I try to blog about things that are relevant to Saint Michael's and also give a personal sense of what it's really like to be a student here. So this is what it's like, for me, right now.
I'm currently in the middle of a family emergency at home that has dominated all my thoughts. I live three hours from home and it really has been the ideal distance. I always said, "I want to be far enough that I don't have to come home, but I can go home if I need to." Right now, I need to be home, at least for a few days. I received some bad news last Thursday (and more on Sunday) and have felt torn all week. It's almost like being two people; I have my amazing Saint Michael's support system, and then my Milford family. I don't really want to get into details here, but I can speak to the outreach available on campus.
Friends
I love my friends so much. I live next door to my two best friends (and have a best-guy friend downstairs) and I know that they are always there. I've had friends offer to drive and fly me home, and I know I can go to them any time of day or night. I was so lucky this year also to get a roommate for the first time. There's something about having someone in the room while you sleep that helps you hold it together. She has been so understanding and I really appreciate her company.
Faculty
I'm very close with my professors, especially my advisors for my English and Religion majors. They are always there with doors open, ready to listen. When I nearly crumbled my poetry workshop on Tuesday, my adorable Irish professor was completely understanding. My work-study boss in the library has also been incredible. She's more than just my supervisor, she's one of my biggest sources of support. This weekend she is even meeting my mom half-way to get me back to school for classes next week. I don't know how to thank her.
In addition to these people, I also spoke to the assistant dean this week, who made sure that all my professors knew why I would be missing class. She was a discreet and supportive resource.
Residence Life
Last weekend two members of the Residence Life staff stopped by my room to introduce themselves and make sure I was doing all right. I also spoke with my resident advisor who has been so wonderful and involved with the girls on my floor. We do nice things for each other, like an anonymous compliment 'Cup Drop.'
Walk-In Counseling
I have been never been to the Walk-In Counseling, which is available a few nights a week, mainly because I have so many other sources of support. We have several on-campus counselors available at specific sessions, in addition to services available through the switchboard 24 hours a day. There are many support services available in the Klein building. Here is a link to the personal counseling page.
Campus Ministry
The Edmundites on campus have a definite presence, with offices in Alliot and a residence hall near the Hoehl Welcome Center. I have done community service with one of them and we constantly cross paths. Last year at a very difficult time I found it very comforting just to go to the empty chapel and sit quietly for an hour; it's a peaceful place.
The copious resources available to us on campus have really helped me out. Situations like this are not something you plan for when choosing a college. As much as I may feel like no one can understand what I'm going through, it's nice knowing I have such a tightly woven safety net beneath me.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Hometown Love
College is the most wonderful place in the world,
but don't forget the people who got you here.
Thanks to all my friends, professors, and employers
who are getting me through this week.
Sending love to my hometown,
I'll be there soon.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Oh, I'm going to miss this
This is what Lyons 316 looked like on August 26th last year.
Onto bigger and better things! Linnehan219<3
Onto bigger and better things! Linnehan219<3
Want to feel smarter?
Or nicer, or more tolerant, or just a better person all-around?
Or, do you just want to have another excuse to ridicule Michele Bachmann?
If you answered yes to any of the above,
check out this link from my blog, Warring with Trolls.
Or, do you just want to have another excuse to ridicule Michele Bachmann?
If you answered yes to any of the above,
check out this link from my blog, Warring with Trolls.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tips to Stay Healthy
Hey Baby Knights!
So I know you're in planning overload stage, but I wanted to write about something that's kind of hard to plan for, but usually preventable. One of the worst things about being at college is being sick at college and missing your mom and your couch more than anything. This year I managed to stay abnormally healthy, but I watched a few friends suffer through the flu, strep, stomach bugs, and colds. Being sick away from home is never fun, but what's even worse is paying for classes that you have to miss. Plus tissues are expensive. The main point is to avoid getting sick, so here are some tips to stay healthy:
1. The most important thing to maintain a healthy immune system is GET SOME SLEEP. I had a major issue adjusting to the college sleep schedule (mainly because I decided it was more productive to clean and get ahead on homework instead of sleeping... maybe I'll blog about this later) and trust me, if you're not sleeping you will feel like absolute POOH.
2. Keep a pump-bottle of hand sanitizer near your door to use whenever you come home. Keeping the germs out is important. You can also bring a travel size for Alliot, or use the sanitizer-stands provided near the door.
