is the training trip for swimming mandatory? what if i have prior family commitments during that time?

It's not mandatory but we really do try to get everyone to come. If not, there are still workout requirements to make sure you stay in shape, and that's a bit harder to do on your own. You'll also need to be back on campus early with us regardless of whether or not you come to Puerto Rico.

What do you want to know about SMC?

I swam in highschool and loved it, but Im concerned about my level compared to the college level, & I haven't been in the pool in a while, is it common for someone who may not be amazing to swim on the team? and does anyone ever join up their 2nd year?

We've have a few people join late or come in as transfers. It's not uncommon for someone who hasn't swam too completitively to try for the team. We're the type of team that doesn't necessarily cut people. That said, most people that would get cut if we did that just don't stick around very long because of how challenging the workouts/scheduling can be.

What do you want to know about SMC?

how's the food?

I think the food is pretty good. There are always those days where I can't find anything I want to eat, but then you just have to get creative (I go with the English Muffin Pizza or a fancy salad). There's almost always something for everyone, and tons of ways to add flavors to things.

What do you want to know about SMC?

Is the homework overwhelming?

I don't think the work is overwhelming, but you do need very good time management skills. Most students here participate in another activity outside of the classroom, so you need to know how to balance that time in.

What do you want to know about SMC?

Are there little lounges in the dorms? Thanks :)

First off, to people who have sent me questions I haven't answered, I'm getting to them. As an orientation leader, I'm running around like a crazy person right now, so I'm only popping in to the questions that are quick. I'll get to you, don't worry!

And yes, there are 3 lounges in each dorm building, one with a TV and one with a printer too!

What do you want to know about SMC?

how do people get from the showers to their room? do they wear robes or just wrap a towel around them? that seems like it would be very cold to do that. also, when showering is there somewhere to put your towel so it doesnt get wet?

Some people walk through the halls with a towel on. I was always one of those people that got changed into a towel in the bathroom. It's your choise, whatever you're more comfortable with. Most RAs will put up some sort of hooks for your towels, or some will already be there. Tip? I unhook one of the middle rings of the shower curtain and hang mine there.

What do you want to know about SMC?

Christine, I'm not bringing a printer up to SMC, but would you mind telling me some places where we can access printers on campus? Thanks =)

There are s TON of places to print. There are at least 4 printers in the academic buldings, another 2 in the library, and one in each dorm building in the quad too. They're actually all brand new, as part of our sustainability efforts, too!

What do you want to know about SMC?

i didn't get my laptop from the school yet. it seems like i might not have it until classes start at earliest. did this happen to anyone you know when you were a freshman?? will i absolutely need it right away for classes?

I got my laptop in time, so I can't help you there. But, not too many people take notes here with computers, so you won't need to bring it to class. You'll just have to make sure you're checking your email and assignments at one of the other computers on campus.

What do you want to know about SMC?

if you bring a TV, how does the cable work?? do you have to pay for it or is cable free??

It's free of course! You just plug your cable cord into the wall!

What do you want to know about SMC?

What's your favorite Alliot meal and Dessert? And what's the craziest thing you've ever seen happen there?

My favorite thing is Alliot is definitely the perogies. They always seem to have them at the perfect time, and I could eat them all day. And my favorite dessert, aside from birthday cake, is PB suprise, which my friends and I make. Take sof serve in a cup, add a little milk, scoop of peanut butter, and stir.

As far as crazy things, the cup drop is the funniest. The rule is, if someone drops a cup, everyone is supposed to chug their drink and drop theres too. It gets pretty loud and it's a funny way to make the person who dropped the cup feel better.

What do you want to know about SMC?

what type of ceilings do the dorms have?

Regular ones? Haha I'm not sure what you mean. They're normal ceilings with pannels.

What do you want to know about SMC?

What about security of laptops, mp3 player,etc. left in the dorm room? Does the desk have a lock? Do I need a foot locker or dorm safe that can be locked? The Knightcard is used to get into the dorm? A key is used for the dorm room, right? Thanks.

The dorm rooms are locked unless you choose to unlock them. Nobody is really too concerned about locking things up in a safe...I've never seen one. Some people do have laptop locks that they bring if they want, so you could do that. The rooms have keys, the buildings have cards, yes.

What do you want to know about SMC?

how has been your expirience in the swimming team?

