Freshman Files: First year in Scotland
January 22nd, 2018Winter break is a great time for college students to reflect on their first semester and their personal and academic growth while adapting to newfound freedom. I love to use this opportunity to check in with former students and learn about their experiences thus far. It is always great to hear how students navigate through this journey and understand the challenges that come along with this change.
Our first report this year on the transition to college is from Natasha, a first-year student at University of St Andrews, in Scotland. She is the most recent Shrop Ed student to enroll at St Andrews and I am so pleased she has agreed to let us share her open and honest description of the first few months abroad. What an exciting opportunity to gain perspective into her life as an international student.
I could write a book on this last semester–it’s been absolutely wonderful. Everything I hoped for and more. I’ve especially been enjoying the academics. I take International Relations, Arabic, and Philosophy, and I’m getting a joint degree in the first two. I got a job immediately and began working, which I highly recommend as it is the only way I know any locals in St Andrews. It’s also a really good way to meet older students.
I can’t think of anything that didn’t go smoothly! Moving internationally is a logistical nightmare, but it’s completely manageable if you do everything in the right order. My visa, flight, baggage, cell phone plan, bank account, and tax forms pretty much got figured out without a hitch. This is the only time in life when I’ll be able to, quite literally, just up and move to a country of my choice without worrying about visas or jobs. And I don’t think I could have picked a better one than Scotland. The people are so kind, the countryside is gorgeous, and the cost of living is nothing compared to London, especially if your income is in pounds instead of dollars.
My view of the world has changed a little, but it’s hard to say as I think I had a more international upbringing and mindset than most to begin with. But, for example, I know so much now about the atrocities the English committed in Scotland for hundreds of years, rather recently. Or, for example, how Churchill saved all the English soldiers at Dunkirk but left the Scottish 51st Highland Regiment to die on the beach. There’s a very interesting other side of the story, and the Scottish have definitely not forgotten it. It’s made me very curious about other sides of history in general.
Just about St Andrews in general: My lecturers have been absolutely amazing. St Andrews has the top IR and Philosophy departments in the country (read: ahead of Oxford and Cambridge, which we’re very proud of), and the School of Modern Languages is just behind at second in the rankings. So I’ve been lucky enough to benefit from all the funding they’re receiving, which has especially reduced class sizes. I have tutorials with eight students and a professor or graduate student. I chose to have graduate students as tutors for IR and Philosophy because I was more interested in their specialties than the specialties of the professors, and I chose a professor for Arabic because I wanted someone who knew how to teach well. The social scene is very fun–I’m in McIntosh Hall, which is the best hall in terms of community and events. I am the Hall Sports Rep, which means I coordinate intramural type activities and get people to come compete for us. Even though it’s a small town, there are always tons of events going on. In the fall there are loads of balls–Opening ball, Welly ball, Reeling ball, and Christmas ball are very popular–and the spring is fashion show season. If you get bored of St Andrews, it’s really cheap and easy to get to Dundee or Edinburgh by train or bus.
I honestly could not recommend St Andrews enough. I’ve had the type of first semester where I’m getting worried about the second, because it couldn’t possibly top the first.
We’re grateful to Natasha for allowing us to share her insights – especially impressive is her note about her new understanding of history, now viewing it through a new lens. Wishing you continued success and happiness, Natasha!
Tagged: College, Freshman files
Freshman Files: First year at an Ivy League university
January 23rd, 2017In our second installment of “Freshman Files” for 2017, Abigail L. reports in from the University of Pennsylvania, a renowned private research university located in a very lively section of Philadelphia. We were delighted to hear about Abigail’s academic, social, and even political experiences and appreciate her willingness to share so much with the Shrop Ed community.
“Penn has been fantastic so far. I couldn’t really ask for anything more. … Although the classes were pretty demanding, I was happy to find the work load easier than expected. I was left with more free time than I was used to and was able to join … Social Planning and Events Committee, and Penn Dance Marathon. SPEC develops marketing campaigns for student events on Penn’s campus and helps to plan the logistics and marketing for Spring Fling: a multi-day festival event occurring across several venues. Dance Marathon is a club that partners with Children’s Hospital of PA for a fund raising event to support childhood cancer research. These two clubs have kept me pretty busy. In addition to these clubs, I plan to rush this semester and am excited to see what opportunities arise from being a part of Greek life.
I would say that the most challenging thing was getting used to how college professors grade. I was used to my high school teachers not really expecting a lot from their students and not really grading us to our full potential. At Penn, however, the professors really hold you to a higher standard and expect a lot from you. I was a tad frustrated at first for I felt I was giving my all, but my professors helped me realize the mistakes I was making and helped me grow as a student and as a learner overall.
