1 down 3 to go

I am having a hard time believing that the end of my freshman year in college is almost over. It has been a crazy year full of firsts: first time away from my family, first roommate, first time trying new things and of course the first 2 semesters I have spent at Brockport. While I am not looking forward to final exams, saying goodbye to all of my friends, or packing up my dorm room (which may require a uhaul!) I am excited about everything I have been able to experience this past year and look forward to the things that await me over the next 3 years!

Concerts and Speakers: Lupe Fiasco, Mac Miller, Temple Grandin, Bill Nye the Science Guy

Temple Grandin’s Lecture and meeting her!

On-Campus Involvement: Residence Council, Teachers of Tomorrow Living Learning Community, Winging It Blog Member!

With fellow bloggers, Brad and Tatyana (left) and The Tots (Teachers of Tomorrow Living Learning Community)

Be Scholarly

Insanity

It’s that time in the semester where all the deadlines and due dates of projects that you procrastinated are slowly creeping up. Right about now, I want to pull my hair out, get in my car, and drive home for the summer. There are a  few things I do to help me keep sane during this chaotic time. Because I love basketball, I give myself at least an hour to play a night to break up the studying, projects, and reading of textbooks. I also like planning coffee or lunch dates with my friends so I am not going completely insane alone because I know it is not just me that is feeling that way! Also changing up scenery is helpful. Changing places to study and do my work from my room, to the union, to the library, or if it is nice out–doing my work outside!   Changing up daily routines is a simple way of not being totally stressed out during the hectic time in the semester !

MyBrockport

My favorite things about Brockport:

1. The food. I absolutely love dining hall food. Since I’ve moved off campus and whenever I can get my hands on a guest pass, I never pass up the opportunity.

2. It takes approximately 15 minutes to get from one side of the campus to the other. This is great because usually the academic buildings I have class in are right next to eachother so I usually have time to go get coffee, print something off at Daily (printing lab), or get free popcorn from the union.

3. The entire campus is flat. There are not any hills to walk up in order to go to class or any buildings.

4. I can honestly say I am never bored. There are so many clubs and organizations that you can join and participate in. If I am not in admissions doing student ambassador or in the lab doing psychology research, I am probably doing homework or playing basketball.

5.  There are so many new renovations projects. Its exciting!! My favorite new project that will be opening up in the summer is the SERC. It is the new athletic complex with all new epuipment, big enough for concerts, and more available hours to go work out.

6. I feel that the campus is very diverse so you are constantly meeting all different kinds of people in all different majors and clubs.

7. Brockport resemebles my hometown which allowed me to adjust easier and has a home-y feeling!

8. Brockport is somewhat close to home but always far enough away where I have learned to live on my own.

Suite Vs. Corridor

When it comes to comparing the different styles of freshman housing on campus, it is important to keep in mind that there are both positive and negative sides to each.  What one person finds negative about one, may be seen as a positive to you.  Personally, I live in a suite style dorm (Beautiful BENEDICT).  I have three roommates in my suite.  One I requested after having chatted via Facebook for a few months and the other two were randoms.  Over the course of the year I have found that having three roommates is great!  It has allowed me to make many friends and for the most part we all get along quite well.  I would much rather have multiple roommates than just one.  I have also enjoyed having the common room space in my suite and our own bathroom.  Downsides to living in the suite styled dorms though would be that there is only one washer and dryer per hall.  At times this can make getting laundry done a bit difficult.  There is only one kitchen for the entire building and these dorms are located farther from the academic buildings than the corridor style ones.  Corridor style dorms have multiple washers and dryers per hallway and a kitchen on each floor of the building.  However, they are located farther away from both Trax and Harrison Dining Hall, which are your only options for dining on campus each weekend.  Just because you live in a suite does not mean you will miss out on having an active hallway and the typical college dorm experiences.  It genuinely will depend on your Resident Assistant and the people who are placed in your hall.  I’d recommend keeping an open mind no matter where you are placed next year!  Each of my suitemates and myself requested corridor style dorms but have thoroughly enjoyed living here in Benedict.  So much so that I will be living here again next year as a Resident Assistant!

The Semester Continues!

So, the semester continues! It is after spring break, and it is truly feeling like summer out there now. There are people constantly playing volleyball outside my dorm, and to be honest I would rather be out there instead of doing calculus homework. But, persistence, consistence, and hard work pay off so that is what I am going to do. Before break I took all of my mid-terms, and when I got my mid-term grades, let’s just say that there are areas that wouldn’t hurt a little improvement. So, I am back from spring break refreshed and relaxed and I am ready for all the extra work that I need to do to keep my grades where they need to be. Sure this means a little less socializing, but it is for the best. Making priorities is important in college, and also is time management. Hey, planner doesn’t hurt either. I find that with a planner I personally feel better when I start crossing things off my list of stuff to do for the day. That way when I am done with everything I don’t have to feel guilty about hanging out with my friends or catching up with my TV shows. It is a nice feeling when you have everything that you need to do finished, and I am intending on enjoying that feeling more and more as the semester continues.