My experience has been great! I'm a team captain this year and I'm so excited for the year to start. We have a great team shaping up so we're hoping for a great year.

What do you want to know about SMC?

What is something you dont like about smc, aside from the weather

I don't know if I ever said I didn't like the weather, but I do mostly hahaha. I don't like how far SMC is from home, now that I've been spendng so much time in VT after Italy, I have missed home quite a bit.

What do you want to know about SMC?

what is orientation like? i'm not really a crazed school spirit, orientation kind of a person, so i'm a little nervous

don't be! Yes, it gets a little loud and crazy at times, but a lot of us is o-leaders being silly so that you all feel comfortable, whether you're school spirit crazy or more reserved. Honestly, for a lot of my orientation I thought "what are these people doing". You'll have a great time, just try and go to as many activities as you can, you'll be glad you did!

What do you want to know about SMC?

I have questions : 1. On the weekend do most students stay on campus or do they go home? 2. What are the dorm regulations?

Students definitely don't go home on the weekends. Our students are 80% out of state, so it'd be a little much to go home all the time. There's so much to do on campus and in town every weekend, it doesn't make sense to go home for anything other than school breaks.

With regards to dorm regulations, that's a pretty broad question. We have parietals here, which dictate when guys and girls need to be out of each other's rooms. We also have regulations for guests. Guests need to be registered with someone of the same gender, for example, and it's always the best idea to register your guests.

What do you want to know about SMC?

I have questions : 1. On the weekend do most students stay on campus or do they go home? 2. What are the dorm regulations?

Students definitely don't go home on the weekends. Our students are 80% out of state, so it'd be a little much to go home all the time. There's so much to do on campus and in town every weekend, it doesn't make sense to go home for anything other than school breaks.

With regards to dorm regulations, that's a pretty broad question. We have parietals here, which dictate when guys and girls need to be out of each other's rooms. We also have regulations for guests. Guests need to be registered with someone of the same gender, for example, and it's always the best idea to register your guests.

What do you want to know about SMC?

I saw that we get a break on October 12-13...does that mean we still have swim practices? i was planning to go home during that time.

We usually get that Monday off (11th) and classes start Wednesday (13th) so we need to be back Tuesday (12, when everyone comes back anyway) for practice.

What do you want to know about SMC?

what do you recommend for laundry? a pop-up hamper? one of those cloth bags? a plastic hamper? im not sure what would be best

I use the cloth bag because it takes up less space and is easier to shove under the bed and pack up later, but anything you prefer works. The cloth bag is easier to carry down to the laundry room and to wash too, but I've ripped mine a few times so always bring an extra!

What do you want to know about SMC?

do classes ever run late? i have like ten minutes in between 2 of my classes and was wondering if that would be enough time. what would happen if the first class ran late?

Don't worry, almost all classes have that 10 minute break in between them. It's plenty of time to get from one class to the next (it takes maybe 2 minutes to get from any classroom to another). A class mgith run a minute or 2 over, but nothing major, no worries.

What do you want to know about SMC?

What is something that most students complain about SMC? Or something that you complain about SMC?

A lot of students complain about the cold and snow after a while. I definitely don't like being cold, so you can always here me saying something about a really cold day. We're really excited for the first snow, and we love getting out in the snow all winter, but it is a long winter so you've got to prepare for quite a bit of cold weather and snow. But, if we didn't love it we wouldn't stay :]

What do you want to know about SMC?

What is your favorite place/part of the library when you're doing homework?

It depends on what I'm working on. To sit with my friends, we like a table upstairs or a personal study room in the basement. When I'm reading, I like the Dailey room on the 3rd floor (though sometimes I can't stay awake in there). For papers and other projects I sometimes migrate to the basement to my own study room where I can't be distracted.

What do you want to know about SMC?

I have questions : 1. On the weekend do most students stay on campus or do they go home? 2. What are the dorm regulations?

Students definitely don't go home on the weekends. Our students are 80% out of state, so it'd be a little much to go home all the time. There's so much to do on campus and in town every weekend, it doesn't make sense to go home for anything other than school breaks.

With regards to dorm regulations, that's a pretty broad question. We have parietals here, which dictate when guys and girls need to be out of each other's rooms. We also have regulations for guests. Guests need to be registered with someone of the same gender, for example, and it's always the best idea to register your guests.

What do you want to know about SMC?

If I wanted to join the Wilderness Program and there was an activity that I was really scared to do how would that be handled?

