Back To School, The Non-Essentials That Are Sweet to Have Anyway

My last post was about all the stuff you'd probably like to have for your dorm room. It's all stuff I have for my own. They're pretty much the basics that any incoming freshman would be shopping for. This post, instead of being about what you probably need is about what you probably would like to have. It's basically all about the decoration aspect, which to me is the most fun. These are just some tips and ideas to make your room fun, comfortable, and overall just nice to be in.

We're going to do this bullet-ed list style just for simplicity's sake.

• Scented oils. I like to walk into a nice smelling room after class or a workout everyday. Considering the amount of running/hiking/rollerskiing/skiing I do during the school year I tend to have a lot of dirty clothes in the pile at any given time. I used a Yankee Candle Reed Diffuser to make sure that my room smelled nice (vanilla lime to be exact) at all times. (You can also go with something like a Glade Plug-In or Febreze)

• Lights. A lot of people like to have a string of Christmas lights around the room just for decoration. I have a string of paper lanterns that I put along the wall my bed. Freshman year my bed was lofted and I wasn't anywhere near the light switch. At night I'd turn on my lanterns, turn off the light, get into bed, and unplug the lanterns so that I didn't kill myself climbing up when my roommate wasn't around to turn off the overhead light.

• Posters. Show off what you love while filling in white space on your wall. Websites like allposters.com have all kinds of posters. You'll be able to find pretty much anything you're looking for.

• Power Strips. While most rooms have a decent amount of outlets most people find that there aren't enough or the placement of the outlets isn't exactly helpful. Having a power strip or two can solve this problem.

• Pictures. Some people have a couple of pictures on their desks or by their beds. Others completely cover the walls in them. As a first year it's nice to have a reminder of home in the room. One idea I used in my room was to put a poster board on my wall. As the year went on I took more pictures from time spent with friends. Every so often I'd develop the pictures and add to the poster. At the end of the year I had a collage from my entire sophomore year. Also, when I transferred to SMC I found a big picture frame at a craft store and made a collage from my ex-school. When my friends came to visit they all counted how many pictures of themselves I had included and bragged when they happened to have more than someone else.

• Chalk. Last year the suite across from mine had a big mural on their wall that they had all drawn together in colorful sidewalk chalk. I thought it was a really cool idea. Make sure chalk will wash off of your walls easily before you start anything major though.

• Curtains. Curtains to cover boring blinds make the room more happy. I also saw one person hang them in the corner of the room and hang Christmas lights down behind them to make the room brighter.

• Crates. I use stack-able plastic crates to move into my room and then stack them one on top of the other on top of my desk for shelves for my books and snacks.

• Nintendo 64. This is mostly for my friend Adam (I'm sure any guy who would consider bringing this or any other system does not need me to remind them to bring it) who commented on my last post saying this would be an essential. You would not believe the amount of Mario Kart I watched my freshman year. Boys.

I can't believe I only have three weeks left at the Tyler Place. I'm excited for pre-season and to be back at SMC, but at the same time I don't want summer to end. It's insane that it's August already, but I'm definitely going to enjoy what's left of summer!

Back to School, The Essentials

It literally hurts me to type the words "Back to School." It's a sad fact of life, however, that summer does not last forever. Not that I don't love school, but still...My packing, though it will be slightly painful as I will have to organize my belongings and remove a good portion of my wardrobe from the floor, will not be all too complicated as it will be the third time it will be done.

For new college students life is not quite so easy. I remember the excitement of buying all new things. I also remember my mom's big list we brought everywhere. Slightly more organized than I was, my mom had a list of all things suggested by countless sources for life at school. Two years later and now aware of the specific things I need/like to have in my room I figured I could be the organized one and help anyone looking to start making such a list.

In this post I'll list the essentials and most obvious of these items. All the items will be linked to an online website, but can (most likely) be found at the actual stores as well.

Sleep

- Comforters -

Some students choose to bring quilts or comforters from home to put onto their beds. Many go with the option to buy new ones when they go to school. Companies like WalMart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Target all have fun, colorful choices. Make sure you check with your school. Most beds are Twin XL, meaning they're slightly longer than your average twin bed.

Reversible Comforter, WalMart, $16 - $24

Reversible Comforter, Bed Bath & Beyond, $39.99

- Sheets -

Sheets can be expensive, but if you try stores like TJ Maxx, you can often find them for a lot cheaper.

Recycled Jersey Sheets Set, Target, $15.99

- Extras -
There's nothing like a couple of fun pillows or a comfy blanket to spruce up your bed and make it not only more comfortable, but to make your room a little homier. I personally have a body pillow I lean on when I'm doing work. Or on Facebook. Also, I'd suggest you buy at least a mattress pad for your bed. They're not uncomfortable, but if you're used to a nice soft bed at home a little cushioning wouldn't hurt.

