I, as I am sure many of you were and still currently may be, was in the troublesome situation of choosing a school on which to devote an outrageous amount of money, time and stress. It was between a few other schools and St. Lawrence; with the decision weighing upon where I saw myself furthering my education, social life, and everything in between.
St. Lawrence was not my first choice, yet after my first year of school here, I could not think of spending my time anywhere else. The decision I made to send in my deposit to the school was the critical moment in which my life took a turn for the better, and I established myself as a Laurentian for Life. If you are in the current situation of deciding where to go, or were unsure about your decision in enrolling in the opportunistic St. Lawrence, I am here to reassure you as to why your decision to come here will have been one of the best of your life.
The transition from high school to college is not an easy one to make, but St. Lawrence is perhaps an even tighter community than you may have been used to in your high school. Within the first few weeks, the troubles and scares of entering college will have dissipated; you will have embraced your new life as a Saint. As your time here continues, this community becomes tighter and tighter, until the point where you no longer see you and your peers as "a class", rather you all are a family. The small, embracing community opens you up to social aspects you may have never seen yourself in; soon enough you may be a part of one of the many clubs you would have never bothered to look at in school. Within months, you learn what it means to be a Laurentian for Life; you are, and will always be part of a community that is more than just "a class of 500".
The university is eager to supply prospective, incoming and current students with opportunities you may not find anywhere else and it is these opportunities launch you further into success down the road. Unlike most other schools, at St. Lawrence you aren't just another number, shoveling in gobs of money to pay for God knows what. The university actively works and responds with you to determine your path in life, not just academically speaking. Whether that be the highly coordinated career services, the academic staff who care about more than just your grades, or the hundreds of caring people you will meet along the way.
Most often people think college is just a place where you go, learn, and get a degree in some field; and while in some places that is true, that is not how it should be, nor is that the here. As my first year comes to a close, I can say with the upmost confidence that I am a different than when i first started, solely because of my time spent here. The evolving and changing community that surrounds you during your time at St. Lawrence seeks to find the best in people and does so on a daily basis.
So, if you are disputing between St. Lawrence and some other school you have been accepted to, I highly suggest taking a closer look at St. Lawrence. We are more than just a collection of students at a university campus; we are Laurentians for Life, a community that one day you may join.