3. CLEAN YOUR ROOM. Pick up laundry, throw away trash, do your dishes. Letting trash and grime build up on your surfaces is nasty, visually and bacterially (yes this is a word. I'm an English major and I can make them up).
4. The Res-Life staff might yell at me for this one, but... open your windows every once and a while. Dorm rooms can get really stuffy, and circulating fresh air is important. You need to be careful about this in the winter, because if you leave your windows open, the PIPES WILL FREEZE (it happened last winter and did major damage in Founders). Last year I tried to open my window a little for an hour or so while I was in the room to make sure it didn't get too cold. If you're worried about forgetting to shut your window, leave the door open and angle your fan so that it will blow in fresh air in from the hall.
5. VITAMINS! As a vegetarian, I'm a big fan of my vitamins. I take Vitamin C, Calcium with Vitamin D, and Iron (I can't take a multivitamin because they make me sick). Taking your Vitamin C is important, even if you drink orange juice because most of that stuff in Alliot is from concentrate and mainly water.
6. Speaking of Alliot, eating healthy is SO important. I'm really bad about remembering my veggies, even as a vegetarian, so it's good to make a rule for yourself like "eat one salad a day at lunch or dinner" or "grab a banana in the morning to eat during class" (I follow both). Before I went to college, I NEVER ate a banana- the texture grossed me out- but now I eat them almost every day. My friend Derek would also want me to add here that eating yogurts with ACTIVE LIVE CULTURES is really good as well, something like Stoneyfield, or a greek yogurt (YUM).
7. Wash your hands! The dorm bathrooms DO NOT provide soap, but most RAs will collect money to buy a community soap bottle. We do have alcohol sanitizer, but don't settle for that. Keep on your RA's butt about replacing it, or bring your own- the huge refill bottles at Walmart are really cheap. Some RAs will also provide a hand towel, but I recommend avoiding this. Usually I brought my own towel to the bathroom or waited until I went back in my room.
8. Don't be a make-out monster. Yes, kissing is lovely, but do you know how many mouths that mouth has been on this week? Oral hygiene is an entire blog post in itself, but the basics are: Take care of cold sores, use a good lip balm for chapped lips, BRUSH YOUR TEETH, and don't kiss everything with a tongue. On a similar note, DON'T SHARE CUPS, BOTTLES, FLASKS, CANS, GLASSES, OR STRAWS. Do I need to say more? Please refer to Health Services for more questions, located in the basement of Alumni.
9. Change your sheets, especially your pillowcases, regularly. Beds can get really nasty, especially when they also serve as couch for your friends. Getting sleep is important, but so is having a germ-free bed.
10. Finally, some basic supplies to keep around: I recommend a can of LYSOL (spray everything down when you move in, before you start setting up), a household surface CLEANER like Windex (I used mine to clean my mirror as well as wiping down my desk and bureau), and an air-disinfecting spray. As far as medical supplies, in addition to vitamins and hand sanitizer, I kept a bottle of Aleve or Ibuprofen. I also have friends who swear by Emergen-C. Another really important item is SHOWER SHOES. Last year I remember hearing that a bunch of girls had gotten some kind of un-mentionable fungi and... ugh, just wear shower shoes, okay?
I hope this helped remind you of anything you may have forgotten! Maintaining sanitary habits means that you are less likely to miss class, and make your mom cry because she can't take care of you.
Cheers!
So I know you're in planning overload stage, but I wanted to write about something that's kind of hard to plan for, but usually preventable. One of the worst things about being at college is being sick at college and missing your mom and your couch more than anything. This year I managed to stay abnormally healthy, but I watched a few friends suffer through the flu, strep, stomach bugs, and colds. Being sick away from home is never fun, but what's even worse is paying for classes that you have to miss. Plus tissues are expensive. The main point is to avoid getting sick, so here are some tips to stay healthy:
1. The most important thing to maintain a healthy immune system is GET SOME SLEEP. I had a major issue adjusting to the college sleep schedule (mainly because I decided it was more productive to clean and get ahead on homework instead of sleeping... maybe I'll blog about this later) and trust me, if you're not sleeping you will feel like absolute POOH.