You could definitely say that my world view is changing thanks to Penn. For example, there were many events that occurred on campus after Trump was elected (protests, cancelled classes, the creation of “safe spaces,” etc.) and it opened my eyes to how people react in different ways to unexpected events. Although something I’m not used to, I’m very glad to be on a campus where I am exposed to these types of reactions.
I would have to say that my favorite class was my Spanish class. The main reason was because my professor was incredible. I have never had a professor who exuded so much passion. I could tell he loved teaching and watching us learn, and he was incredibly helpful whenever I had questions. … I also enjoyed the class because of its size. It was an intimate class with only 12 students! This allowed me to participate in class regularly and get to know my fellow classmates on a personal level.”
Best of luck, Abigail, as you continue your studies, your service and your social engagement. We are always delighted when students are so well matched!
Tagged: College, Freshman files, Ivy league
Freshman Files: First year at a public flagship university
January 9th, 2017We love this season, as last year’s high school graduates begin to share thoughts about their transition to college. We’re especially interested when students tell us about ups and downs, as we know that every student experiences both. Their reflections on what has been challenging and how they’re achieving success can be enormously helpful to students still contemplating college choices.
Although many Shrop Ed students strike out far from home for college studies, in some cases the best fit is right around the corner. Our first college report of 2017 comes from Maya J., a first-year student at the University of Kentucky, who comments on the initiative required to make social connections in such a large community and the importance of strong study skills and a serious work ethic:
“I had a pretty good first semester at UK … ultimately, I ended up enjoying it very much and am eager to go back to campus. I think so far the most challenging thing for me has been meeting new people. On such a large campus, it’s unlikely you’ll see the same people again unless you really make an effort to, so that has been one of my biggest issues. Fortunately, I do have many friends from (high school), so I have still been having a good time.
My first semester classes were not too bad, but I definitely know how to do better for next semester. It is very easy to procrastinate and study less for things than you should, so I now know what I need to do to get the grades that I am wanting. I’d say that for anyone who is enrolling in a university, it is important that they realize how self-motivated you have to be. I could see it being very difficult for people who were not motivated in high school. The professors really want you to do well, so they give you many opportunities to boost your grade through extra credit, and even some retake exams.”
We asked a follow-up question, curious to know Maya’s favorite class, and received this reply:
“My favorite class was the Islamic Civilizations class that I took for my humanities credit. It was so interesting learning about the history of Islam and all of the beliefs that Muslims have. It made me feel much more knowledgeable … I will definitely try taking a class on Judaism and Christianity.”
There’s no better time than the undergraduate years for such exploration. Given global events of our time, such studies are immensely helpful to students’ development as citizens. Thank you, Maya, for your willingness to share your analysis of both social and academic spheres. Your resolve to apply what you’ve learned on a very large university campus is inspiring and, for younger students still contemplating their college choice, well worth noting. We wish you great success in the years ahead!
Tagged: Freshman files
Freshman Files: First Year at a Service Academy
February 8th, 2016Another of our students has graciously agreed to share notes about the first-year experience, and this student’s experience is far from typical. Today’s blog contributor, Jack Rawlins, chose a nontraditional college path when he accepted an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point. It would be an understatement to say that the rigors of military training and education are different from life as he knew it previously, yet Jack is undaunted. You’ll note his emphasis on the tightly structured program, typical of life at the service academies.
The West Point experience is very different from what I had expected. Beast Barracks (our initial 6 week training over the summer) was both mentally and physically challenging, but it is the academic year that is most taxing. We wake up at 0500 or 0530 every day to perform “plebe duties,” which consist of taking out the trash, collecting laundry, and cleaning common areas. After 0630 breakfast, we have classes until 12, followed by lunch. From 1250 to 1340 we have a testing block, followed by classes until 1555. From 1615 to 1800 we have athletics. From 1800 to 1900 we can go to optional dinner or order pizza or something like that. From 1930 to taps (2130) there is a mandatory study period for underclassmen. On weekends we are free to do homework and relax. However, we are not allowed to leave post without submitting a pass request, and underclassmen only get three per semester.
Despite these time constraints, I have found my first semester to be extremely rewarding. West Point is exactly the atmosphere I need to succeed. I have learned so much in so little time and am looking forward to the next three and a half years. We pick our majors next week, and I am planning on economics, engineering management, or electrical engineering.
Ultimately, the best things that I’ve gotten out of my college experience are the bonds with fellow cadets. West Point students experience hardships and difficulties that just aren’t an issue at the majority of other colleges.
We’re inspired by Jack’s willingness to deploy his talents in the nation’s interest and look forward to his updates, knowing that he’ll continue to encounter great challenges and success. U.S. service academies present exceptional opportunities and require an exceptional degree of accomplishment and commitment. Thank you, Jack, for choosing a path that will benefit our nation and for allowing us to share a snapshot of your experiences with the Shrop Ed community.
Tagged: College, Freshman files
