab some dinner, and visit with family. If I were to do this all over again, I might have distanced myself a little more to avoid the comfort. College is all about breaking from that level and trying new things. I feel a little behind this year on doing so...

Bal a ncE

As everyone begins to settle, talk about the evening's events begin to spread through campus. Last year we were car deprived and unable to get away from school oursevles, therefore it was a question of where versus how. Our experienced friends, who had moved in the prior week due to sports, willingly took us to a place to hang out and meet new people. This is key to living on such a small campus. It's easy to get caught up in the same environment with relatively the same people. You are limited to the amount of "new" people you'll meet, so I try to take advantage of this and get off campus and out of my comfort zone as much as possible. Eventually friendships will form and enjoyable times will prevail over those boring freshman nights we all experienced last year. I've been told this is the hardest year academically, but also a hard year to balance of-site activites. A majority of your friends move off campus their second year and you want to stay in touch with as many of them as possible. There is not enough time in the weekend to do so. I have a feeling balance will slowly become my middle name.

1 room, 2 students, 3 hours, and 4 carloads

I had been counting down the days until September first since my departure from St. John Fisher in the spring. My freshman year was not as I projected and was ready and willing to improve the second time around. It was disappointing how I spent my leisure time, and now accompanied with my new state of mind, I’m ready to make a greater difference with my college experience.

Move-in day went a little smoother than the prior year. I knew where I was living, I was comfortable with my environment, and most importantly, previously chose my own roommate. We actually hit it off last year when forced to live with one another, and decided it was the best situation for the following semester. The level of comfort makes the move from home a lot easier and less anxious (I almost lost the food I ate my freshman year). Of course anyone is excited to go to college, but I get to a point where I begin packing heavily in advance. The designated area in my room was filled with dorm necessities and desires. You would think I learned not to pack as much this year, but somehow I ended up with more than ever? My roommate Kaitlyn and I had enough belongings for the entire floor of our building, and people knew it. We received several confused looks as people passed by the overflowing room of goods. We managed to empty 4 SUV’s into a dorm room whose size is comparable to a restroom. The time flew by as we were rounding three hours of attempted organization. I would move my fan on top of a dresser, turn around, and my mom had it on my desk. It was an extremely unsuccessful process, yet comical at the same time. I was hoping it would be a good start to a year full of enjoyment. St. John Fisher has plenty of room for this opportunity and can provide an excellent education combined with a decent social life. Some would beg to differ, but I believe life is all in what you make of it.