Finals: As Told by Buddy the Elf

Its the home stretch folks, in other words the last two weeks of fall semester.

Yes it's true, it's December 1st...

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And you know what that means...final exams. Yes final exams are everyone's favorite part of the year. As we all know but finals week comes with a window of time and a whole lot of work. The final stretch of the semester is exactly as it sounds, the last leg of homework and studying before break. Whoever said the last two weeks of a college semester are always easy, definitely did not experience the end of the semester themselves. Finals week comes with a lot of work but there is a long holiday month break to follow!

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To best explain how finals week works and how to work through them, here is Buddy the Elf to tell you how it goes:

You are going to most likely give up cooking, eat easy-to-make meals and crave eating chocolate. 

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Even though you might think an all-nighter or studying last minute for that cumulative exam is a good idea, think what is going to help you understand the material and help you feel prepared. Stay positive and prepare ahead of time for exams, even if it is studying for a little bit each day. 

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If you feel frustrated or unsure of the material don't hesitate to email your professor or ask for extra help. Nothing bad can come from asking for help, those resources are there for you to help you!

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And after exams are done you get a whole month to take a break, regroup and come back in January! Oh and don't forget the best holiday of the year too of course.....

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Lastly, make sure to set time aside each day to give yourself a break from the work. Whether that may be going to the gym for an hour, watching Netflix or hanging with friends, give yourself a break to step away from work and then come back to it! Even watching a Christmas movie isn't too bad of an idea. Prepare, study and work hard because Christmas break will be right around the corner!

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Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

SMC Campus Life

One of the best parts of Saint Mike's is that there is no shortage of activities and events going on around campus. On campus housing is offered all four years here so there's always something going on with everyone around campus. Another thing too is that if you're wanting to start a club or organize an event, it's super easy to get the Saint Mike's community involved. For example, this past weekend a couple friends and I ran a 5K on campus that was raising funds for refugees by donating to the organization Africa ELI. The program works and does fundraising to educate women and girls within South Sudan along with empowering them, as most are survivors and refugees from the Civil War there.

One of the senior's Caitie Shea, who recently just finished her first marathon, mapped out and organized the race. It had a good turn out and the course was flat so it was a nice run! One of my friends had set herself a goal for finishing her first 5K and met her goal on Saturday! Caitie even got donations from local bagel markets too to help provide food for all the runners. What Caitie did is a good example of creating and running your own event on campus which both had a good turn out and made it a good work out goal!

Other awesome aspects of the fabulous Saint Mike's campus is the crazy amount of resources there are for students and members of the community. Professors alone I have gone to for advice on different assignments and just sat down in their office with them to get their opinions. On top of the academic resources on campus one center in particular I have been utilizing being a senior and that is Career Development. Had I realized how awesome the Career Development office was my freshman year, the process getting internships would have gone a lot smoother. Both internships that I've had in the wedding industry have both been awesome but it took a lot of time to find them! Career Development at Saint Mike's is great with a ton of resources available to students and alumni. You can go make an appointment to figure out your major, applying for internships, career opportunities or just picking apart your resume. For the Career Development page, click HERE. 

I made an appointment earlier this semester to proofread my resume with Aislinn Doyle and it was some of the best life advice as we went through my resume and talked about looking into job hunting for after graduation. For anyone on campus this weekend there is also the Career Symposium. Offered each semester the school provides the opportunity for professionals and alumni to come in and talk to students about looking for careers or planning for after graduation. Gotta start somewhere! There is so much that Saint Mike's has to offer its hard to pass up the resources it has and its awesome to go out and support friends who are putting different programs or events for everyone to get involved in! 

If your wondering what's happening around campus check out the your mySMC page or the Saint Mike's website!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

Worth a Read: The Odyssey

How many articles a day do you see posted when you are scrolling down your news feed? The response is most likely going to be "a good amount". Well the basic reason for that is people love to post and share what they believe in or what they relate to. Whether its a political article about the upcoming election or 10 reasons to travel in your 20's, there's anything and everything that can be posted to the Internet. News outlets, Buzzfeed and everything in between can be found taking up real estate on Facebook users news feeds.

One particular forum that I have gotten hooked on recently is The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a platform essentially that allows millennials to submit and talk about their views and experiences. The interesting part about it is that it contains topics all across the board. And I mean everything from politics to friends to family to news to celebrities and anything else that could pop in your head. Its unique and it its own right as a huge outlet for millennials and generation z to write in. I love the idea of it because it is a great way to hear from so many different perspectives and so many people with different things to say. A majority of articles I have seen recently have all come from the site. Every read you find, which is my favorite part of Odyssey, is that you hear a lot of level - headed perspectives. Anyone can go online, write their one sided opinion and publish something. A lot of the content of Odyssey is absolutely relatable to the reader, and offers a ton of insight into different topics that are incredibly relevant to readers.

If you have a free moment, don't want to study for your 8 am exam, or are just overdue for an wicked good read, this is where you should go. I'm not a write for Odyssey but after reading a lot of the content and reading a bunch of the articles within it, it would be pretty sweet to become one.

