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Oh. Boy. DREAM…
During my first week as a student at SMC I was recruited into a mentoring organization by a girl jumping up and down wearing a bright yellow t-shirt with big blue lettering that spelled D.R.E.A.M. At the time I was looking for a group that allowed me to work with children and act as their mentor similar to a mentoring program that I had done through my high school. I had no idea at the time how much my experience with the program would shape not only my educational philosophy, but my outlook on life, or that I soon would be that person jumping up and down wearing a bright yellow t-shirt with blue lettering begging people to get involved with D.R.E.A.M.
D.R.E.A.M. was one of the best decisions I ever made my freshman year. In fact, it was one of the best decisions I made in college. It was a program that helped me connect with a child that needed a good role model, learn more about the community that I was going to college in, and helped me develop a better world view. I know the relationships that I formed in D.R.E.A.M. (both with the kids and my fellow mentors) will last a lifetime.
D.R.E.A.M. is the best. Join the program! To find our more check out their website: http://www.dreamprogram.org -
My best experience by far was watching a dream come true last semester when I (along with another student) was allowed to work in a classroom at Burlington's new arts magnet school. We worked with the students during their literacy block devising a script from a childhood storybook. At the end of the semester we brought the students to the St. Mikes stage and they got to perform their piece! It was exceptionally cool because the project came from an idea that i had and I received nothing but support for the folks in the education department in terms of making idea into reality. It was an incredible learning experience in both designing and implementing curriculum and classroom management.
In terms of struggles in the classroom there have been many. Teaching is in no way easy, but the department is really good about making sure you get the support that you need throughout the process. I also really like how reflective the SMC Ed department has trained me to be in my teaching. I've come to a place where I am fully confident in my ability as a teacher and I know even on the "bad" days the struggles are always worth it. Teachers are lifelong learners constantly shaping their craft based on the information they gain from their practice. Once i gained that understanding my classroom experiences have been much more rewarding. -
I think you are heading in the right direction by checking out the student and faculty blogs! I've found that it's the people that make the difference at St. Mikes, so you want to get as much interaction with us as possible even though you are not currently in the states. Check us out what current SMCer's are saying on Twitter (http://bit.ly/bYXtPq) , Check out our videos on YouTube (http://bit.ly/cg0XdI) or find us on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/avA6W8). You can also chat with current students periodically throughout the semester. The dates are listed here: http://bit.ly/5GOHQy . My suggestion would be to keep interacting with us so that you can get a good picture of what an SMC student is like. Soon enough you'll realized how awesome it is to be a Purple Knight!!
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Thanks for the question. There are plenty of opportunities for Secondary Education majors in the M.O.V.E Office too! I will again recommend DREAM as I know the program well, mentored and helped run the program while at SMC and know we ALWAYS needed people that wanted to work with our teens! They need mentors just as much as the little guys, but often its harder for then to make initial connections because they put up that tough as armor teenage "cool--i don't need anybody" shell and some people (unfortunately) are willing to take the time. I assume that LittleBrother/LittleSister is the same way. When you go on a tour (or if you are already on campus) ask your tour guide to bring you into the Community Service Office (Thats M.O.V.E!) and talk with Heidi, Erin or any of the Core-Team Members!
In terms of double majoring -- every education major double majors. [Although technically Secondary Ed, isn't a major its a licensure]. So you'd have your major in whatever area you choose and then Ed. As far a fitting everything in goes, you just have to work hard at it and plan ahead -- that all there really is to it. You'll become good friends with the "Sticky Note Plan"! I can think of one triple major that has graduated over the last few years, but thats not as common. Departments prefer that you not only meet their requirements for the major, but that you also take electives in your majors so you have a deeper knowledge base within the field. Check in with Dan (another SMC Blogger) if you have more specific Secondary Ed questions as he is going through that program now! Hope that helps! -
I was! In my experience the Education Department has been incredible. The faculty is amazing, the classes were engaging and interesting and there were tons of field placements in schools around the area to get us the necessary skills and hands-on experience needed to be competitive in the job market upon graduation.