Sleepover!

Recently, I had the opportunity to help out with the Scholar Sleepover. It was so much fun! I was able to assist students and their families throughout the day with the different activities and chat with them about my experiences at Brockport. I had such a good time, all of the students were really excited to be there and get a feel for Brockport and their parents were also really involved. They did a ton of different activities and I was able to join in. We played games, ate ice cream sunday’s, did some line dancing, and muchhhh more. I’m really excited to help out with the next sleep over coming up. I think it’s a great way for prospective students to really get a feel for Brockport and see what we are all about.

I hope it was as much fun for the students and their parents as it was for me

The Perks of Club Hoppin’

I’ve stated in a previous post that freshmen should join everything because its a good way to meet people and professors as well as a good indicator of potential career areas in the future. I have found through student ambassador and peer mentor that I want to work in a setting where I am able to work with a lot of people daily and help them whether it is with personal issues or adjusting to college. It was not always that clear for me. Since my freshman year, I had no idea what clubs to join or what major to decide on. I joined the equestrian club, BTV, Psych Club, and the Runners Club; I applied to be a student ambassador and peer mentor; signed up for various intramural sports. As you can tell, some of these clubs are polar opposites from each other; that was my strategy to figuring out my niche. My next step was weeding out the ones that clashed with my schedule and I did not see future benefits or enjoyment by remaining a member.

Now I am a student ambassador, peer mentor, video blogger, psychology research assistant, psych club member, and participating in numerous of intramural sports. If I didn’t go club hopping, I would not have found the other clubs. Sometimes by going to other clubs, you hear about new clubs you may want to join!  Not only did I find a more specific area of interest for future career paths, but I have met a lot of cool people! 

These are my fellow vlogers (minus Brad)

 

Living on Campus

So you’re moving to college… How do you prepare? What do you bring? What do you do when you get there? Well to start, breathe! Everyone is in the same boat. The Res Halls at Brockport are great because they offer plenty of choices. As an incoming Freshman, you can choose a corridor style or suite style for your dorm. In the corridor style, you and one roommate would share a bathroom and lounge with the rest of your floor. In a suite style, you and your one roommate and two suitemates (4 people in 2 bedrooms) will share a private bathroom and common room in your suite. Not only does Brockport offer newly renovated corridor style halls, you also have the chance to live in what we call a Living Learning Community. These are communities right within your hall. Each community has its own set of goals and programming designed to meet those goals. If you choose to live in a Living Learning community, you would be living with other students who are passionate about the same things you are. Some examples of the communities include Recreation & Fitness, Math & Science, Future Health Professionals, Teachers of Tomorrow, and many more. You can look at all the communities on Brockport’s Residential Life webpage, including the two new communities for Honors students and those exploring majors!

Once you know your housing assignment, the fun begins! Make a list of everything you think you’ll need to live on your own. Personally, I HATE packing, but this packing is different and more exciting. Don’t be nervous about bringing too much, but remember that come break, you can always bring more things from home once you know what it’s like after being there for a little while. Since I always tend to forget things, I’m one of the most loyal customers to the Super Wal-Mart in town. But when the first break comes, I can bring another load of clothes or whatever it might be back with me. Be sure to bring plenty of hoodies for those days you want to be cozy. Also, movies and popcorn make for a great night in. Be sure to contact your roommate and see if you can split some things up so you won’t have two of everything, like fridges or microwaves.

Make sure you visit the Survival Guide on Residential Life’s Webpage at www.brockport.edu/reslife. Look over everything for Incoming Student Information under the On Campus Housing Tab. It gives you a list of things to bring… so helpful!!

Move-in day is so exciting but it can be pretty overwhelming. The best thing to do when you check in is to go right to your room and plan out how it will be arranged, because once your things are moved in, it can be tricky to move everything around. Brockport has the BEST system for move-in day. You’ll check in with the RA staff and someone will unload your vehicle AND carry your things in. It’s so fast and easy!

 

Enjoy the process, you can do this!

Row Your Boat

It’s quite the rainy day here at Brockport…yet again.  You can be rest assured that rain is guaranteed just about weekly here on campus. But don’t let that scare you away! The rain is nothing a good pair of boots can’t handle.  I’d also recommend an umbrella.  Be careful though.  You may have to do some puddle jumping on your way to class.  Or you can use a row boat and paddle your way across campus! Today Emily and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Jitterbugs Café.  We celebrated my 100^th Tweet and also did some video shooting.  If you are ever in need of a quick coffee, a yummy smoothie, or just want a change from the dining halls, Jitterbugs is the place to go.  You can use your dining dollars when making a purchase.  Dining dollars come with each meal plan here on campus.  It never seems to be too busy and many students like to use the tables to study at while they enjoy a bite to eat.  Located right in the Seymour College Union, Jitterbugs is convenient and tasty.  It’s only one puddle jump away! Enjoy.