We most definitely miss our seniors from last year, but they are all having a blast at college! A couple of last year’s seniors share about their experiences at their new schools below.

Sommer Denison, Swarthmore College

After Marymount, I decided to attend Swarthmore College. It is a small liberal arts school in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. I left for college on August 15, so I have been here for almost 2 months. So far, I love it! It is definitely a transition from high school and my life back home in LA, and although it is very different, it is awesome. Something different here, in terms of classes, is that I now only have 4 classes instead of 6. Also, teachers really encourage taking notes by hand, so computers are not used as much here as they are at Marymount. Also, we mainly have chalkboards instead of white boards.

Here at Swat, I am on the soccer team. So far, soccer is great. The upperclassmen are all so nice and I love the team. Soccer is a nice break from school and I would really recommend that once you get to college you find an extra curricular or outside activity to get involved in. I wish the seniors luck and everyone else who will eventually go through the college process luck as well. Looking back, I advise everyone to try not to stress too much about what is out of your control. The only thing you can control is how much effort you put in; all you can do is your best. As long as you are doing your best, there is no point in stressing about the end result because that is most certainly out of your control (plus it usually works out in the end anyway).

Brooke Stroyke, Clemson University

My first month at Clemson has been a blast! College is by far way greater than I ever could have imagined! Going to a new environment in South Carolina, meeting new people from all over, and having an infinite amount of things to try and do has made my experience thus far, nothing short of amazing. Rowing in college is something that I absolutely love and feel so privileged doing. The workload is definitely an adjustment as the classes require a lot more work, but I feel so confident in all of my courses because Marymount prepared me very well. I’m so proud of the education I received at Marymount and the difference it makes in college is immense.

I can’t wait to hear where the Class of 2015 is headed!

Callie Burton-Callegari, Brown University

This week marked my first complete month at school, and so far it has been nothing but an adventure. At Brown, we’re allowed to pick our own classes, keeping in mind the requirements for our future concentration. As a freshman, registration day was terrifying because it was the day before the first day of actual classes. However, after my classes were sorted, the transition from being dependent on other people’s schedules to just being in charge of myself has given me a lot more time to focus on not only school, but also other clubs and activities I would have never tried.

The educational transition was not difficult because Marymount did a great job preparing me for the amount of work I would receive. That being said, the amount of work I have depends on the types of classes I take. Currently, I am enrolled in 3 STEM classes along with a class on Greek Mythology (which I would have to say is my favorite). With three STEM classes, my homework load is minimal: 1 problem set a week along with at most, a chapter of reading per class. If I were taking a different kind of science such as psychology, or multiple English classes (like my poor roommate who does not recommend this), I would probably be saying something very different about my workload right now.

Currently I am not homesick, but that doesn’t mean I am not counting down the days until my mom and brother visit me for parent weekend or that I’m not texting/FaceTiming my friends from back home more than once a week. College is a great time to meet new people that are not only cool, but also so interesting. You learn something new every time you are with them. A lot of my friends happen to be international or athletes, and together, with our different backgrounds in schooling and culture, the beautiful concept of college makes me excited to get up every morning and reluctant to go to bed every night.

To be honest, the hardest part of college is not the workload—it’s forcing myself to create a daily routine with decent sleep because truly, FOMO (the fear of missing out), is real.

Elle Gannon, Colorado College

Being in college is a lot different than being in high school, but I love it! There is weather (actual seasons), which is weird, but fun. I just fit in with all of the people here and there is so much to do—I just came from an awesome intramural volleyball game. It was fantastic! Afterwards, I went to the climbing gym to rock climb and watch live bands perform. It’s stuff like this at CC that makes me love it so much.