A SPOOK-tacular Halloween!

Our Halloween Costumes! (Fairy and Old Man)

Happy Halloween Lakers!




I must say, one of my favorite parts about college is celebrating holidays! As many of you probably know, today is Halloween!  Mercyhurst has loads of fun activities, celebrations, and traditions that really make this holiday come alive for students!  Let me tell you about them!

My Boyfriend, his brother, and me

Every year, the Student Activities Council (SAC) hosts two well-attended and non-stop fun events on Halloween weekend.  The first event is the Haunted Skate.  This is held in our very own ice rink.  Students come dressed in their best costume and enjoy a little ice skating, snacks, and fun music!  Students LOVE this event and it is an excellent way to celebrate Halloween!  I have to admit, I have never gone to it but I have heard nothing but GREAT things about this spooky event!

I even dressed my dog up for Halloween!

The next event is Haunted Hurst!  This is probably one of the most attended events of the entire school year!  Some of you may not know this, but Mercyhurst is rumored to have a haunted buildings and creepy areas.  Haunted Hurst is an event where the campus is actually tranformed into a haunted house and students can get haunted tours through the scariest places on campus...if you DARE!  Watch out for the ghosts, though...you never know where you might come across one!  After a tour, you can enjoy yummy treats and Halloween activities in the student union!  This event is actually award-winning and trust me, is SO MUCH FUN! (click here to read about its award!).

I was a fairy!

If you're interested in the spooky ghost stories of Mercyhurst College, check out the school's youtube page here!  There is a series of five videos entitled "Haunts from the Hill" that give you a sneak peek of some of the stories you learn about on your haunted tour of campus!  Don't be too scared, though =].

As for my own Halloween celebrations, I spent the weekend visiting my boyfriend at his school!  We got all dressed up on Saturday night and enjoyed some good spooky festivities!  Check out the pictures to see how I spent my Halloween!

Now, it is unfortunately time to buckle down and prepare for the end of the term!  Final paper writing time...=[.  So, until next time!

Open Houses!

This past weekend, I donned my lovely green Ambassador jacket and worked the first fall Open House of the year.  While I must admit that I don't enjoy having to get up early on a Saturday morning, the Opem Houses are really great ways for prospective students and their families to learn more about Mercyhurst.  If you happened to miss the first one, and would like to register for the next one (coming up in two weeks!) click on this link to get more information!

The Ambassadors who may give you your tour at open house!

Open Houses and other admissions events, (We also host Major Day and Junior Day in the spring), are a really good opportunity to visit Mercyhurst.  While the admissions office and ambassadors give tours 6 days a week and all through the summer, open houses give you a chance to attend a major fair, eat at Egan dining hall, and learn more about the admissions and financial processes that it takes to become a Mercyhurst student.  This last open house we had an awesome turnout: 100 families!  If you want to experience this day, make sure to go here to sign up!

My Mommy Visiting Me!

After the open house on Saturday, my week continued to be busy!  Saturday night, my mom and my boyfriend's mom came to visit me!  We stayed the night at a hotel in Erie and had a girl's night!  It was a lot of fun and an awesome chance to get off campus and spend some time with people that I love.  After my relaxing weekend, I jumped headfirst into a busy pre-Halloween week!  I have had two presentations, two papers, and lots of reading to jam in!  Plus, I have had meetings! 

Tomorrow night I have a Student Alumi Association meeting that I am actually excited for!  It is Halloween themed and everyone gets to dress up, have snacks, and enjoy the fall holiday.  Then, it will finally be Halloween weekend so I can dress up in my costume and have fun!  Hopefully the fall rain holds off for a little while longer!

Until next time!  And don't forget to check out admissions events and open houses here!

What's your major, major?

Hey all!

As I was looking through my blog posts recently, I realized that in the year or so that I have been blogging about life at Mercyhurst College, I have barely talked about my major, professors, and academic experience!

Mercyhurst has a lot of majors to choose from.  For a small school, we have a large variety or majors, minors, and concentrations.  Some of the most popular programs of study here include Intelligence Studies, forensic science, and business.  I am actually a social studies secondary education major.  In other words, when I am finally finished with my education, I will be a high school history teacher!  For any other those future Lakers out there that might be interested in either being history or education majors, read more to find out what each department/program is all about!

