Dear Freshmen,
SVC is one of the most amazing places that you’ll ever step foot, and you really need to take it in with an open heart and an open mind. You’ll hear it a million times over the next four years, but your time here really does go incredibly fast. I still can’t believe that my senior year has already begun, but looking back, there’s so many things that I wish seniors would have told me when I first started my journey at SVC. Take my advice – you’ll appreciate it soon enough.
Make some really good friends. It’s so hard to know who’s real and who isn’t, but once you find a couple of good friends, make sure you keep them nearby. You need someone by your side over the next four years – someone to laugh with you in the middle of the night, someone to cry with you on your rough days, and someone that will stand next to you at all times. Learn who your real friends are and focus on them…don’t focus on the people that don’t actually care about you.
Get close with the Benedictines on campus. They are some of the most amazing people that you will ever meet in your life. They truly care about everyone on this campus, and they are the reason why SVC has the community that it does.
Don’t sweat the small things. Work hard and do the best you can, but know that one bad grade won’t ruin your GPA. Don’t completely slack off, but know that it’s okay not to be perfect.
Appreciate all that SVC has to offer. There is no place in the world like Saint Vincent, and take the opportunity to explore the campus. Take walks through the cemetery with some really great friends, go visit Sebastian’s Garden, take walks around campus. There are so many hidden treasures around campus and you won’t find them if you don’t take the opportunity to explore.
Finally, value your time here. Like I said, four years go by incredibly fast. Sometimes, it may feel like you’ll be here forever, but I can tell you now: if I had the opportunity to repeat the last four years, I would do it in a heartbeat.
HCXO,
Mikayla