By Cassidy LeFay
SACS journalism student
On Jan. 4, Southern Aroostook Community School alumni from the Class of 2012 came to visit with seniors at the high school and talk about their first semester college experiences. Topics that are always of interest to the seniors planning on college life are food, housing and roommates.
Olivia Raymond, a student at University of New England, majors in nursing and minors in sports management with a work study of eight hours a week. Raymond has two roommates and said that because of their classes and studies, it’s hard to keep their dorm room clean. Raymond really enjoys college, although classes are hard. Raymond was a member of the intramural soccer team and plans to be a part of the figure skating club next semester, along with running for treasurer and first-year resident assistant.
Taylor Locke, a business major at UM-Orono, said that college is enjoyable, but the workload is much more than it was in high school. Locke noted that his dorm is probably the loudest on campus, but he gets along with everybody. Locke is in a fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon and is a part of an intramural soccer team made up of other SACS alumni called “The Ghost of Warriors Past.”
Morgan Gustin, an animal science major, also at UMO, enjoyed her first semester, as well. Gustin and her roommate share the same major; therefore, their schedules are very similar. She said that college students’ sleep schedule constantly changes. Gustin is a member of the rowing team, a teammate of “Ghost of Warriors Past” and is part of multiple Christian groups on campus.
While everybody else was in a first semester in college, Joe Frazier decided to train to become a soldier for the U.S Army. Frazier said that having 59 roommates was awful although he met many new people. Unlike the college students, Frazier had no complaints about the food because his time to eat was strictly just for eating. Frazier also explained that once you decide to go into training, you have to be open minded. Frazier is starting college, also at UMO, next semester.
Many SACS seniors had multiple questions about the college food. All the college students had their own opinions on the food but in general, they did enjoy it. Both UMO students said that after eating for about three weeks, it gets tiring since they frequently serve the same dishes. All college students recommended the unlimited meal plan, which is required your first year of college. At UNE, Raymond noted that the food is the same way; she enjoys it but it does get boring.
Each college student gave advice to the seniors. They recommended tutoring because it does help a lot, and it’s free. They also recommended learning how to study better, take notes, manage time and how to get prepared. Although on most campuses, it’s mandatory to live on campus freshman year, SACS alumni recommended living off campus the second year in college because it is a lot cheaper than living in the dorm.