If you want to be a high school teacher after college, the program that Mercyhurst offers is the 4+1 program.  This program is designed so that students take 4 years of undergraduate college and receive a bachelor's in their content area (I will have one in social studies).  Then, students in the program will remain at Mercyhurst for just one extra year in order to get their master's degree in just one year!  This is an awesome program because students can get two degrees in just five years, which takes other students 6+ years to accomplish.  Plus, once I graduate, I will start at a slightly higher salary because I will already have my master's degree...and those new teachers that only have their bachelor's won't be able to say the same!

Because I am doing the 4+1 education program, most of the classes I take are in the social studies/history content area.  Because of this, I have only had two education classes so far, so I don't really know much about the department yet.  But, I CAN tell you a lot of really good things about the history department!  I do not have one bad thing to say about the professors in the department. I know them very well and it is so great to be about to say hi to them when I see them around campus.  They all know my name and I have gotten to know them in return.  Plus, the advantage of being in a small program means that I know exactly what to expect from professors in classes; plus some of my classes are as small at 9 students!  It is very personal and gives classes a chance to have discussions and interactions.  I love it!  Be sure to click on the links to learn more about the department and all the cool things that it has to offer.  Plus, if you love history but don't want to teach, you can learn all about the other concentrations in history you could do!

Now, I know all of you aren't interested in history or in education.  But, like I already mentioned, Mercyhurst has MANY majors to offer students.  We even have a couple brand new programs (public health and sustainability)!  Check out this link to see everything that this school has to offer!

Times, they are a'changin'

As long as I have known about Mercyhurst, it has had a trimester system.  Theis means that we have three 10 week terms during the year and lots of breaks in between.  Classes move at a faster pace, but you take on less work at a time and it makes classes (especially if you don't like them) go by REALLY quickly.  I personally love them and couldn't imagine a different schedule.

However, Mercyhurst is in a transition phase right now.  We are growing by the minute, building new buildings, planning for a very exciting future, and hopefully becoming Mercyhurst University by this time next year.  All of these things are SUPER exciting, but they do mean that there will need to be some changes to the Laker way of life so many of us have grown accustomed to.   Click here to read about Mercyhurst's future, or here to learn about "university" status!

Because university standards require more class time for all students throughout the year, the trimester seems will need to be modified, or dropped altogether.  They have several options; these include traditional semesters, a longer school year and longer classtimes, or the unique 4-1-4 system.  These are all laid on the table and there is a huge debate that is buzzing around the school about the future of the Mercyhurst schedule. 

When this does change, I probably won't really be affected since it will most likely take place a couple years from now.  But, for all you future Lakers out there, it will be something that you will have to keep in mind!  Personally, I think all the changes are exciting and will really make this already great school even better.  I know a lot of students that are outraged at the changes, but that's because we are all a little resistant to change at first!

Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about the options for the schedule change, check out the link to the Merciad (school newspaper) below!
http://merciad.mercyhurst.edu/content/college-considers-calendar-change

My Final Fall Break

The leaves are turning colors and dropping to the ground, the weather is getting chillier, and Mercyhurst students all just got back from their fall break!  It's just that time of year!

I must say, fall is one of my favorite times of year...especially when I am driving home for our lovely four day weekend and get to see all the beautiful leaves changing all colors of the autumn spectrum.  Plus, the long weekend gives all students a MUCH needed time to relax and recooperate after midterms and prepare for the marathon that is finishing up the term.

This year for fall break, I went home for a couple nights and then spent the rest of the weekend visiting my lovely boyfriend at his school.  It is so nice to be able to leave the crazy hustle and bustle that is Mercyhurst!  Of course, I did have to do a little homework over break...and probably should have done even more, but I didn't have to attend classes or meetings, or anything else for a few days.  An escape from it all was certainly needed regardless of how many exciting things were happening!

Last week I blogged about our Senior Class Gift presentations to Dr. Gamble, the Mercyhurst President.  They went SO well!  And, he and his fellow administrators chose an awesome gift that is really going to make a HUGELY positive impact on our school!  It is something that future and current Lakers will be able to enjoy!  I'm not sure if it is disclosable yet...but when I know whether or not our awesome gift can go public, my blog readers will be some of the first to know! 

Now that I am back to school, I am realizing that I have very little time left in my final fall term of undergrad!  Only a few more weeks to finish up all my papers, projects, and prepare for finals!  It's enough to make my head spin!  I know I will get it all done...I always do...but it doesn't make me any less scared or stressed!  Hopefully the upcoming Halloween festivities will keep me treading water!