You really define your degree by the field placements that you pick. In my case I worked in the education department of a children's theatre while i was studying abroad in England, had the opportunity to visit and observe in many early childhood centers and schools around burlington (from traditional programs to Montessori, Waldorf and Reggio), teach literacy through theatre at local public school that has transformed itself into a arts magnet school, taught math to refugee children, instructed reading through a blog with 5th graders and spent time working in a wealthier 4th grade classroom. Its these placements that make the SMC Education experience unique and why I loved the program so much. You are able to define your own degree while feeling supported by the faculty.
The core classes really help you get a sense of what having your own classroom will be like and make you feel confident that you know what you are doing upon going into your students teaching semester. My favorite electives were Early Childhood (an INCREDIBLE class that helps you see a range of early childhood programs and study different methods of learning for young children) and Teaching Biology (a very hands-on class that teaches you how to make science engaging and fun). Take them both!
Tips for freshman: 1. Get some experience outside of the classroom with kids too! Join a M.O.V.E. Program that relates to children (DREAM was my pick!). The more experiences you have to pull from, the more relevant your classwork will seem. 2. Get to know the faculty and their specialties, and have conversations outside of class with them. They'll be the ones helping you find your placements so the more they know about you the better suited your placements will be! -
One of the best things about SMC is the on-going, seemingly limitless, blind support for yourself and whatever you want to do that you get from the minute you become a member of the St. Mikes community. No matter who you are or what you want to do you will find the support that you need to succeed. My personal and academic growth because of this from the time I walked in freshman year to graduation was incredible.
Its always very hard for me to pick something that i don't like about SMC. I used to say that the sidewalks were mess, but I guess after 3 years of me telling my tours this physical plant at the college decided to fix them to shut me up because when I walked on campus for class this year they had all been redone and are now perfectly smooth. :) The truth is there was never (and isn't) anything that bothers me so much that I would passionately proclaim that it is my least favorite part of my experience. It's all pretty good. Come for a visit, talk to some SMC students and you'll see for yourself there are a lot of reasons to like St. Mikes. -
I was first asked by the Admission Office to blog about my semester abroad experience in Bath, England back in the Fall of 2008. I was one of the very first "Current Student Bloggers" giving the "inside scoop" to prospective students. When I came back from England they asked me to continue sharing my story with the world via my blog and of course I was happy to do it! Glad you found my blog to be a help in your process!
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Glad I could be there for you! And thanks for the congrats! Founders Society is the club on campus that helps the Admission Office with recruitment. We are Tour Guides and Bloggers, we call prospective students to congratulate them on their acceptance and we chat with prospective students online and help answer questions. Basically if there is a new student event on campus, Founders Society is there to help out!
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Its totally fine to start your time as "Exploratory" (thats what we call "undecided" here) -- in fact lots of incoming students come in that way (Its the most popular major for first-years!).
All you have to do when you figure out what you want to major in is fill out one form. Very easy!
Don't worry you have until the end of your sophomore year to decide and you'll take plenty of classes in the LSR to figure out what you like/don't like before you have to decide. -
Ahhh Yes. There is a program for that. My fellow blogger Gabbi just answered a similar question so I've posted her answer below:
"This is correct. We have a program with Hp computers and techs on campus. I received my information in the New Student Manual. If it is not within the manual, check out this website: http://www.campushp.com/smcvt/
It can give you all the latest. Also know that you are not limited to HP computers. I have a MAC and my friends have Dells. Most computers as far as I know work and are all fair game."
She answered it well. I too have a Mac and get along fine. Bottom line: Get a computer that you are going to be comfortable being best friends with for the next 4 years!! -
Actually all of the first-year dorms are pretty similar. All the dorms in the quad (Lyons, Joyce & Ryan) have guys on one wing and girls on another. The only real difference between Lyons, Joyce & Ryan are the color of hallways. HaHa.
Any place you end up in will be awesome and it will automatically become "the best" once you get to campus in the fall!
I'd totally pick Joyce though -- although I might be a little partial since that was the dorm that I lived in my first- year at SMC! HaHa -
Hi! I won't lie. Book are expensive, but they are like that everywhere. In saying that I have had some semesters where the total price was pretty insane and others where the cost was totally manageable. Prices of textbooks also totally depends on your major. Bio books are far pricer than theatre books for example. I do know that our professors realize how expensive book can be and keep that in mind when they are picking books for classes. In addition i know that some people e-mail their professors before classes start and ask for ISBN numbers so they can order the books they need online.
I've always used the bookstores pre-order system. You give then the list of classes you have and they get the books you need. You pick them up the first day of classes.
