I won’t lie: the first week was the worst. When my mom left, I sobbed--no kidding, you would have thought someone died.
The second week was better. I had a better idea of the lay-of-the-land and found the best study spots for my work ethic.
Three weeks post-move in day, I’m sitting in the Dyson Cafe drinking Pure Leaf tea, munching on a Cuban Panini, and reading a sixty page, 8 ½ by eleven, size eleven font article (it’s really more of a novel, but my professor insists otherwise) listing the legal proceedings that birthed the Catskill National Park that makes me want to pull my hair out and scrape my eyeballs out with a spoon. But the panini makes me feel better. Kind of.
Hopefully--yet improbable--either the workload will ease up or my self-management skills will wake from its well-deserved summer hibernation. Until either of those happen though, I’m stuck with the physical world--the campus I’ve strayed no more than a mile away from in three weeks--determining what I like and what I don’t.
What I Like:
1. The dining hall workers
Especially Miss Giuseppina, the cutest and most talented table-cleaner Marist College has ever been blessed with.
2. The quiet spots
Since I’ve been here, I’ve found it hard to be alone when I want to be without locking myself in my dorm room where you can still hear people screaming up and down the halls and slamming the doors every sixty seconds.
If you’re someone like me who needs quiet and doesn’t mind walking, sitting by the dock by the Hudson or trekking the campus after 8:30 p.m. is the prime time to go. You will be surprised how big the campus actually is. (It’s not as sketchy as you would think. There are still people, just not as many of them.)
3. The alternate food options
I’m sad to say that I’ve been here for three weeks and I’m already sick of the dining hall. However, there is definitely no shortage of alternate food options on campus given that you haven’t blown all of your Marist Money and Thrifty Cash already.
You’ve got the Donnelly Delicatessen; The Cabaret, where the quesadillas, popcorn chicken, and the milkshakes are to die for (the Freshman Fifteen will not be my friend this year. We’ll see how this goes.); two Starbucks, in Hancock and the Library; and the Dyson Café, whose paninis are what gets me through the day, or at least my First Year Seminar.
4. The Cabaret
The Cabaret (aka my favorite place on campus) stays open until 1 a.m., so you needn’t worry about late night munchies--they’ve got you covered.
5. The unlimited bagels
Maybe I’m weird, but the first thing I reach for when I’m hungry is a bagel with cream cheese. I guess the top chef of the dining hall and I are on the same page because they’re available ALL DAY LONG.
6. The sense of community
I know this is said at literally every campus tour, but it seriously rings true: I always, and I mean ALWAYS, see a friendly face as I drag myself to class every day.
7. You are not treated as a minority if you don't know what you want to study
People seriously want you to succeed here. If you are an incoming freshman coming in as Undeclared or Undecided, I highly recommend enrolling in the FOCUS program. The course will teach you self-management skills that will follow you for your entire life (personal and business) as well as help narrow down your interests so you can be sure that once you declare your major at the end of sophomore year, it is what you want to stick with.
Click the above image to see the FOCUS program brochure in PDF form to learn more.
8. You won't be tooooo sleep deprived
Before receiving my class schedule, I was dreading having three-hour long classes. Plot twist: freshman classes are only an hour and fifteen minutes, two or three times a week.
9. Boredom is never a thing (unless you like that sort of thing, I guess)
I have yet to be completely and utterly bored. Student Activities always has some sort of event (musicians, comedians, movies in the theater, trips to a Yankee’s game or Broadway show in New York City--only $25 including transportation) and the town of Poughkeepsie also offers various activities and restaurants.
Click the above image to see the Marist Student Activities fall events calendar in PDF form to learn more.
And What I Don’t Like:
1. The Post Office endurance test
I have no problem with walking. In fact, I enjoy it--I’ve made a habit of taking a walk each night around campus. But when I don’t enjoy it is when I walk up and down multiple flights of stairs from my room down to the post office only to find a line that wraps around the corner--a line that I neither have the time nor the patience to stand in.
2. Google Slides is not a universal thing and it sucks
I am not an auditory learner; I’m visual. If I am to remember information of significant importance to the upcoming essay or exam, I need a powerpoint--I need you to draw me a picture. Some professors do not share my view and because of that, if you’re like me, I highly recommend investing in a pocket-sized voice recorder. Press the little red button, place it on the desk, and take notes later. It will help you pay more attention to what's going on in class instead of so much attention to your notes.
3. FYS will either be the death or best of your freshman year--take the steps to avoid the former
DO NOT repeat after me. My mistake will not be your mistake--I do not wish my First Year Seminar course on anyone. Please, please, please don’t miss the deadline to choose a class that interests you. I am literally begging you. You will regret it if you don’t so do it right when the request forms open on MyMarist.
(Disclaimer No. 1: Not everyone has their FYS first semester, so you may be lucky enough to switch.)
(Disclaimer No. 2: When you sign up, you choose your tops that interest you, but you may not get your first choice. Make sure you do your research and narrow down to your top handful.)
4. Lame activities fair DOES NOT equal a lame freshman year
Finally, when I got the email about the activities fair the first Friday I was on campus, I was expecting it to be an actual fair with a lot more club tables. I was severely underwhelmed; but not because Marist doesn’t have a lot to offer their students in terms of extra-curricular activities because they definitely do, but keep in mind that if you don’t find anything at the fair, check the Marist website for the full list of clubs and organizations established on campus. You could even make your own if you’re still unsure. Check it out!