Well, back to the grind!  Until next time =].

Senior Class Gift Committee Madness!

So, I have something really exciting that I am involved in this year!  Every year, Mercyhurst seniors get together and raise money for a senior class gift.  These gifts are usually something useful that would improve the school or benefit the student body in some way.  In the past, classes have raised money for a green roof on the ceramics lab, the mexican station in the Laker Inn, books funds, and the 24/7 study lounge on the first floor of the library.  With all the awesome precedents, the class of 2012 committee has really big shoes to fill!

My roommate and fellow blogger is the chair of the committee this year and we have really exciting ideas!  I can't tell you our ideas yet...it's a secret!  But, what I can tell you, is that if we raise enough money, we have the possibility to really add something great to the already awesome campus. 

Our class gift logo!

This group takes a lot of work, though.  We have to do fund raisers (LOTS!), choose and plan out gifts, and then propose them to Dr. Gamble (college president!) for him to choose between several options.  I chose to help with a proposal for one of our three options that we will be presenting!  Our committee is going to present TOMORROW!!!  I am nervous and excited all at the same time.  Giving a formal presentation in front of the president of the college is not something very many students get to do, so it really should be an awesome experience.  But let me tell you...it took a LOT of work.

In order to make our gift sound appealing and credible, we had to do some serious research.  We had to contact many people, find out quotes and specifics, and come up with reasons why our particular gift would benefit the schools and the students.  We also had to create a powerpoint presentation as well as a tangible paper proposal for the president to have in front of him to refer to and study in his deliberations for which gift to choose.  I'm am really hoping that all our hard work (which we had to balance with midterms, papers, and other homework...) will really pay off after tomorrow!

Here's to hoping it goes great and Dr. Gamble approves of one of our awesome gift ideas!  I will keep you posted on how it goes!

All that hard stuff...

Well, once again I find myself up to my nose with midterms and homework.  Of course, what is NEW with my life??

Luckily, I am finding a pretty good balance for doing work, studying, and my extracurriculars.  I sometimes wonder if I take on too much, but I know that through all the stress it will be worth it in the end when I have everything done and feel very accomplished.  So far, so good.

But, if you go to college and don't know how to balance your time, you will meet serious issues!  I am a firm believer in working ahead (I know, I know...I'm NUTS because I don't wait until the last minute to cram) but BELIEVE ME: it's worth it!

I am the kind of person that schedules my day very carefully.  If I have a lot to get done in one night (like tonight), I will go so far as to plan my day hour by hour just to be sure that I can fit it all in.  Plus, of course, I need a little time for myself or I would probably be clinically insane right now.

Here is the key to handling the workload of college: TIME MANAGEMENT.  You don't need to by a psycho like me and plan your life by the hour, but it is probably a good idea to invest in a good planner.  Know when things are due, when your tests are, when meetings are scheduled, etc.  If you write it all down in front of you, you can then plan on when to do your work so that it doesn't get backed up on you!  Pulling an all-nighter because you forgot about a ten page paper due the next day is not exactly the best way to excel in college!

This is a skill that comes with time and patience.  College is a way of life.  You have to find the good balance between schoolwork, extracurriculars, and going out and having fun with your friends.  If you can do this, I PROMISE you that you will have the BEST possible experience with college!

So, here's to handling our stress in healthy ways!  And now I return to my ridiculously planned even full of studying, ambassador events, and a meeting! =]

Homecoming!

This past weekend was Hurst Homecoming 2011!  It was also parent's and alumni weekend so this tiny campus was hoppin' with visitors from all over.  It unfortunately was a cold and rainy weekend, but that did not stop my friends and I from having a ton of fun!

Roomies on Friday night

On Friday night, two of my roommates parents came to visit and we all went to "Rodeo Bingo."  Student Activities Council hosts bingo this weekend every year and it is totally worth going because there are AWESOME prizes.  This year some of the grand prizes inculded and Keurig coffeemaker and a flip video camera!  I have gone to bingo all four years and have NEVER won because I have rotten luck, but there are so many chances that at least someone you know will probably win something.  After Bingo, some friends and I went out to the Cornerstone bar and grill, right near campus, and was surprised to see it overflowing with alumni and students ready to celebrate their love for the Hurst! 



