Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic summer. Mine was jam packed with camp counseling, babysitting, math tutoring, vacationing, hanging out with friends, and of course getting ready to come back to Saint Mike's. I absolutely loved being at home in New Hampshire, but I couldn't be happier to be back at school.
I was able to come back to Vermont a few days early because I'm participating in a retreat for the Liturgical Choir, so I've been here almost two weeks. This past week was the first week of classes. I have a lot of work to do, but I really like what I'm taking and I'm starting to get back into the groove of balancing studying with relaxation and time with friends who I haven't seen all summer. Here are the classes I'm taking:
Religion and Science, which meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:45 - 10:50. It is an honors course which also fulfills my upper level Study of Christian Tradition and Thought Liberal Studies Requirement (LSR). I have always been interested in learning about how religion and science interact (or don't), and this class seems like it will be the perfect fit for me. I have an Irish professor, which is perfect because I'll be studying abroad in Ireland next semester. More on that later!
Adolescent Development, which meets every MWF from 11 - 12:05. If everything goes as planned, I want to be a high school counselor. The three class periods I've had so far are already confirming my plan to work with adolescents, which I'm really happy about! Professor Susan Kuntz teaches the class, and while I've never taken a class with her before, she seems like a great professor who I look forward to working with.
Sociological Theories, which meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:45 - 11:20. Last semester I decided to add a sociology minor to my psychology major. This is the second sociology class I've taken so far. We have been reading philosophy which is challenging for me, but the discussions we have in class have helped me to better grasp the material.
Abnormal Psychology, which meets every T/TH from 11:30 - 1:05. I'm really enjoying this class so far. We have been working on distinguishing between disease, illness, and sickness and applying these terms to mental disorders we are familiar with through everyday life. From what I can tell, this class is really going to help me in thinking critically about how I as well as the general public view mental disorders and people with them, which I think is very important.
I love my schedule because I'm interested in what I'm taking, but also because I don't have class earlier than 9:45 every day. Also, having my classes back to back works really well for me. That's one of the many things I love about college - you are able to create a schedule that works for you.
As I've written about before, I believe that attending a residential college means so much more than just taking classes and getting a degree. There is something unique and special about living with your friends around you and being able to participate in so many different activities. I mentioned above that I will be participating in a retreat for the Liturgical Choir, which is why I came to VT early this year. I couldn't have asked for a better start to the year than having the opportunity to come up early and spend time with other people (students as well as adults) who will be on the retreat. I don't know how else to describe it other than to say I could feel myself growing (intellectually, that is) the moment I arrived back on campus. I didn't realize how content I had become at home and how much being at Saint Mike's allows me to develop as a person. I have met so many amazing people during my time here and look forward to meeting more throughout the next two years. I can't believe I'm a junior already - it feels like just yesterday that I was moving into Lyons, my freshmen dorm.
Okay, enough with the reminiscing. I would like to end by extending a huge warm welcome to the Class of 2017. I have loved meeting some of you and can't wait to meet more of you as the year goes on. Cherish your time here at SMC because it goes by way too quickly! And for those of you who might be just starting to look at colleges, best of luck in your search! I'm glad Saint Mike's has caught your eye...it really is a spectacular place.
I'm off to do a little more homework before getting ready for another week of class. Thanks for reading my blog and have a great week everyone!
-Merrill
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