Hello everyone!
I hope that everyone's winters are going well. I know a lot of college apps were due at the beginning of the month (luckily, you still have time to do LC's! Get on that if you haven't yet!). Good luck with all of that!
I promised I'd update during break, so here I am. I've been home since December 19th, and have been really busy. There was a ton of holiday stuff happening at first: my family has a myriad of traditions, including baking cookies (and playing Beatle's Rockband), having a gift exchange, going sledding and eating peanut brittle on Boxing Day, and seeing movies with the whole family. All of my cousins on my mom's side are from the Minneapolis area, so I got to see a lot of them. My cousin also got married a few days ago, so my extra family stayed in town past the holidays for the wedding. I've also been seeing a lot of friends, and some of them have already gone back to school.
Highlights of my break include:
Other highlights would be sleeping a lot, reading, watching endless television, eating home-cooked meals, and having unlimited washing machine use.
That being said, I am really looking forward to going back to school. Understandably, college has been the topic of conversation with a lot of people at home. I've taken away some things from these conversations that I think you would all benefit from.
First, all of my friends are happy at their schools. Some are at small schools, some are at bigger schools, some stayed in Minnesota and others are on the east and west coasts. Some go to public schools, some are private, some go to schools that are "better" known than others. But, they are all happy. The point is two fold: you can find happiness almost anywhere you end up going, and there is a school out there that will suit what you want. I can't emphasize enough that, while it is important to find somewhere that you feel happy and comfortable, it's probable that you can make friends and find appropriate challenges in more than one of the schools you are looking at.
Second, I've come to appreciate some things specifically about LC:
-The location is wonderful. Some of my friends go to schools in much more rural areas. Sometimes they like the secludedness, but they've had some problems with transportation to the area, and they've also felt somewhat trapped on campus. One of my favorite things about our location is that it's really easy to go downtown (there's a free hourly shuttle), and there are always things happening, both on campus and in Portland.
-Our food is good! It's true, I, like many people, sometimes complain about the food. But over all, it's pretty good. There are a variety of options, and each station has a vegetarian option. And the provider, Bon Appetit, is very environmentally friendly, which is a plus.
-The professors are all readily available and wanting to help.
-The campus is small enough that you at least recognize most people. This is a more personal thing that I like about the college. Some people find campuses this size too small- that's something you want to find out about yourself before you commit to a small school. I like being able to recognize most people, because I feel like it adds to the sense of community. Other people like to be able to be lost in the crowd, which is hard to do at LC, because it's so small. It just depends on what kind of community you prefer.
-We choose our classes before break! Some of my friends have to "shop" for classes once they get back on campus, and are stressing out about what they are going to take. I get to act superior and emphasize how chill I feel, because I already registered for classes and know what my schedule is next semester.
There are a lot more things I really like about Lewis & Clark, but it would take a while to type them all out. Basically, I really like the school.
If you have any questions or just want to talk, my email address is rekidder@lclark.edu. Feel free to email me about anything! That's what I'm here for!
Rebecca
I hope that everyone's winters are going well. I know a lot of college apps were due at the beginning of the month (luckily, you still have time to do LC's! Get on that if you haven't yet!). Good luck with all of that!
I promised I'd update during break, so here I am. I've been home since December 19th, and have been really busy. There was a ton of holiday stuff happening at first: my family has a myriad of traditions, including baking cookies (and playing Beatle's Rockband), having a gift exchange, going sledding and eating peanut brittle on Boxing Day, and seeing movies with the whole family. All of my cousins on my mom's side are from the Minneapolis area, so I got to see a lot of them. My cousin also got married a few days ago, so my extra family stayed in town past the holidays for the wedding. I've also been seeing a lot of friends, and some of them have already gone back to school.
Highlights of my break include:
 |
| Family sledding! One of our many failed trains. |
 |
| A visit to the science museum in St. Paul. |
 |
| And the view of St. Paul |
 |
| A reunion with my cats |
 |
| And a reunion with Tess, from LC! |
 |
| And seeing other friends. We tried to go ice skating today, but it started raining (in January! In Minnesota! It was sad) |
That being said, I am really looking forward to going back to school. Understandably, college has been the topic of conversation with a lot of people at home. I've taken away some things from these conversations that I think you would all benefit from.
First, all of my friends are happy at their schools. Some are at small schools, some are at bigger schools, some stayed in Minnesota and others are on the east and west coasts. Some go to public schools, some are private, some go to schools that are "better" known than others. But, they are all happy. The point is two fold: you can find happiness almost anywhere you end up going, and there is a school out there that will suit what you want. I can't emphasize enough that, while it is important to find somewhere that you feel happy and comfortable, it's probable that you can make friends and find appropriate challenges in more than one of the schools you are looking at.
Second, I've come to appreciate some things specifically about LC:
-The location is wonderful. Some of my friends go to schools in much more rural areas. Sometimes they like the secludedness, but they've had some problems with transportation to the area, and they've also felt somewhat trapped on campus. One of my favorite things about our location is that it's really easy to go downtown (there's a free hourly shuttle), and there are always things happening, both on campus and in Portland.
-Our food is good! It's true, I, like many people, sometimes complain about the food. But over all, it's pretty good. There are a variety of options, and each station has a vegetarian option. And the provider, Bon Appetit, is very environmentally friendly, which is a plus.
-The professors are all readily available and wanting to help.
-The campus is small enough that you at least recognize most people. This is a more personal thing that I like about the college. Some people find campuses this size too small- that's something you want to find out about yourself before you commit to a small school. I like being able to recognize most people, because I feel like it adds to the sense of community. Other people like to be able to be lost in the crowd, which is hard to do at LC, because it's so small. It just depends on what kind of community you prefer.
-We choose our classes before break! Some of my friends have to "shop" for classes once they get back on campus, and are stressing out about what they are going to take. I get to act superior and emphasize how chill I feel, because I already registered for classes and know what my schedule is next semester.
There are a lot more things I really like about Lewis & Clark, but it would take a while to type them all out. Basically, I really like the school.
If you have any questions or just want to talk, my email address is rekidder@lclark.edu. Feel free to email me about anything! That's what I'm here for!
Rebecca