We didn't stay long, though because the next morning we got up to work the First Annual Alumni 5K.  This was organized by the Student Alumni Association, of which I am a member, and so we had to be up and ready to work it at 7:30AM!  That was one EARLYYYY and COLD morning!  I worked registration but there were a lot of other students that worked as court marshalls all morning in the cold and rain!  I felt so bad for them.  Luckily, though, we had a great turnout and it went very smoothly!  Plus, we had fun doing it.

Friends with the King and Queen!

After a much needed nap, I bundled up in my Mercyhurst gear and layers and headed to the Alumni tailgate.  It's not open to all students but since I belong to the Student Alumni Association, I was able to attend it.  There was delicious food and I really enjoyed mingling with alums of our awesome school!

Me and her majesty the Queen =]

Then, my friends and I headed over to the stadium to catch the football game against our rival, Gannon University.  It was FREEZING and miserable, and of course I have been battling with a terrible cold, but we still had a good time.  The best part was, my roommate Lindsay won Homecoming Queen!!!! We were SO SO SO excited for her!  She completely deserved it and even got a really pretty tiara!  It was so exciting!

After the very cold game, we headed over the Hurst Fest.  It was inside the rec center because of the rain, but still fun.  There was a petting zoo, snacks, games, and a mechanical bull!  I had to work the bounce house during the afternoon and it was really great to see all the little kids and siblings having tons of fun on it.  It was a great last Hurst Fest as an undergraduate!

Obviously, Saturday was a busy busy day for me and my friends!  When the day was over I crashed into bed early and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and catching up on homework.  But, regardless of the cold temperatures and my little cold bug, it was a homecoming to remember!

Classes, Classes, Classes

So, when I was looking at colleges as a high school Junior and Senior, I was very focused on how the school looked, what kind of activities it had, and what the dorms were like.  One of the last things on my mind was what the classes might be like.  In this blog, I will tell you what it is like to sit in a Mercyhurst classroom and learn from some of the best professors out there.

Because I came from a fairly small high school, I knew that choosing a school with small classes sizes was something that I really needed to consider.  Mercyhurst's class sizes are awesome.  The student to faculty ratio is 14:1 and I can honestly say I have never had a class larger than 35 students.  In fact, I am even taking a class right now with just NINE people in it!  You will not find any huge lectures halls with 500 students learning from a teeny tiny chalkboard at the very front of the room.  At Mercyhurst, your professors know your names, know your major, and know how you learn.  In turn, it is always easy to get to know your professors and create relationships with them that can really benefit you, particularly if you really need a recommendation letter for graduate school applications or jobs! 

Of all the amazing things that this school has to offer, I cannot emphasize enough that my academic experience here is my absolute FAVORITE thing and it is what makes me continue to enjoy my time at Mercyhurst.  (Which is good since I am here for and education, after all...). 

We do have a liberal arts core, which is something that not all colleges offer or require.  This means that besides the basic classses that all college students in the country take (writing, math, natural science, etc.) we also take classes such as religion, world perspectives, and art.  Through my classes here, I am exposed to so much more about the world and feel as if I am developing into a more well rounded adult.  Hopefully, when I finally graduate and become a teacher in a high school somewhere, it will reflect in my teaching and in my life since I will know about more things than what is simply in my major.

Classes and professors at Mercyhurst truly are top notch and lend to the amazing experience that you get when you choose our school.  Hopefully, if you are looking for the same kinds of things I was when looking at colleges, you will see that Mercyhurst has got it all!

Silly Games, Fall Ball, and Good Friends

Hello Readers!

Some friends on Friday!

This past weekend I had a really great time living the dream here at Mercyhurst!  My boyfriend, Ben, came to stay at school with me which always definately enhances the weekends.  On Friday night, I got together with some good friends and we had a game night.  We played this game called Quelf, which is one that you should all try sometime!  There are different cards that contain charades, random things you need to do and not laugh while you do it, and demands like spend the rest of the game under the table.  We had a lot of laughs and its a good one to play if your around new friends that you might just be getting to know, it definately forces you to get comfortable fast!  We played a few other games, devoured popcorn and chips, and spent the night just enjoying each other's company.  It is something that every college student needs every once in a while!

On Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to the mall.  We, like always, played with a puppy at the pet store, fell in love with it, and was forced to give it back.  You would think I would learn, but yet I continue to play with those little guys!  What can I say, I am a sucker for puppy therapy =].  One downside, though, for all you younger Lakers out there...they recently changed the rules to having to be 21 in order to play with a puppy.  It doesn't affect me much, but I know I would have been sad not having puppy therapy when I was younger!

