St Mary’s College of Maryland Top Questions

I'd tell myself to not pick a major and just take the time to explore what I'm actually interested in. It's okay to not know what you want to do with your life yet, you're only 18 and just beginning to find out what the world has to offer for you. Regarding roommates: be vocal about what you want and need, they're not going to figure it out if you keep quiet. Make sure you actually go to class, but don't be afraid to skip for something that's worth it. Don't value romantic relationships over your friends; these people are amazing and you're going to form your own little family. Try not to resent your friends when they don't do the same; remember, it's a learning curve. These next four years are going to fly past you, so enjoy it. Take lots of pictures and keep little souvenirs of the trips you take. But most of all: breathe.

If I could go back to being a high school senior, I would tell myself to enjoy the moment. As a senior all I could think about was all the things I wanted to do. I couldn't wait to graduate college, start a career, get married, and have a family. Now that I have done all those things, even though they are even more fantastic then I ever imagined, I look back at high school and think how fantastic that was too. I look at pictures of those days and think how beautiful I looked, and how much fun that was. If only I had taken the time to appreciate it then, rather than racing ahead to the future, maybe I would have felt more fulfilled. Instead, all I wanted to do was get to my future and fast. Now, ten years later, all I want to do is slow it down. I have two daughters of my own, and I just wish I could have a pause button to keep them in place for a while, to enjoy them as they are now. Just like I should have done. I should have enjoyed myself as I was then.

I would tell myself that my reputation is the most important thing I have. I should be careful about the image I project to others and not be too spontatneous and impulse driven upon arriving at college. I should realize that it is also incredibly important to use discretion when making new friends on campus as it is difficult to break free from one social realm and enter into another. I would also tell myself to focus more on long term planning and future goals and not take for granted the opportunity I had in attending a fairly prestigious school. I would tell myself too be more patient with life, be more driven and pay more attention to what I may want to do upon graduating and to examine the career choice that I had planned for myself and gain real world experience in that field to make sure that it was right for me. Lastly, I would tell myself to be patient and to never be discouraged regardless of any health problems or obstacles on the way to success that may be encountered.

In high school, I wanted to join the military. Looking back now, I think I'd sooner take up knife juggling or casually memorize pi. An injury from a pole vaulting accident caused me to lose the appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, for which I had worked all four years. I was devastated--and suddenly I was valedictorian with no college plans. I pulled myself together and found St. Mary's. I also found my own voice. I wasn't a member of a platoon. I wasn't a stereotype; I wasn't a statistic. I was a writer, a traveler, a backpacker. I was on a greyhound traveling across the country. I was on a plane to Vietnam, and a rickshaw in Pondicherry, India, in a canoe in the Amazon. I was without a bed or a guaranteed meal every day. None of that mattered. I learned that the world was my campus. I learned that the freedom to learn about myself and the world was what college had give me: new dreams. I am far less sure of my future, I am very nearly penniless, and I am happier than I have ever been.

My experiences in college through one semester have given me a lot of experience in the real world socially and economically while also learning a lot in the classroom. Through one semester, I've had to deal with drug-dealing roommates, poor experiences with a baseball coach and transfering schools. Those experiences socially have tought me how to deal with any negative situation and somehow find the positive and the ways to overcome these obsticles. With the drug-dealing roommate, I notified the school that I was in no way involved and I shouldn't be held responsible if he were to get caught. Sure enough, a week later he was caught by the police in an off-campus situation and was suspended from school. Economically, my family has experienced divorce, unemployment, and a lot of debt in the past 5 years. With these main economic problems, my parents have given me the responsibility to pay for my own college education. With that huge responsibility, I have had to become very aware of my personal finances and manage them accordingly. In the classroom, I maintained a 3.55 GPA and learned a lot in my various fields of study.

Ive really become a better person overall by attending SMCM. Before, I really wasn't outgoing, motivated to do work, and and didn't have many friends. In college, you interact with everyone more, and especially at St. Mary's your classmates are very nice and really want to get to know you and be your friend. Not only that, but my professors and friends have motivated me to work harder and do well for myself. St. Mary's has made me into a better person overall, and I love what I've become and the place that made me into who I am today.

Through my small, liberal arts college education, I have experienced quality teaching by teachers who knew my name, in small classes filled with students who knew each others names. I have developed important social skills, as well as strong bonds with my classmates and my professors. Additionally, I received a well rounded education, focusing not just in science, but English, history, and art. As a result, I am able to address problems, not just from one perspective, but through multiple lenses. My mind is flexible and my knowledge is broad. I am equipped to go anywhere and do anything. I am prepared for a lifetime of opportunities and changes, as well as any challenges that lie ahead.

Pushing off the dock and into the St. Mary?s river requires me to take a leap of faith. At first there?s a burst of cold, but as I submerge, the water swallows me leaving me feeling free and empowered. As I resurface my heart beats differently as though I have rediscovered life. When I came to St. Mary?s I thought I was certain of one thing: I would never be truly happy because my life would never be my own. I believed that my parents, my boyfriend, and my high school determined my future. Instead, St. Mary?s pulled me into its current and opened up all the waterways of the world to me. The beautiful river and history illustrated to me that while I was connected to my past I did not have to continue it. The in-depth teachings and the strong belief in the importance of originality showed me I must fully submerge myself to be in charge of my future. Finally, St. Mary?s led me to believe that the most important lesson is to enjoy life and that includes love, learning, and jumping in with a splash.

College allowed me to develop as an independent person. I have one older brother. He is incredibly bright and social. I grew up feeling like I was constantly in his shadow. After going to college, I was able to break free and discover my own personal interests and strengths. When I studied abroad in Greece, my eyes were opened to another culture and taught me to be adventurous. I was a very picky eater growing up, but Greek food brightened my palate. Now, I will try any food! Attending college was particularly valuable because it was a big stepping stone in learning what I truly want to do in my life. I became fascinated with culture and how food plays a role in culture. The obesity epidemic and eating disorders are substantial issues in American culture. These issues are rooted in our culture and our values. I want to pursue a career in preventing obesity and eating disorders and encourages children to live a healthy lifestyle. Without college and the help of my academic advisor, Iris, I would not be the same person I am.

The first day of college is terrifying. You are surrounded by strangers, all trying to succeed in a new environment. High school has left you with certai stereotypes, and you struggle to figure out which group you will belong to here. My college almost instandly proved these instincts wrong. St. Mary's is labeled as a "hippie" or "liberal" school. After my orientation there, I realized why, and was grateful for it. The people there are much more open minded than those at my private, Catholic high school. Upon meeting them, my terror quickly receeded. I was not expected to be any certrain type of person. I could find my own way, without needing to fit into a group. Just because two peopel do not share the same beliefs does not mean that they cannot become friends. In college, I learned who I was. I was given the freedom and opportunities to travel and join a variety of clubs, all teaching me new things about myself. Without this invaluable experience, I would still be suffocating under the weight of others' expectations, not knowing my potential as an individual, or the amazing things I could do in life.