Body Pillow, Walmart, $10

Toss Pillow, Walmart, $6

Eat
- Dinnerware -
Even though you eat in Alliot for each meal sometimes people like to eat cereal in their rooms in the morning or have a snack at night. You're probably going to want at least one or two plates, bowls, cups, and sets of silverware in your room. I suggest Corelle for plates and bowls. They look glass and clean easily, but aren't breakable like glass. The picture below is a set, however I know that at least the ones from Walmart are sold separately in stores. (We don't have Target in VT, so I'm not sure.)

Corelle 16-piece set, Target, $30
(sold separately at Walmart for sure)

- Appliances -

You should work out with your roommate whether or not you're going to have a refrigerator or a microwave and decide who is bringing what. Fridges come in all sorts of sizes and sometimes fun colors, so you should check to see what size is allowed in your dorm. At SMC you can also rent fridges, which is also something you could look into.

Black & Decker Compact Fridge,
Walmart, $58

Shower

- Towels -

I would suggest having two or three towels and two or three wash cloths so that if there's a sliiiiight delay between trips to the laundry room, you can throw it in your laundry bin and grab a fresh one.

Amy Butler Towels,
Bed Bath & Beyond, $13 ea.

Zebra 3 pc. Towel Set,
Walmart, $24.88

- Caddy -

You're not going to want to carry your shampoo, conditioner, razor, etc. to and from the bathroom everyday. Grab a shower caddy to bring in and out with you for less of a hassle.

Flexi Shower Tote,
Bed Bath & Beyond, $10

Shower Caddy, Walmart, $3

- Flip Flops -

So many people come in and out of the showers everyday it's easy for things to spread. While the bathrooms are cleaned very regularly, it's a good idea to wear flip flops in the shower just to be sure.

Printed Flip Flops, Old Navy, $3.50

Lights

- Floor Lamp -

You, like many others, might not enjoy the glow of the overhead lights in your dorm room. It's also nice to have a light switch right next to your bed. I'd suggest buying a floor lamp to plug in wherever you can turn it off right before bed.

Combo Lamp, Walmart, $27

High Five Floor Lamp, Walmart, $30

- Desk Lamp -

If you work at your desk you may also want to find a good desk lamp.

Desk Lamp and Organizer, Bed Bath & Beyond, $15

So, this is quite obviously not all you should look to bring to school, but it's definitely a good start. Everyone is different and prefers to have different things, but as far as the essentials go this is pretty much it. Good luck in your shopping and check back in for more tips on what to bring!

Oh, Hello Roomie!

A little bit ago it was all over Twitter (mostly through Gabby) that roommate info had arrived for new students. For some reason I was just recalling this and it got me thinking about when I first found out about my freshman year roommate. Of course, I was at an entirely different school in an entirely different state way back then (just two years ago), but the experience is always exciting regardless of if where you're going is where you end up staying or not.

Get ready for a flashback.

Her name is Sarah and I love her dearly. I also miss her to pieces. This is one of my favorite pics of her from freshman year. She was a unicorn for Halloween. This describes her personality perfectly.

So, this post is for anyone either going into school for the first time or transferring like I did. (Although, I don't have an "I met a total stranger again" story for the transfer part of my life. I roomed with Caroline for a bit before I ended up in a single and she couldn't be farther from total stranger.) Of course you may have already sent that "Hey roomie! I guess we'll be living together this year! Should be fun!" email/facebook message. I want to encourage you to not leave it at this. Let's not pretend that you haven't already facebook creeped because we all know you have. But be aware that fb doesn't tell you everything, even if most people think so. For example, the guy in Sarah's prof pic that I assumed was her bf? I was kind of right. He was her bf, but not her boyfriend. He was actually her best friend. It's something little that I may have found out later, but if it hadn't been for that phone call there would have been so many other things I would have never known.

The issue ends up being what to talk about right? I mean, it's really nerve racking to call a complete stranger, especially one you'll be sharing a room with. Well, let me put you at ease. The person you'll be calling actually has a lot in common with you, I guarantee it. Remember that form you filled out about roommates? Turns out they actually use it to make sure you're matched with someone that's a good fit. Funny how that works!

I hope everyone has an amazing experience with their roommates this year like I did. Getting to know him or her before school is the first step to having a good relationship. Just take the leap and pick up the phone!

Accepted Students Day! Welcome to SMC 2014!!

Before you start reading...I apologize for the length of this one...please bear with me. I'll make the next one shorter, I promise!