Yes, we're nerds!

Roomies all dressed up!

Saturday night was the annual Fall Ball here on campus.  The theme this year was "red carpet" and it was under a big tent right by the student union.  This was my first (and will be my last!) year going to the ball and I must say I always love a good excuse to get all dressed up!  I wore a cute little friends, had dinner with some friends, and did a little dancing under the tent!  Fall Ball is certainly a good experience and everyone should go at least once!

Dancin' the night away

After my super fun weekend, the rest of the week has just been spent going to class, doing endless homework, attending a million meetings, and being a busy little bee.  College life really doesn't provide very much free time, but when opportunities like this weekend come up, SEIZE them!  Especially once you're a senior and have very little time left here!  Today I got my first mailing about graduation in May!  Craziness!  But, for now, it's back to the grind...until next time!

Making the Most out of Mercyhurst

In your frantic search for the right college for you, keep in mind that Mercyhurst, and any college for that matter, is all about what YOU make of it.  But, of course, Mercyhurst has a ton of really awesome things to offer for every student!  In fact, this year we were named in the TOP 50 colleges in the U.S. News and World Report!  This is HUGE for our school, especially since we jumped up a whomping 36 spots from last year on the list!  So, if you have any doubt in your mind about the excellence of our little school, just check out the article!

Besides that very exciting news, I have been busy busy with start of the year excitement.  As you know, this is my senior year and so we are trying out best to take pictures of EVERYTHING that we do!  This means that on the first day of school, we took a ton of fun roommate pictures!  You can check our silly selves out!

Workin' the club fair!

Obviously I really enjoy spending time with all of my friends and roommates here at Mercyhurst.  But, I wouldn't have even met them  if it weren't for all of the clubs and organizations that I am involved in.  I belonged to the Leadership Certification program, cheerleading, I am an ambassador (along with all of my roommates), and I belong to the student alumni association, just to name a few.  Most of the people I hang out with were met through these groups and if it weren't for being so involved, I would probably be a total, friendless loser!  When you get to school, the best way to learn about the innumerous clubs that you can join is to attend the Experiential Learning Fair.  This is basically just the club fair and there are tons of involved students with tables, information, and often free candy in order to let students get the chance to see all the happenin's at the Hurst!  And, since we don't have greek life, clubs are the best way to meet new people and make lasting friendships.  So, if you choose Mercyhurst, DEFINATELY check out everything it has to offer so you can get the full experience!

That's all for today, but stay tuned to see what all I did this weekend!!  It was awesome!

And so begins my senior year...

Hey all you future and current Lakers out there! 

My Evie!

I know it has been a LONG LONG LONG time since my last post, but I'm BACK for a new year at the 'Hurst!  Can you believe this is my SENIOR year?!  Yeah, me either...not entirely sure where the time went.  But, I plan on making the best of it and continuing to show all you readers how great this school is.

Our Little Fam

Let me start by telling you all about what had happened in my life since the end of last year!  In the late spring, my boyfriend and I adopted a dog from a shelter and she is the light of my life!  Her name is Evie and she is a jack russell terrier.  She is a little booger, but also the sweetest dog in the world!  Unfortunately, because I live on campus, she could not live with me so she lives with my boyfriend at his off campus house in his school in Ohio.  I miss her (and my boyfriend!) greatly now that I am back at MC but looking forward to frequent visits!

This summer I went back home and worked at a Cleveland homemade ice cream shop called Mitchell's.  It was a ton of fun and I met a lot of great people that worked with me...and of course enjoyed my fair share of ice cream (which I must now work off at the gym :P).  I actually got spoiled by how good that ice cream was because the other day at Egan I got some and it tasted terrible comparatively!  Don't get my wrong, Mercyhurst gets great ice cream...like I said, I am just spoiled!

After seeing Britney Spears

Elephants at the Zoo!

I went to Myrtle Beach, the Cleveland Zoo, Put-In-Bay, and even the Britney Spears concert this summer!  Some of my roommates visited Cleveland and we all attended the concert; I was in HEAVEN and a little girl again!  Even though I was working like crazy all summer, I still made sure to make the best of it!

At Myrtle Beach!

