POW!

Hey guys!

So here's the deal...I went on POW 3 and had an absolutely amazing time! Even though it'll be a while before the next POW rolls around, I couldn't wait any longer to tell you all about my POW experience! For those of you who don't know what POW is, don't worry, I didn't know at first either. POW = Pre-Orientation Weekend...aka the best weekend EVER! So now that you know what POW stands for, let's cover the basics...

Who goes to POW?
First year students! It is an optional program that works on a first-come first-served basis...so sign up ASAP!

What do you do at POW?
Play games, go on a nature walk, talk about college life, and meets tons of awesome new friends!

...Ok so now that you know the general overview, I'll give you a recap of my experience at POW.

Day 1
I drove to St. Mike's for summer registration day with Ed, who I met for the first time that morning. We lived only an hour apart so we decided to carpool! (New friend #1, check!) When we arrived on campus, everyone followed their schedules to sign up for classes, etc. I'll do a blog post all about registration day later in the year...so anyways, after all of that, we boarded the bus for Stowe! I sat across from Allie on the bus, who I met about 5 minutes earlier, and we talked with all of the people around us on the way there (I still can't believe how friendly everyone is at SMC, you feel at home instantly). When we got to The Round Hearth, we all brought our bags up to the rooms (I roomed with Allie, Layne, Meg, and TJ), and then went outside to play games! This was followed by dinner...and I was SO excited to see veggie burgers, vegan friendly food...yay! Anyways, later came a meeting in the "talk room" which would be used more in the next 2 days, and then we had the rest of the night to hang out and get to know one another. Epic first day?...YES!

Day 2
We woke up, not knowing what time is was...(POW is a "timeless" experience, so no watches, phones, ipods, or electronics of any kind are allowed)...and went downstairs for breakfast. Cinnamon raisin bagel with grape jelly for me! To be honest, the rest of the day was an (awesome) blur of meetings in the talk room, walking down the bike path to the creek to swim, and hanging out and playing games...so details are kind of difficult to recall. However, I can tell you that this day was crazy fun, and everything we did made us more excited and less nervous to start college at SMC. Our meetings in the talk room were super helpful...we discussed possible issues that we might encounter during our years at St. Mike's, while hearing personal stories from each of the POW leaders. Fast forward to after our Italian pasta and salad dinner and the Super Bass rap-off...it was time for a fire! Everyone roasted marshmallows around the fire... (I ate graham crackers)...and a few, including myself, stayed up until almost sunrise talking and having an awesome time.

 

Day 3

Our last day :( After breakfast we had a few talks in the talk room, brought our bags downstairs, and then went outside to do one last "activity" I guess you would call it...at the end we were all enthusiastically welcomed to SMC!

I couldn't believe POW was over already, but on a positive note, that just meant I was that much closer to move in day! After lunch, it was time to get on the bus and head back to SMC. Let's just say, the bus ride home was 10x louder than the bus ride there! (I said a boom chicka boom, etc). POW weekend finally came to a close, we said goodbye to everyone, and Ed and I headed back to the 518...

Is it time to go back yet?! :)

So, that was POW! It was one experience that I'll never forget and if that's any sign of what's to come at SMC, then I seriously can not wait! Well, I can't wait anyways, but you get the point!

Until next time...

-Juliana

POW-related links:

Pre-Orientation Information

The Round Hearth (Where you stay for POW!)

Counting Down the Days!

Hey guys! So, this is officially my first blog post...YAY! I can't believe move-in day is only 28 days away, it honestly feels like I was just applying to SMC yesterday. The days can't move fast enough though, I'm so excited to move all of my stuff into the dorm (Ryan Hall!), meet new friends, and be a college student! Since I haven't even moved in yet, maybe I should tell you a little about myself...

I'm Juliana (obviously), 17 years old and super pumped to start at St. Mike's! My birthday is September 14th, I have two dogs, Boston and Rome are two of my favorite places, and I love the summer! You might ask why a girl who loves the hustle bustle of big cities decided to come to SMC? Well, I'll tell you.

I made my decision to go to SMC when I visited on accepted students day. The campus was busy with current students, prospective students and parents, and confused little me. I wasn't sure if a school of just under 2,000 undergrad would even be a consideration (it seemed so small), but when I stepped foot on campus I almost instantly knew that this was my school. At any other college, I would get lost in the crowd...but no, not at St. Mike's. We were split into groups to go ask questions and listen to a panel of current students whose stories and advice made me anxious to get home and send in my deposit! The campus was beautiful, every person I met was friendly, and I felt like I was home...seriously, how could anyone not love St. Mike's? I was so happy in my decision that as soon as I got home, I changed my Facebook to say "Studying Journalism at Saint Michael's College," you know, where you can put your college information.

My friends and I after graduating! (I'm 2nd in from the right)

 So here I am! Only 28 days away from move in day, all hyped up on pure excitement. For now, its all excitement, but I know that when it gets closer, I'll be kind of sad to go just like everyone else. My family and friends have always been right here, so the idea of leaving is still a little strange.

On the other hand, I've been lucky enough to attend POW and meet some new friends before even getting to SMC for orientation! POW was seriously one of the best weekends of my life and I recommend it to everyone!!

That's all for now! Look for my next blog post about my POW experience :)

-Juliana