To be a part of the Wilderness Program, you don't need to do every activity. Some of the leaders I know haven't done everything. Since the program doesn't necessarily have just "members" and there are also people who just do a few activities, don't worry about it!

What do you want to know about SMC?

Christine, would you be able to tell me if the post office at SMC is open yet and if were allowed to have things shipped there, so we can pick them up the day of move in? Thanks (=

I'm not sure about shipping, since you don't have your mailbox keys yet (but maybe you do have your number?) They're open, I know that. Give them a call on Monday after 9.

What do you want to know about SMC?

Hey christine, I was planning on joining the swimming team and i just wanted to know if we have to try out, and when does practice start?

There's no try outs for swimming. For the most part, anyone who is really commited will stick around and do well. We're going to have a meeting in the first few weeks of September to organize everything and such, so make sure either coach or I have your email address for that message. Then practice will probably start the last week of September, but we'll be in before that with captains practices and waterpolo and lifting and such.

What do you want to know about SMC?

should i bring my boardgames and things like that wiht me?

definitely! apples to apples and bananagrams are HUGE here. and anything else fun :]

What do you want to know about SMC?

do people bring their laptops to class?

generally our students just don't really bring laptops to take notes. We're not sure why, but it might have a lot to do with the fact that many classes are largly discussion based, so powerpoints, lectures, and hard-core note taking aren't happening in every class.

However, professors do allow laptop use so if you prefer digital note to pen and paper copies you'll be ok.

What do you want to know about SMC?

going off of the purse question down there...do you just carry the wallet in your hand all the time? i feel like i would lose it

I throw it in my bag when I go to class, or my northface pocket once it gets cold. I'm not likely to lose mine when it has my keys, phone, knightcard, and money.

What do you want to know about SMC?

how do intermural sports work? can anyone play? do you need any prior experience? how do you form teams? etc...

Intermural sports are the best way to get involved in sports without a lot of commitment but still a lot of fun. Anyone can play, you just get a team together, fill out a roster, and then you get put into the schedule for that sport. You don't need to have every played before, as long as you can follow the rules (not too many people have experience with floor hockey before SMC hahaha).

What do you want to know about SMC?

if i dont like carrying a purse so how do you recommend carrying keys and knightcard?

almost nobody carries a purse around here, so you're not alone. Most of us carry our keys on a Vera Bradley wallet. I have the bigger one that is a full wallet, but I used to have the little one that is just enough space for some cash and a phone with your keys attached. Each has a see through front pocket for your knightcard. AND you can get them at the bookstore.

Hope this helps :]

What do you want to know about SMC?

do the showers provide adequate privacy?

of course! The showers are just like any other shower with a personal stall and shower curtain.

What do you want to know about SMC?

The Cutest

Hey all,
Just popping in quickly to share a video I saw today. The Church Street Marketplace had a video contest, and this is the winner. It's so cute!




Laterrrr :]
-Christine

Technical Difficulties

Hey all. I'm not sure what's going on but none of my formspring answers are showing up here with the questions. I'm working on fixing it. Meanwhile, you can check my formspring profile for all of the answers I'm giving: http://www.formspring.me/camoresano

my housing info described that i was in a triple with 2 conjoined rooms and a private bathroom. how big are the rooms and how are they laid out?? i would just like to have an idea of the size and how people arranged things in the past.

i really dont know how many clothes to bring and how much to leave at home. any suggestions? also, im not from the north so i dont know how to dress in the winter. what types of shoes do you wear besides snow boots?

do we bring our own soap for laundry or do they have all that stuff already there?

Working on my budget. What does it cost to use the washers and dryers (I know that my Knightcard is used)? Thanks.

It's $1.25 each. Not bad. And yes, you use your Knightcard (so no annoying quarters)

What do you want to know about SMC?

Can you please re-post your response to the question about storage units for the dorm rooms? Thanks.

here's the link: http://christine.smcbloggers.com/2010/07/what-types-of-storage-units-do-you.html

What do you want to know about SMC?

how many towels do you recommend bringing? and what kind of school supplies too? do we need binders/notebooks etc...

I always have at least 3 bath towels with me. That way, if one is in the laundry and you're using one, you have an extra just in case.

School supplies really depend on you and your classes. Some classes are a lot of handouts, and you might want to have a binder so you can have the handouts and notes in one place, but some classes just a notebook is fine. I'd say bring a few of each so you'll be ready for anything. You can always buy more.