Summer has now dwindled down, however, and the first day of classes of an all new year is tomorrow.  I am not looking forward to homework again, but am definately feeling optimistic that this will be a great year!  I just finished my 3rd and final Welcome Week as a Laker Leader and had a ton of fun doing it!  It was probably the best year to date and I hope the new freshmen had some fun during their first weekend at college!  This weekend was casino night, a blacklight bash (SO MUCH FUN!), and of course the ever popular Hypnotic Intoxication.  One of the most attended events by students for the entire year, peers are actually hypnotized on stage and do some of the funniest things in the entire world!  This year, a friend of mine thought he was Tarzan and went into the audience to try and find Jane...needless to say it was a night FILLED with laughter!

Flashmobbing!

The highlight of the weekend, though, was when the Laker Leaders did a flashmob on the morning of the service project!  We were on the news and on YouTube!  Check out the video link below!

 http://youtu.be/O7TAkiKhUQ0

Laker Leader-ing with friends!

Well, here's to the beginning of the end of my undergraduate college career!  Don't forget to check out my blog often to see what craziness will happen next!

Springfest Festivities!

Us at the concert

This past weekend was one of the most fun weekends at Mercyhurst during the entire year!  This year I spent it with awesome friends and my boyfriend!  Read on to hear about all the AWESOME things we did!

Blurry phone pic with Frankie!

On Friday night was the long anticipated Springfest concert!  This year the headliner was Plain White T's, and there were FOUR opening bands (Parachute, You Hang Up, Andy Grammar, and The Romantic Era)!  I was able to get a guest ticket for my boyfriend, too!  The concert is always free and any student can go.  The first band started at 7 and was really great.  They definitely got the crowd pumped and ready!  After The Romantic Era and Andy Grammar played, You Hang Up took the stage...and FRANKIE MUNEZ WAS THE DRUMMER!  That's right, Malcom in the Middle was at our school right in front of us!  And after his band played I got the chance to meet him!  I even got a picture with him and his autograph!  I had never met ANYONE famous before!  I was excited like a little kid on Christmas!

Frankie Munez's autograph

The rest of the concert was really great.  I really enjoyed the Plain White T's, especially when they played "Hey There Delilah!"  The Springfest concert this year was certainly one to remember!  Of course, the only problem is that it gets REALLY REALLLYYYY hot in the gym because there are SOOOOO many people going crazy and crammed in there!  It's still such a fun experience, though!



Tattooooos!



Saturday was the actual Springfest carnival.  There was a threat of rain so it was inside instead of outside this year, but still a lot of fun!  It was a luau theme this year and they had fun inflatables, snacks, and activities.  My friends and I enjoyed the snacks and even got airbrush tattoos!  My boyfriend and I also went in the photobooth and raced through the awesome inflatable obstacle course.  I got stuck and had to come out the side!  It was really fun and reallyyyy funny, even though I scraped my arm a little!

We wrapped up Saturday with a trip to the mall to play with puppies and a fun low key movie/pizza night.  On Sunday, my boyfriend and I woke up early and drove back home to Cleveland to spend Mother's Day with our mommies.  They were both very surprised and excited to have us there with them!  Plus, it was nice to get away for the night!

Jumpin' into the obstacle course

Today starts the LAST WEEK of my junior year of college!  This week is a busy one for most people, full of papers, final preparation, and projects.  I am definitely ready to finish up this year and start an awesome summer!  As long as I survive finals! 

Enjoy the sunshine!

Five Tips to Choosing Your College!

A lot of the people doing the college search right now are high school juniors.  Being a junior is awesome, especially when you know you are about to be a senior and done with high school forever!  But, it also means that you have the very hard task of choosing the place you will further your education and live for the next 4+ years!  Here are some things to keep in mind while you do it:

1) Don't be afraid to stay close to home!
              I know that a lot of you out there are REALLY just itching to get as far away from home as possible when you're done with high school.  But, keep in mind that there are probably a TON of really great schools close to home that you should NOT discount!  Living at school IS being away from home, regardless of the actual distance from you doorstep!  Plus, as much as you may think you will be independent and ok not going home often, it is REALLY nice knowing that the trip home can be quick and affordable!  I am only 2 hours from home when I am at Mercyhurst, which is great!  I am close enough to get home is I need/want to but still not at home.  But still, sometimes I really wish I were closer.  I really like going home and it's not always too easy to make the trip often.  So, REMEMBER, look at schools close to home, too!