I can't remember exactly, but i think the most expensive book I bought over my fours years was a bio book for a class that counted towards my science requirement. I think it was like $100. -
Soon. Tomorrow in fact. It's a crazy experience that I am still processing, but I will be sure to get a post up soon! Thanks for the interest!
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I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’ve got to make this decision on your own my friend! My ability and skill in persuasion (or anyone else’s) can’t be a factor in YOUR decision. I LOVE St. Mikes and wouldn’t trade my four years here for anything in the world. It was the biggest decision to date that I have had to make and as cheesy as it sounds because I followed my heart and came to the school where people were smiling at one another as they walked to class, held the door for me and talk over and over about how much of a community they felt they were apart of, I got it right.
Looking back I am so glad I stopped listening to others and thought about what I really wanted for myself. I didn’t know back then all the opportunities and support I would receive here. I had no idea that this place would feel so much like home and that I would gain another family. I have been both challenged and supported through every step of my journey here. My professors have become my colleagues and mentors. It’s all been amazing and I feel so very lucky everything has worked out.
BUT that’s my experience – I know many SMC’ers who would “second” my opinion because if you like St. Mikes, you LOVE St. Mikes! Shoot me some specific questions if you have them! -
I love service work, so I spend as much of my free time as possible servicing in both the surrounding area and in the SMC community. I spend a lot of time volunteering through the MOVE Office, but also work with the Founders Society working with prospective students and work with Student Government on campus. When I’m not serving I like to hang out with friends. We go down to Church Street to go shopping, see a show, grab food or go skiing. I am also busy with something!
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This is a GREAT question, that I’m rarely asked, but I think is really important and I know is on the minds of lots of prospective students. I personally think this school is worth every penny and I think most people on campus would agree with me. The amount of unique academic and social opportunities I have been able to take advantage here are incredible and have surpassed every expectation I ever had. The faculty, staff and administrators at SMC want to be here, and want us to work on projects that we are passionate about. The amount of support we receive is awesome, but at the same time we are put in leadership positions that allow us to grow immensely. If you love the coach and the team then you are already off to a good start. The personalization of each persons academic degree is so amazing and further engages students. We learn what we are interested in, participate in activities that interests us and I feel that 4 years later I am a much different person than I was when I came in. I couldn’t be more proud of what I have been able to accomplish and what I have been able to learn. I am indebted forever to St. Mikes.
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The Theatre Dept at SMC is awesome! There is so much variety here! We have a relatively small number of majors in the dept, which means that we get to work really closely with the faculty and have the chance to personalize our experience and our degree. For a relatively small department however we have A LOT going on. We have two main stage shows a year, a drama club show, each senior typically puts on a show for their senior project and there are many opportunities to act or work tech for things like one acts and directing scenes. We take classes in acting, directing, staging, history and stage-managing to learn about all aspects of theatre while focusing our individual project on our particular interest within the theatre. The faculty members are great and so supportive of what we are doing. They work very closely with us so that we can become the best that we can be. Really I can’t say enough good things about being a Theatre major at SMC! Hope that helps & Congrats on your acceptance!
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This a good question, that I’m not sure any of us here at SMC have an answer for! I assume you are talking about the famous Conor Fritz, one of the Assistant Directors in the Admission Office here on campus. This guys oozes cool. He covers Connecticut, part of New York and helps out with International student admission. He chivalrous, funny, good looking, dresses sharply and is just an all around good guy. You can get to know him a little better here: http://bit.ly/cIWRtp, but nothing replaces getting to meet him in person.
Only a few are lucky enough to work with him and I am privileged to be one of them. Some may claim his cool persona started when he was dubbed Tour Guide of the year in 2005, but I’m pretty sure he was just born with it…. -
SMC does not currently have a crew team and because we are a smaller school we do not have Lacrosse as a club sport – just the varsity teams. With that being said, if you want to you could start either as club sports. Any student is able to start a club on campus. All you have to do is get the group of people together that are interested in whatever it is and come before the Student Association, which will fund your adventure! You can create any type of club you’d like – it doesn’t have to be sports related. Just this year two first-year students created a Tap Dance club on campus!
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Dustin Hunter’s Bio
SMC senior giving prospective students my crazed, slightly OCD, sometimes witty, but always frank version of life at Saint Michaels College