What do you want to know about SMC?

do you know when we'll find out how we did on our language essays that we took on summer registration day to find out if we tested out of the language requirments?

I'm don't, but that's a good question to call the registrar's office about. 802-654-2571

What do you want to know about SMC?

Burlington, Vermont. What else could you need?

Hey all!

So to ring in August (it's August?) my family made the 5 hour trek from New Jersey to visit me. It was gorgeous weather and we had a lot of fun just catching up, eating, and partaking in all that Burlington and the area has to offer. So, I thought, what a great time for a little post about Burlington, ESPECIALLY for all of you coming up to visit this summer, or looking forward to move in day, just a few weeks away.

We started out our weekend on Friday afternoon, with a stop downtown to church street to browse the sidewalk sale. While we were there, we got a little hungry (after all, none of us really had lunch). My parents stopped at one of the outdoor stands near the top of church street for dumplings, but I knew just what I wanted for a snack. I dragged my brother and sister through the crowds to The Skinny Pancake's outdoor cart, where we indulged in a lumberjack and a heartbreaker (nutella. strawberries. can we go wrong?).

After that, we picked up Erick and headed over to the Magic Hat Artifactory. While you might not think so, the brewery is open to all ages, since there is a free tour of the process and a lot of fun swag to buy. And of course, for those of us 21 and older, free samples and a chance to bring home some growlers (a gallon of beer).

We returned back to Burlington for a scrumptious dinner at American Flatbread. They've got flatbread pizza that's to die for (as well as their own brewery, so I continued to have my parents try delicious beer). We got 3 flatbreads, with everything from sausage and organic pepperoni to peppers, caramelized onions, and sun dried tomatoes, and housed them all.

After work the next morning, we traveled down to Stowe for, what else, a tour at the Ben and Jerry's factory. We left after a fun tour and a taste of a delicious new flavor, chocowlate chip. We headed from there to the Cabot Cheese outlet store (we wouldn't have made it to the factory tour before close) and tried tons of cheeses and other treats before choosing some to take home.

For the ride back, we decided to go the long way through the notch road instead of taking the interstate back. We're long-time lovers of Smuggler's Notch (the same place where all SMC students get a $30 season pass) and wanted to swing by and see what was up. The Notch Road winds through the mountain from one side to the other, and it's so curvy that it's closed every winter.

We returned to church street and had an amazing dinner at Leunig's Bistro, one of the restaurants in Burlington that is definitely better for me to go to when my parents are paying. We had a cheese plate and some sweet potato fries as a started, and then I stuffed myself with Cavatappi Carbonara, my favorite Leunig's dish, complete with chicken and sun dried tomatoes.

After Leunig's, the family went back to the hotel and I spent the night out with some friends for one person's birthday. We met back up with my family in the morning for breakfast at Henry's Diner, a classic, delicious diner right off of church street. Once we were all satisfactorily full, my family headed back home.

Yes, it was a short visit, but not to worry, Erick and I are going down to NJ next weekend for the Yankees vs. Sox game, and to spend his dad's birthday in CT at his beach house. It should be a fun time.

Things I still want to do this summer? Pick blueberries at Sam Mazza's and try a chocolate milkshake from Lake Champlain Chocolates.

So that's it for me right now. Check back soon and keep up the great formspring questions, I love answering them!

-Christine

it seems like some people have gotten their 1st semester course schedules, i didn't get to go to a registration day so i had previously sent in my course selection through the mail, i haven't received a schedule yet so i was wondering when i will get that

Since you sent your classes in before everyone else I'm pretty confident that you have already received your class schedule. Have you checked your SMC email? If there's nothing there, try checking your schedule on knightvision. If it's all set, it'll be up there.

What do you want to know about SMC?

I'm really interested in trying out for the swim team or training with the team since I do not have much experience. is that possible?

It's possible. Some people start swimming without a lot of experience and end up sticking it out, and some don't. You wouldn't be able to just train with us without actually being on the team, but if you want to give it a shot you are always welcome.

What do you want to know about SMC?

is it possible to not have textbooks for a class? i looked on the bookstore website and two of my classes aren't listed. Does that mean I don't need a textbook for those classes?

It's possible, but some classes may just not be listed. I'd suggest shooting an email over to your professor to double check.

What do you want to know about SMC?