2) Look for a school with a great academic program, but also somewhere you WANT to live!
             A lot of students search for colleges on the only basis of having the program that you want to study.  Then again, others look at schools that seem the most fun or friendly without really considering academics.  When you do your search, find a good medium between the two.  You are going to school to get an education, primarily, but you WILL also be living there for a good chunk of time.  Stay open minded and smart about your choice!

3) Try not to follow your friends, carve your own path!
            I know that it is very easy to look at the same schools as your high school friends simply because it is easy and you know you will have fun and friends there when you move away from home.  But take it from me that following a friend to a school just because that friend wants you to go to college with them does not always work out!  I came to Mercyhurst not only because I loved the school, but because I would be with my best friend from high school.  Now that we are no longer friends, I almost wish I could have broadened my horizens when I conducted my college search as a junior is high school.  I have NO regrets, of course, but you all need to choose where YOU want...no one else matters!

4) Keep price in mind!
             A lot of college's out there are pretttyyyyyy pricey, and it is not so easy to pay for school!  Just remember that private colleges WILL cost more than public universities, but that doesn't mean it is impossible to attend a private school.  Mercyhurst, for example, offers substantial scholarships to deserving high school seniors to be a student here!  Many other schools do, too!

5) DO. YOUR. RESEARCH!
            Bottomline-- know your stuff!  Explore the school's website, call, ask questions, take a tour, and read things like this very student blog!  All of these things will help you become more sure about this huge decision in your life!  The information is all out there, its just up to you to find it!


I wish all you college-searchers that best of luck!   But, enjoy your time in high school while you still have it!  It goes fast and life will never be as simple as it is now ever again =]!

An Amazing Weekend Away!

I have some advice that doesn't so much have to do with being a student at Mercyhurst, but being a college student in general.  My advice for you after this weekend is that if you have a chance to go to a formal for some type of organization, take it!  My boyfriend is in a fraternity at his school and his formal was in Cincinnati right on the Ohio River...and it was SO much fun!



My guy and I at his formals!



Of course, Mercyhurst doesn't have greek life so you can't really get that here but there is a military ball in the spring for the ROTC members!  Plus, the school has a Fall Ball and Spring Charity Ball.  It is really fun to dress up and have a night out!  Mine was especially fun because it was somewhere new and fun that I hadn't really experienced before.  It was surely a weekend to remember!

Right now, campus is looking forward to the Easter weekend.  A definite benefit of being a Catholic school is that we always get a 4-day weekend for Easter off, while a lot of other school don't.  It will be nice to go home and celebrate the holiday, and hope that the rain will hold out for a while so we can have an outdoor Easter Egg Hunt!

Tomorrow is the Leadership Certification Program's end of year induction ceremony!  I will officially be handing over my presidency to the newly elected president for next year!  I can't believe how fast it went!  I also love this event because it is always catered with REALLYYYYY yummy mini deserts and finger foods...can never go wrong with those! 

Well, time to sit down and start pounding out a final paper for one of my history courses!  Ready, set, focus!

Short, Sweet, and to the Point...

It is finally getting warm out!  Needless to say, moods have lifted and life is just good!  That's pretty much enough said about life at Mercyhurst right now!

Hoping it lasts!  Now back to studying for midterms...

The End is in Sight!

It is obvious around campus that we are quickly approaching the end of the year.  Seniors are bustling around and getting nervous for their last 5 or 6 weeks of classes before graduation, clubs and student government are holding elections and being taken over by new officers, and the work load of a fast moving term is sitting on most students' shoulders!  It seems the ONLY thing that isn't ending is the cold weather!  STILLL holding out for that one!

This point in the term is a fun, yet stressful time for me.  I am really looking forward to summer time but the end seems to be coming so fast I am starting to get stressed about finishing all my work in time.  Of course, I always do get my work done but the thought of it is still scary!  I have pretty much dedicated most of my free time for the next few weeks for school work, researching, and studying for exams (with a few exceptions on the weekends, of course!)

Luckily, there are some fun distractions to look forward to that will keep my head above water at Mercyhurst.  Tomorrow during the day is the "Breastival/Testival".  It is a little carnival event that is taking place in order to raise awareness of breast and testicular cancer.  I will probably stop in because there are supposed to be games and awesome prizes!  The leadership certification program exec board and I are also working on planning an Easter Egg Hunt for the club to participate in, which is definately going to be a fun event.  Plus, this weekend there is a comedian on Friday night and the Spring Charity Ball on Saturday!  It should be an awesome weekend!

So, here's to keeping focused and still having fun as the end of the year sneaks up on all of us as Mercyhurst!

