I lovermont in fall

So October is over and we've moved into the wet month that is November. Still, I wanted to touch back on my fun fall adventures with some photos and update on what's going on in my life and here at SMC.

First, some October photos of pumpkins, apples, cider, a 5K, and Halloween:

I've been home twice since I got back to SMC. The first was a while back for Columbus day weekend, and the second was 2 weekends ago when I returned for the Notre Dame vs. Navy game at the New Meadowlands Stadium, right near my house. I went with my family and my cousins and we had a great time, despite the ND loss.

Before that weekend home, the swim team had a Purple vs. Gold meet where we split the team up and competed against each other to see where we were at in terms of times and racing ability. The meet was fun, and this past weekend we had our first home meet/season opener against Colby Sawyer College. Both the men's and women's teams won by a considerable amount and we all raced so well. My favorite parts were definitely how many peoples came to watch (especially our families), how excited everyone was to race, and how much fun everyone was having. Eileen, our new coach, was definitely proud of us and we congratulated her on her first win as a head coach too.

I've also recently been accepted to go on a service trip in March over Spring Break. I will be going to NYC to work for an organization called Covenant House. They provide a lot of services, especially to homeless youth. It is similar to what I am doing at Spectrum now, but a lot is different too. I'm really excited for that, so look to hear more when it gets closer.

Things continue to be busy for me, but I'm trying to touch in here as much as possible, even if it's only with a formspring questions, so keep them coming!

I'll try to update soon on anything new and exciting at SMC, so check back!

-Christine

Date Change: SMC at CWL TODAY (Thursday!)

Hey everyone!

St. Michael’s will be participating in the College Week Live’s Fall Online College Fair TODAY!. Two SMC students, along with Admissions Counselor Jeremy Brown, will be available during a live video chat to talk about St. Mike’s. You’ll be able to ask them questions throughout the chat! Register online here and be sure to tune in at 3pm EST, Thursday, November 4th (that's today!) and check it out!

Can’t make the live video chat? Don’t worry – you can log into college week live later on in the day and watch the recording. If you have a question you’d like SMC to answer LIVE, head over to the Class of 2015 Facebook Group page and ask us now!”

See you there!
-Christine

What do you do with your academic advisor?

Your advisor is helpful for a lot of different things. The main reason everyone sees their advisor is for class selection. Our advisors are required to approve us before we register, so we all make appointments to meet with them before registration to talk about classes. They make sure we're not forgetting requirements or taking classes that won't help us later on.

You can also go to your advisor about choosing or changing a major, going abroad, graduate school, or any other academic related situation.

Of course, advisors are for more than just academics, and most students take at least one class with their advisor during their four years. They are available to talk about any issues you're having, internships, recommendations, and whatever else.

What are some psychology internships that have been available to students in the past?

I'm not too sure about what students have done outside of SMC during the summer. That question could be answered best by a professor in the psychology department. Check out Dave Landers' Blog and ask him!

If you're referring to Practicum, the course I'm in where we work a year long itnernship, I can tell you where a few of my classmates are. I'm at Spectrum Youth and Family Services, I have some friends at the Baird School, various Howard Center Houses, Women's Rape Crisis Center, and a theraputic groups center.

There are also many research opportunities during the year and during the summer here at SMC.

Hope this helps :]

What do you want to know about SMC?

What's up with P-Day?

P-Day is basically our FAVORITE day on campus. I stands for preparation day, and it's the Saturday before the last week of classes. The school brings in a huge food tent with tons of free food from all over Burlington, a bunch of blow up treats such as obstacle courses and slides, and the a few special things. Last year we had a foam pit and face painting, and in previous years we've had rock climbing and simulated sky diving.

Usually one of the weekends around P-Day, if not that weekend, we also have a huge concert, a comedian, and a talent show.

What do you want to know about SMC?

I heard that Vermont is freezing year-round. How do students deal with the cold?

First of all, Vermont is NOT freezing year-round. I've lived here in all 4 seasons and they are just like most of New England, for the most part.

Yes, our winters are a bit colder, but it always depends on the year and month. February is usually the coldest, but two years ago we have record lows in January and last year February was abnormally warm. It also snowed last May. It's not cold all the time, just a bit unpredictable. And we grow to love it.

Besides acceptance, everyone here basically stocks up on hot chocolate mix and invests in a good winter coat and some warm snow boots. We can NOT wear Uggs year round (though some people try and end up with some ruined boots).

We love the cold and the snow, for the most part, otherwise we wouldn't be here. While I agree that snow in May is ridiculous, I also enjoy a good snowball fight, day on the slopes, and live-in igloo to which pizza can be dleivered (yes, it happened).

What do you want to know about SMC?

Are there any extracurricular programs or activities that are particularly relevant for psychology majors?

As far as a club anyone can join, Psych Club is it. We also have an honors society but students need to be invited to that. Psych Club meets during each semester to discuss event on campus (particularly for activities fairs and friday knight dry events)

However, I also think clubs like MOVE and Wilderness can influence the direction you take your psych major in. If you work with best buddies in MOVE, then maybe the special needs population would be good for you. If you run a lot of hikes for wilderness, maybe that would work into psychology somewhere. It's really about applying what you love to study to what you love to do.

What do you want to know about SMC?