2. Keep a pump-bottle of hand sanitizer near your door to use whenever you come home. Keeping the germs out is important. You can also bring a travel size for Alliot, or use the sanitizer-stands provided near the door.
3. CLEAN YOUR ROOM. Pick up laundry, throw away trash, do your dishes. Letting trash and grime build up on your surfaces is nasty, visually and bacterially (yes this is a word. I'm an English major and I can make them up).
4. The Res-Life staff might yell at me for this one, but... open your windows every once and a while. Dorm rooms can get really stuffy, and circulating fresh air is important. You need to be careful about this in the winter, because if you leave your windows open, the PIPES WILL FREEZE (it happened last winter and did major damage in Founders). Last year I tried to open my window a little for an hour or so while I was in the room to make sure it didn't get too cold. If you're worried about forgetting to shut your window, leave the door open and angle your fan so that it will blow in fresh air in from the hall.
5. VITAMINS! As a vegetarian, I'm a big fan of my vitamins. I take Vitamin C, Calcium with Vitamin D, and Iron (I can't take a multivitamin because they make me sick). Taking your Vitamin C is important, even if you drink orange juice because most of that stuff in Alliot is from concentrate and mainly water.
6. Speaking of Alliot, eating healthy is SO important. I'm really bad about remembering my veggies, even as a vegetarian, so it's good to make a rule for yourself like "eat one salad a day at lunch or dinner" or "grab a banana in the morning to eat during class" (I follow both). Before I went to college, I NEVER ate a banana- the texture grossed me out- but now I eat them almost every day. My friend Derek would also want me to add here that eating yogurts with ACTIVE LIVE CULTURES is really good as well, something like Stoneyfield, or a greek yogurt (YUM).
7. Wash your hands! The dorm bathrooms DO NOT provide soap, but most RAs will collect money to buy a community soap bottle. We do have alcohol sanitizer, but don't settle for that. Keep on your RA's butt about replacing it, or bring your own- the huge refill bottles at Walmart are really cheap. Some RAs will also provide a hand towel, but I recommend avoiding this. Usually I brought my own towel to the bathroom or waited until I went back in my room.
8. Don't be a make-out monster. Yes, kissing is lovely, but do you know how many mouths that mouth has been on this week? Oral hygiene is an entire blog post in itself, but the basics are: Take care of cold sores, use a good lip balm for chapped lips, BRUSH YOUR TEETH, and don't kiss everything with a tongue. On a similar note, DON'T SHARE CUPS, BOTTLES, FLASKS, CANS, GLASSES, OR STRAWS. Do I need to say more? Please refer to Health Services for more questions, located in the basement of Alumni.
9. Change your sheets, especially your pillowcases, regularly. Beds can get really nasty, especially when they also serve as couch for your friends. Getting sleep is important, but so is having a germ-free bed.
10. Finally, some basic supplies to keep around: I recommend a can of LYSOL (spray everything down when you move in, before you start setting up), a household surface CLEANER like Windex (I used mine to clean my mirror as well as wiping down my desk and bureau), and an air-disinfecting spray. As far as medical supplies, in addition to vitamins and hand sanitizer, I kept a bottle of Aleve or Ibuprofen. I also have friends who swear by Emergen-C. Another really important item is SHOWER SHOES. Last year I remember hearing that a bunch of girls had gotten some kind of un-mentionable fungi and... ugh, just wear shower shoes, okay?
I hope this helped remind you of anything you may have forgotten! Maintaining sanitary habits means that you are less likely to miss class, and make your mom cry because she can't take care of you.
Cheers!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Shameless blog plug. Just read it.
If you like a good rant every now and then, CLICK HERE!
(http://warringwithtrolls.tumblr.com/post/8587855972/yeah-i-think-it-would-be-extremely-beneficial-to)
See, that so bad, was it?
I don't mean bad in the sense of whether or not you agree.
What I mean is, did it make you think?
Yes?
Good.
Did you like it?
That doesn't matter.
Get used to it.
Welcome to college.
(http://warringwithtrolls.tumblr.com/post/8587855972/yeah-i-think-it-would-be-extremely-beneficial-to)
See, that so bad, was it?
I don't mean bad in the sense of whether or not you agree.
What I mean is, did it make you think?
Yes?
Good.
Did you like it?
That doesn't matter.
Get used to it.
Welcome to college.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)