What a crazy time of year. I have approximately 903486 things left on my to-do list. Ok, so I rounded up. It's actually only 6. But my approximation was close...kind of. Regardless, it feels like my estimation is accurate. I have papers, presentations, exams, and homework. I've also found I've suddenly thrown myself into the open arms of the Founder's Society, which, by the way, wasn't really a conscious decision it just kind of...happened. Though I'm oh so very glad it did! Then there's that whole thing where I'm trying to end my lazy streak and jump back on training. Skiing's only a year away, dontcha know. I had forgotten how much the first few runs hurt...ALL DAY LONG.

SIDE NOTE: Stairs are mean. So so mean. If only SMC had been built on like three times as much land and could be all one floor...SIDE NOTE ON A SIDE NOTE: Excuse my extreme laziness. Hopefully it will work its way out as I work myself back into running shape. END SIDE NOTES.

Enough about me for today. I'm sitting comfortably in my cozy little bed and should therefore stop complaining about my tired little legs...for now... I'm going to shift the focus as the 437892 items on my to-do list (again, an estimation) are not anything compared to that of the newly accepted high school senior. These are the students and families that have started mulling about the general St. Mikes area this weekend. I remember two years ago when I was one of those students. So many things to worry about - prom, what school to choose, yearbooks, avoiding senioritis like the plague. In that order. Priorities...you know how it goes. Although, unfortunately I really wasn't all that successful in the senioritis department. Anyway, I figure you would love me just a little bit more if I could make your life slightly easier.

I know that choosing a school can be extremely tough for a lot of people. I'm quite obviously a HUGE advocate for St. Mike's, but I know that me saying it's completely awesome isn't going to win everyone over. What really counts is what you experience when you are here, at the school, imagining your life next year. It's during the tours and Open Houses like the ones this and next weekend that big questions get answered and many accepted students leave knowing this is exactly where they want to be...or not (though I really hope this is not the case!). Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to make it up to the lovely Burlington area to visit SMC. The crazy senior spring schedule combined with greater distances from SMC sometimes make it impossible to get here. So this one's for you - the potential future Purple Knights that have an even harder decision to make...whether or not to go to a school you might not have ever seen.

I just got back from spending this morning with a tour group during the Accepted Student Open House. (Literally just got back. I figured I'd do something productive while I wait for my suite mate to drag herself out of bed for Alliot brunch...mmm...waffles...) As the tour wandered through SMC, dodging other tour groups (240 families on campus! CRAZY!) I took note of some of the biggest questions so that I could share the answers with all of you.

Q: Is the meal plan limited to three times a day?

A: No it's not. It's absolutely unlimited. You can run into Alliot 15 times in one day and it would be the same as going once. Awesome for just grabbing an apple between classes.

Q: What's a Knight Card?

A: It's your life. DO NOT LOSE IT. I mean I think so anyway. It gets you into Alliot. I'd say that's rather important. It also serves as a debit card so you can buy the random snack at the Knight Stand outside of Alliot, anything from the bookstore, and the ever necessary laundry. It also serves as a bus pass for public transportation down to Burlington, where you can use it in a good number of the restaurants on Church Street.

Q: What's up with this Catholic school thing going on at SMC?

A: About 50% of the population identifies itself as Catholic although a lot of the time you'd never know it. You can be as involved or uninvolved as you'd like. You do have to take two Religion courses throughout the time here, but they come from a historical perspective. If you want to be involved there's a chapel on campus with mass on weekends as well as many programs you can be involved with.

Q: How close is Burlington?

A: Church Street is about 10 minutes away and is the best. From there you can wander down to the waterfront. I love Burlington so very much. I've been going there all my life (I live so close) and I'm still amazed by how awesome it is.

Q: How are the professors?

A: The professors here are absolutely amazing. They always have office hours and want to help. I literally go to one professor every week after I've tried the homework to get clarification. He's the same professor that invited all of his students to his house for a BBQ in a few weeks. I absolutely love pretty much every professor I've had, especially the ones in my majors.

Q: Does it seem really small?

A: Yes and no. But yes and no in a good way. Yes because when I'm walking around or in Alliot I feel like I always know someone. And everyone's so friendly. Even someone you only see in your Tuesday/Thursday class will say hi between buildings. But at the same time I can be eating dinner with a group of friends and someone will sit down that I've never even seen before - that's the no part. I'm forever meeting new people. It's like St. Mike's can sense things. Every single time I've thought "Wow, I'm really getting to a point where I know a good amount of people." I meet five new people that day and I realize how many people I haven't met yet. And I know I just said it, but I want to emphasize it...the people are SO friendly. Plus, f you're feeling confined by the campus you can always take the day and go into Burlington or even to Canada if you want to make a real trip out of it. That's a nice thing to do every once in a while just for a little change of pace. Although, I've never really felt like the campus was too small. The walk back from the ski room after practice always seemed SO FAR. Although, I can be juuuust a little tired at that point.

That's pretty much it for today. If you have any other questions I am at your service. Ask away!