Senior Year Prospects

Yes, only 9 more days until the whole first-year class arrives on campus for the first time. Students have already begun to trickle back to campus for athletics but it's time for everyone to come back. August has been a quiet month; the summer fellows left at the beginning of the month, sports camps are over, and all of the dining facilities have been closed. The lull of August has gone on long enough though and I'm ready to dive headlong into my senior year.

Hard to believe though that once the year begins, there is no turning back. No more chances to relive a fall or spring semester again. This is the last chance I have at St. Lawrence to make my experience really count. Nevertheless I'm very confident that this will be my best year to date.

Every April St. Lawrence hosts three admitted student open houses to give those who have been accepted to SLU an opportunity to get one more glance at our campus. One of the things that the tour guides try to communicate is a basic overview of what to expect year by year. When I first started doing these as a sophomore, I had no idea what to expect or what I could possibly communicate to students about the senior year experience here. Now older and wiser I think I have more of an idea of what to expect.

In terms of academics, this is the year when I tie up all the loose ends to complete my major and minors. This upcoming semester is loaded with philosophy classes for me. But at the same time, there's still room to fit in one more class for fun. Looking forward to "Geology 217: Dinosaurs" every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!

After four years here, I feel like I've come to know a fair amount of students on campus. And while I enjoy seeing friends and new acquaintances on a regular basis, the real adventure for me now is to reconnect with those that I've come to know but have left the halls of SLU. I've already booked a flight down to Atlanta to visit two very close friends of mine.

Senior year also tends to be the year where St. Lawrence students frantically scurry to complete their SLU bucket list of things to do and places to see. This list is somewhat outdated but gives you a sense of what activities are important to SLU students. Personally, I've yet to go up to Ottawa to skate on the canal or attend the Titus Mountain North Country Global Cool-Down event in February so those two will certainly be on my to do list.

I'm not anxious for graduation, though I hate to see this place go. There's still many months in between now and May 19th. Today I'm ready for the school year to begin; to see familiar faces around campus, eat delicious food at Dana, and really make the most of the experience. A friend once told me that with every year you're at St. Lawrence, the years only get better. I buy it. This is when it all comes together. I'm so confident that this is going to be the most memorable yet.

So, students, hurry back and let's get started.