So you catch my drift here are a couple articles I found that quote on quote "hit the nail on the head" for what they are talking about. These are a handful of many I have found and they are worth a read! And yes the 14 Signs You Are A Senior In College scares me how applicable it is, currently still in denial but it's totally fine.

The Survival Guide to Bullying - Aija Mayrock

How Study Abroad Changed My Life

The Malala Fund

14 Signs You Are A Senior In College

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

Falling for Vermont

Needless to say in Vermont the winter is awesome for winter sports and being near the mountains, but you can never really get sick of Vermont in the fall. There is so much to do that, besides the ever popular and gorgeous foliage, it has to offer that makes the fall hands down my favorite part of the year (besides ski season of course). Okay I do sort of in a way have an obsession with pumpkin iced coffee...and yes I know I am quote on quote "basic" for it ,but it is one of the best things about fall! The pumpkin and apple flavors being offered everywhere, hiking, pumpkin picking and naturally apple picking season ! You can't not have fun apple picking, there is just really no way. If you can't, not sure your human.

I got to go to Shelburne Orchards twice this semester which is a good trip to take during the fall! Just a twenty minute drive from campus you cross over to the town of Shelburne, which is adorable in and of itself. It has crafted scarecrows all over and still has its old small town feel. I went to cover the Bee Here Now festival at the Orchard a few weeks ago as a live coverage assignment for my Multi-Media Reporting class. The people there were incredibly passionate about their work with bees and how much of a problem it is that their importance in the ecosystem is not more of a prominent issue than it should be. They had people from UVM professors to beekeepers to quilters all there at the festival. We took our roommate Kelsie who had never been to Shelburne Orchards before, so naturally we had to go on a tractor ride!

The second time I got to go to the orchard is when I took my boyfriend Tyler two weeks ago when he came to visit for the weekend. He also hadn't gone apple picking since he was little so we did the naturally cheesy fall couple date to the apple orchard where yes, I know what you are thinking but we did get the classic apple picking couple pictures. When its fall and you take your boyfriend apple picking, how could you not? We picked a bunch so we could both cook up some apple pie and he could take some home with him!

One of the goals I had set for the semester also was that I would try to hike as much as possible. There's so much to see in Vermont that on top of skiing there's so much to see. This past weekend my friend Keri and I took a quick morning hike up to Mount Philo which takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get to the top. A very family - oriented hike I heard it was a shorter hike with a wicked pretty view, and it did not fail to meet that that's for sure. Fall in Vermont I don't think will ever get old to me and but never has every time I came to Vermont growing up and even now. Its just a gorgeous state with gorgeous views to boot and you have to take it all in while you can!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

SMC Open House!

With semester in full swing it is already almost that time yes for college applications. When I hear that my reactions comes down to either, "Aw they are such babies!" or the classic, "Oh my I am so old I'm not about this". It's true though! Being a senior in colleges is so different when you compare that to being a senior in high school. If you are applying to Saint Mike's I can imagine you have tons of questions and are wondering about so much that isn't just in the handed out (but super informative & creative by the way) handbook. Granted I can type and type on here about all the things I love about Saint Mike's but what would be even better and what would be my recommendation is that you come to a Saint Mike's Open House. There are tons of opportunities to take tours and visit the school but an open house is a wicked awesome day to come up to Vermont and visit! Here is the low down essentially:

Tour and More: In an Open House day at Saint Mike's you get a tour when you come, getting to see the academic buildings, residence halls and seeing the layout of the campus. The really interactive map on the school's website is awesome but trust me it doesn't do it justice as to how pretty the campus is There are both student and parent panels are available for the floor to really open up to questions you have on student life, classes, clubs etc.

Meeting People: With the campus being busy there is a great chance to talk with lots of people and get to know them! Its a great way to make connections and meet people who you might end up having classes with or are in clubs you are interested in!

One on One: I know people who were able to get in touch with certain majors and departments they were interested in which, if you are coming in as a freshman and know what major you want, is an awesome opportunity when visiting the school!

The Area: One thing I would personally recommend about a college visit is to make a weekend out of it if you can! Take some time to hang out on church street or go hiking! See the area and Saint Mike's has to offer!

The Gear: Also at Open House the school store is open so don't hesitate to pop in and get some SMC apparel! At my high school they had college sweatshirt days so I got the most comfortable sweatshirt from the school store that weekend to have! The school store has a large selection of stuff and something for everyone!

The Fit: I knew when I came to visit Saint Mike's it was a good fit for me. My cousin went to UVM and suggested that since I did not want a big school to look into Saint Mike's because she had heard a lot of good things about it. I booked a visit to both schools the same weekend. An open house visit at Saint Mike's reassured me I knew it was a better fit for me. If I did want a big school feel though UVM would definitely be on my list! Spending a day on campus rather than just the tour alone gives you and all around feel for the school and is a great opportunity to connect with everything on campus! Don't hesitate to ask question and see as much as you can because there is a lot Saint Mike's has to offer!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

The One About College Throwbacks

In honor of Thursday and the ever trending #tbt, this post is dedicated to the years I have had at Saint Mike's. I can tell you right off the bat some of my best friends from Saint Mike's were from my floor freshman year. We were compiled of rugby players, field hockey players, soccer players, musicians and everything in between. There were groups of friends within the hall but I can tell you out of my four years at Saint Mike's my freshman and senior year were the best living situations. I remember the first day perfectly as my entire family and I went up to my room and as I opened the door, my roommate Colleen was there with her entire family too. Great minds think alike because that totaled 10 people trying to move two 18 year old girls into their first dorm room! From there we met the girls in our hall and our RA who was the most motherly and advice giving RA we could have asked for she was awesome! A lot of how our floor became so close definitely gets credited to her.

That time Macklemore performed at SMC

Sophomore year started as one of our friends from freshman year did not come back to Saint Mike's. She was from the Netherlands and was only in Vermont for freshman year. It was weird without her and I still wish she could come back to Saint Mike's. Sophomore year consisted of a lot of skiing and everyone trying to figure out their majors. Sophomore year is somewhat a more lull time in between the craziness of other years which was nice to have! One of my favorite memories sophomore year was getting to go with MOVE on an extended service trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. We worked with Habitat for Humanity along with volunteering at a local nursing home, Boys and Girls Club and a local soup kitchen. The experience was incredible and I wish I could still go back for a longer length of time!

Every Sunday or "Sunday Funday" we had family night with great friends!

I would have to say junior year is what shaped me the most at Saint Mike's. My classes that semester I learned the most from and had some of the best professors I have had in my career here (MJD department rocks that's all I can say!). I also fractured my leg which I will tell you I was not good at handling. I hated being so immobile and having to go to Alliot only when you had a friend to help you carry your plates turned out to be more frustrating that it sounded. I learned a lot about myself from that experience and  I was lucky enough the fracture was not worse than it was! But hey at least I cracked a bone playing rugby and having fun rather than having a silly accident tripping on the stairs or something! After that came going to Spain. If you read through all my posts from January through May, you will understand why it was one of the best experiences I have ever had and if you want to go abroad, GO. IF you are worried about anything I promise it is the best decision you will make!

From Saint Mike's roommates to roommates abroad!

Now four weeks into senior year, its crazy to believe my career at Saint Mike's is at this point. This morning I woke up, made breakfast in the kitchen and read some articles, finished making my coffee and walked out of my 300's townhouse and headed to class. Um...my house?! Yes I live in a townhouse. Our townhouse is awesome and since we have finished decorating it has become more like home! The past four weeks have been great so far and the townhouse life is pretty darn sweet. With all the great memories and times the past three years, I can't wait for what this year has to bring! Make the most of all the time you have at Saint Mike's because I promise you are going to blink and realize it flies by, cause you know times flies when you are having fun!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

Reverse (College) Culture Shock

Shelburne Orchards

Currently living in my townhouse with a five minute walk to class, its surreal that this time a year ago I was getting everything ready to apply to go abroad. I still haven't gotten past the fact that I'm home and not going back to Spain. Everyone who's back from abroad can agree with me that we could sit and have a three hour conversation of all the amazing things we got to experience abroad. We could babble, relate and share so many stories. When we got home we were sent a package from Saint Mike's that included a pamphlet on "reverse culture shock". You wouldn't think that you would have so much culture shock but I feel like I'm going through round two of it. When I first came back to the states I remembered how water is free at restaurants and that everything isn't within walking distance.

Also for the first time in a long time, I feel settled. When I got home I was constantly making plans and working so I was still moving ten thousand miles a minute. Being back at SMC with a set schedule and knowing that I am living here for a FULL two semesters makes me feel settled and not constantly moving. I don't have to live out of my backpack but rather my townhouse. Its a complete lifestyle change with a transition I did not plan to recognize as much. My lifestyle in Spain was amazing and I could not describe it to you in one sitting, and the same goes for my lifestyle at SMC. I live with and a couple doors down from all my friends which is awesome! You don't realize how beautiful and great where you live is until you leave for a bit of time.

I forgot how amazing fall is in Vermont, and how much there is to love about living here. Prime example, SMC is great about you getting out into the community for assignments. A lot of classes aren't fans of the whole "never get out and see the world" mentality of learning. This past weekend we were asked for my Multi Media Reporting class to cover an event live. My friend Suze and I decided to go to the Bee Here Now festival at Shelburne Orchards this past Sunday. Our friend Kelsie had never been, so the three of us ventured to Shelburne. Once we got their I immediately remembered how gorgeous Vermont was. Driving to the orchard you see a awesome view of the mountains near the Shelburne Museum and when you get to the orchard, its nothing short of adorable. It rained on the event but there were still people discussing how important bees are to the ecosystem along with picking some good apples! Being Kelsie's first time there, we naturally went for a tractor ride. That moment when college kids are on a tractor ride among a bunch of cute rain-boot wearing kids with bags of apples.

I mean where would you rather learn, in a classroom or out at a Bee festival at an apple orchard? I think so too. Trust me when I say during the fall, get outside. Yes when winter comes there is skiing and snowboarding to be done but for now go for a hike, pick some apples and hangout outside! Vermont is too pretty in the fall not to!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31