Sickness, Birthdays, and MORE snow!

Cute puppy at the mall!

SO I haven't blogged in a little while because I came down with the WORST cold that turned into a sinus AND and ear infection!  As if being in college and having work and classes to attend isn't stressful enough, add being miserably sick on top of that!  Luckily though, the health center is GREAT and got me in the same day I called!  The doctor on staff prescribed me for an antibiotic and I am FINALLY feeling better after nearly a week and a half in bed!

This weekend, even though I wasn't feeling well, we still had the Laker Live-In!  Always a VERY fun event and hopefully some of your were there and saw how awesome Mercyhurst is!  Saturday was also fun because I played with puppies at the mall, attended a GREAT talent show for Mercyhurst students, andddddd a dancer from America's Got Talent performed for us that night!  It was a busy and chaotic day but totally worth it in the end!

Posing at the casino!

This past Monday was my roommate Liz's 21st birthday and we had a LOT of fun!  I went to the Presque Isle Downs and Casino for the first time, and I definately suggest it once you are 21!  When you sign up as a new member, you get $10 FREEEEEEE to play with at the casino and it goes a LONG way if you play your cards right (or slots haha).  I ended up winning about $5 which isn't a ton, but it was basically free money! 

Us with the Birthday Girl!

After a busy, busy weekend and a very fun birthday celebration, I am finally catching up on all the sleep I lost while sick last week!  I am looking forward to this weekend as being a relaxing weekend at home with my family and friends....and hopefully the snow that is STILLLLLLLL hitting lovely Erie clears up REALLYYYY soon!

A little bit of GREEN fun!

A few friends!

Probably one of the most fun days to be a Mercyhurst student is on St. Patrick's day.  The cafeteria has special Irish meals and it is highly unlikely that you will see anyone on campus that is not wearing any green!  Since Mercyhurst was founded by the Sisters of Mercy (who came from Ireland), we are a very Irish school!  Everyone, even those who have no Irish blood whatsoever in their veins is a little Irish that day!

Dinner at Friday's!

This year on St. Patrick's Day, after going to class of course, my other roommate that is already 21 and I went to get a drink and then we walked around campus.  We saw a LOT of people who we know a love outside enjoying the nice spring day (FINALLYYYY) and having fun in their green clothes!  That night, we went out to eat at Friday's.  It is sometimes really really nice to escape campus for a little while and enjoy some good food with friends!  But of course, many restaurants in Erie get SUPER busy at dinner time so my word of advice is take advantage of call ahead seating!!!!

Enjoying St. Patty's Day

After a very fun day on Thursday, I went to visit my lovely boyfriend at his school for the weekend.  Now I am back on the lovely Mercyhurst campus and ready for a new week to begin!  This coming weekend is the Laker Live-In and Major Day, so we will have lotssssss of prospective students on campus!  And hopefully you all fall in love with it here like I have!  I am really hoping the weather stays nice for this weekend (and the rest of the year), especially now that it is OFFICIALLY spring!

I thought the groundhog DIDN'T see his shadow!

Some of us silly Ambassadors at Spring Tea

Well, it is supposed to be spring time...but I am wondering if Mother Nature has gotten confused!  We had a big snowstorm on Thursday night!  We went to bed with a rainy (but warmer) day and when we woke up, it was a winter wonderland!  Needless to say, I was NOT very happy to see that!  All the snow had JUST finished melting!  Hopefully it was our last big snowstorm, though.  If it wasn't I might have to boycott Erie for a while until it gets it's weather on the right track!

Our pretty tulips!

Besides dealin' with the un-spring spring weather, today was the Ambassador Spring Tea!  It is the time that the new ambassador officially join the club and we send off the seniors that will be graduating in a couple monthes.  It is a really fun and nice ceremony in the Christ the King Chapel here on campus.  I think the BEST part about it is the reception afterward, though!  There is always YUMMY finger foods and chocolate covered strawberries!  They are so delicious and I am pretty sure I ate enough for an army!  Functions like this one are always catered by the school's dining service and it is always SOO good!  (So FYI...attend formal school functions to take advantage of the extra yummy food!).  AND there were really pretty tulips on the tables and we took some for our apartment!  YAY spring!

Now that I am a week into spring term, I am really realizing how much I like this term.  I have so much to look forward to, great classes, and VERY little homework (the BESTTTT PARTTT).  Hopefully it stays that way!