Molly S

First Month Recap

I can't believe that I've been here for four weeks! I honestly thought it would be harder to adjust to the college lifestyle and that I would miss home more, but it turned out to be the total opposite! By the second or third day here, I basically knew my way around most of the campus, and I have never felt homesick! So far so good :)

The reason I moved in so early is because I was a part of the Mind Your Business Pre-Fall Program. Looking back on that week now, I can confidently say that I made the right choice by applying. The MYB Program gave the 40 or so of us that were accepted a little insight into the business world and the John F. Welch College of Business here at Sacred Heart. We visited a few local businesses and went to a high ropes course for teambuilding. We also had golf lessons...turns out I'm a natural ;) I had so much fun! Another thing that was really nice about being part of a pre-fall program was that I met 40 new people before school even started, and I now have a few really good friends that I still hang out with on a weekly, sometimes daily basis!

Classes here have been pretty good. The college class schedule is so different from a high school schedule...it's so nice! You have more free time during the day to do homework, study, hang out with friends, or go to campus events.

I loveeee my floor. I live in Roncalli, so there is a boys side of the floor and a girls side of the floor. We all get along really well, and everyone hangs out together all the time. I've made so many new friends with my floormates, we refer to ourselves as a family <3 I honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience!

My floormates are hanging out right now, so I'm going to go join them. Stay dry on this rainy day :)

Family & Friends are a Skype Away

The one thing that I know will be hard once move-in day comes around is saying goodbye to my friends and family. It's going to feel so weird...living in a new place without the family I've lived with for 17, almost 18, years; and not going to school with the friends I've expected to see in my classes every August. I'm going to miss everyone so much, and I'm sure you will miss your friends and family as well. And I KNOW that at at least one point in my first semester, I will feel homesick. And I know that's okay.

What's great about today's day and age is that we have so much technology that can help us stay in touch with friends and family better than the occasional hand-written letter or phone call. There's videochat software like Skype, FaceTime, and ooVoo that you can use to basically have a face-to-face conversation with somebody without having to be in the same room. And of course, there's also instant messaging, Facebook, email, and other things that allow you to keep in touch with your friends and family.

So even though I know that tears will be shed when it comes time for me to say goodbye to all my friends, my sisters, and my mom, I also know that they are only a phone call or Skype chat away, and that makes the transition easier for me (:

Dorm Shopping

Whenever my family goes out, we always stop by Walmart or Target and see if we can pick up anything for my dorm next year. So far we've found some good things! We picked up a few of those stick-on hooks and these cool velcro tape things that are strong enough to hold up picture frames! No damage to the walls! (: We're still looking for other things, like storage bins/drawers, but I still have time to pick up more stuff.

There's also books that I need to get for my classes. I'm currently waiting to make sure my schedule is finalized before I go out and buy or rent my books. The SHU Bookstore should have everything I need, and they even have the option of renting some of the textbooks there, which would be really convenient. I actually bought my summer reading book at the SHU Bookstore during orientation, and I'm sure I saved at least a few bucks by doing so! (;

As for other things, I already ordered my linens through Residence Hall Linens. It's really great because you get two sets of sheet, a comforter, an egg crate pad, mattress pad, pillows and so much more for a low price compared to other retail stores. I also ordered a sewing kit, tool kit, and first aid kit through them...you never know when you'll need those! I also got a clip-on fan and clip-on lamp from them too, which can be handy. I've also gotten about three thick, fuzzy blankets from friends for graduation (;

So far, nothing is technically packed or "set aside" for college right now, but it's still early! I did go through my entire closet (finally!) and get rid of clothes that are too worn or too small so that my wardrobe is thinned out for college. Baby steps, baby steps (;

Of course, I'll have to talk to my roommate so we don't bring the same things...things that we could share instead. You don't want to end up bringing two TVs or something! But as the summer goes on, I'll pick up more and more things and by the time move-in rolls around, I'll be ready!

Roommates

A good thing to mention now would be the one thing that everybody worries about when they think of college: ROOMMATES. Our deadline to request roommates was July 5th, so there is a good number of us who already have roommates.

This was probably the most intimidating part about college life for me. At SHU, we're lucky to have awesome faculty that set up a private Facebook group for the SHU Admitted Class of 2015! Once we were accepted, most of us joined the group, and that was a great way to meet people who could potentially be your classmates next year. Some people were able to find someone they clicked with right away, and others had to wait a little longer, and that's okay! If you were still having trouble finding someone, you could go onto Sacred Heart's RoommateClick website. It's kind of like eHarmony or Match.com for people living at SHU next year haha. From there, you can make a profile and search for other people you may have things in common with. You will also have to be careful of certain restrictions on roommates, such as double- or triple-eligibility and special programs like the Honors Program.

You may feel awkward about asking someone to be your roommate, and that's totally fine, because I felt the same way (; If that is the case, and no one ends up asking you to room with him/her, SHU also offers the option for random assignment, where Reslife (Residential Life) will choose your roommate for you based on how compatible they think you will be with him/her. So don't feel stressed about picking your roommate! It'll all work out in the end (:

First Post as a Sacred Heart University Freshman!

It's hard to think that only a month ago I was still a high school student, scrambling to get papers and projects done before the end of the year...something I'm sure you have all experienced at some point! High school sure flew by fast! As an incoming freshman at SHU, I hope I can give you a little insight into my experiences in the transition to college life and help you adjust better as you start your next chapter in life.

I only graduated about two weeks ago and I already feel as if my life's changing by the minute! I'm trying to get as many things ready for SHU as I can early on in the summer so I can relax and spend time with my hometown friends before we all go our separate ways (but don't worry, you'll see them all again! (; )

Here are a few things that I think will help you as you get ready to start at SHU!

1. Get your forms/paperwork in by their deadlines! Trust me, it is less stressful for EVERYONE if you finish your forms before the deadlines.
2. If you have questions, email one of the SHU faculty members! Everyone that I have met so far who works at SHU has been nothing but friendly and helpful, and they are happy to answer any questions you may have, so don't be afraid to ask!
3. Double-check that your guidance counselor at your high school sent/will send your final transcript to SHU! Also, if you are receiving any college credits through local colleges, check that SHU will accept them, and then make sure that you request that a transcript be sent to SHU, or else SHU cannot give you exemptions/credits. Same goes for AP scores!
4. Set up the monthly payment plan as soon as you can! The sooner you set it up, the easier and less stressful...and you don't wanna get stuck paying the full semester bill in one shot...yikes!

These are just a few things that I have noticed so far in my pre-SHU summer that I hope make your summer a little less stressful! (: