5 Tips for the Class of 2024 – Staying Organized

Emma Borque, graduating from SUNY Oswego with her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, is looking forward to experiencing the rewarding feeling of receiving her degree after four years of dedication to her academics and student organization responsibilities. She feels ready to continue her journey in graduate school, and was kind enough to share tips for the class of 2024 on staying organized, a skill that has helped her to reach her goals.

  1. “Keep a planner, or use your phone or laptop to write down everything you need to complete for the week. Everything adds up quickly and it’s hard to keep track without!”
  2. “Set reminders for yourself! When you’re busy, it can be challenging to remember everything you need to finish, so these can save you.”
  3. “Stick to a schedule. Creating a routine right as the semester begins will set the tone for its entirety, and it’s so much better to get in the swing of library days if you start right away.”
  4. “Organize your google drive with separate folders for each of your classes so you can find your notes and documents easily. If you prefer a notebook, use dividers.”
  5. “Save time for relaxation. It’s crucial to get enough sleep and down time while maintaining a busy schedule.”

5 Tips for the Class of 2024 – Campus Involvement

Ashley Enfonde will be graduating from SUNY Oswego with her Bachelor of Arts degree in human development. She has spent her four years at Oswego dedicated to her academics and to the organizations that have made her college experience so memorable. Ashley has held positions for several student clubs, including President for a national organization on campus. She has valuable advice to share with the class of 2024 on the importance of campus involvement.

  1. “Try out as many organizations as you want until you find your calling. There are so many amazing student groups offered at our University, but some may fit you better than others. There’s only one way to find out, so go ahead and try them all!”
  2. “Try organizations that will help build your resume. For example, a public relations major may look into joining PRSSA to gain experience in their intended career field.”
  3. “Prioritize time to attend meetings. If you find you enjoy something, stick with it and allow it to help you grow.”
  4. “Give back! Many student orgs regularly participate in volunteer work. Helping your community or causes you’re passionate about can be very rewarding.”
  5. “Hold leadership positions in your organization. These provide excellent leadership experiences which can help you in the future.”

5 Tips for the Class of 2024 – Making Friends

Margaret Militello will be receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcasting this week. She looks back on her past 4 years at SUNY Oswego with a smile and a genuine appreciation for all of her experiences, ranging from MWF classes to weekends spent by the lake with friends. Margaret is involved in several student organizations and is thankful for all of the life long friends she has made through putting herself out there and joining clubs and organizations that sparked her interest. Margaret enjoyed a wide variety of experiences throughout her years of undergrad and is excited to share her tips on making friends for the incoming class of 2024.

  1. “Always say hi. Some of the best advice is to simply introduce yourself to people you meet. Whether it’s in the dorms, or at an organization meeting, a smile can go a long way!”
  2. “Find common interests. If you enjoy playing sports, try a club team. If you love writing, Oswego offers several clubs and activities centered around writing. Find your niche and you will easily find people you want to get to know better!” 
  3. “Always remember, most people are looking for new friends as incoming freshmen. Trust that you will find your people, and you will!”
  4. “Exist loudly. Be the kindest version of yourself and do things you enjoy, you will attract similar individuals.” 
  5. “Prioritize your academics. There are so many ways to make new friends, and you will, but don’t forget to hit the library as often as possible.”

5 Tips for the Class of 2024 – Time Management

Jessica Grassi will be receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in public justice this month and is looking forward to graduating and entering the workforce. Before she goes, she is eager to share some of her best advice for the impending SUNY Oswego class of 2024 on the importance of time management skills. The experience of transitioning from a high school student to an independent college freshman comes along with many new responsibilities and a completely new schedule to maintain. In order to accommodate a full class load, an adjustment in your living situation, possibly for the first time, along with extracurricular activities, it may become challenging to get used to this new lifestyle. Graduating seniors are a great resource for our incoming freshman as they have experienced a full 4 years of life on Lake Ontario and all of the enlightening lessons that come with it. Jessica has maintained consecutive positions on the Dean’s list as well as held several positions in national student organizations throughout her time at Oswego. She is happy to share her tips on time management to help out our future Lakers:

  1. “Use a planner! It’s so easy to forget assignments or other responsibilities when you don’t have them written down, even if you think you’ll remember.”
  1. “Get adjusted to your routine and set specific times for specific responsibilities. I would normally establish my library days during the first week of classes.”
  1. “Avoid putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Feeling overwhelmed only deters you from efficiency in my personal experience. Always remain calm and take it one assignment at a time!”
  1. “Try using resources on campus to help you learn more efficiently. Tutoring is offered in Marano Campus Center, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.”
  1. “Take breaks and have fun! Don’t be afraid to branch out and join different student organizations. As long as you manage your time, you can thrive academically and still achieve a full college experience.”

Laker Guide: Part 1

This Laker Guide is for all the new, wonderful additions that will be joining the Laker family this fall! I will bestow upon you all the magical senior wisdom I have gained these past years at SUNY Oswego.  This first blog will be about coming to Oswego, dorm life, navigating the campus, stuff like that. Let’s get started!

What to Bring with You

Obviously, this is a very important part of moving into the residence halls. It all depends on a couple of things though, like how close you live to Oswego and if you and your future roomie want to share items. For instance, my first year in a residence hall my roommate was kind enough to share her mini fridge with me so I did not have to buy one. But that is all up to you!

Since my hometown is five hours away, I basically packed my entire wardrobe. So if you’re like me, be sure to bring along some storage containers!200w_d

Luckily, SUNY Oswego put together a Pinterest file of things to bring. You can check it out here:  https://www.pinterest.com/sunyoswego/what-to-bring-to-your-dorm/

There are a few items you should make sure to bring that aren’t on that list: a pair of waterproof shoes and a waterproof jacket. These will come in handy walking to class on rainy days.  Also, your room will be your home for the next year, I definitely recommend bringing along some decorations to personalize it. Things like pictures, posters and other wall decor.

Academic Buildings

So Monday morning arrives and it’s time to go to your first class. But wait…where the heck is Shineman Center room 114?

 

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*Queue freak out*

No need to worry, you have a couple of options here. Incoming freshmen and transfers are required to come the Friday before classes start, so you’ll have all weekend to explore the campus and get familiar with it. Or if you’re like me and waited till the last minute to figure out where your classes are, there is a campus map to help you find your way: http://www.oswego.edu/about/visit/maps/campus/#placemarks//zoom/16/lat/undefined/lon/undefined

Getting #OswegoFit

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There are two fitness centers located on campus. Cooper Fitness Center is located in the middle of campus between Hart and Funnel residence halls. Glimmerglass Fitness Center is located on West campus between Onondaga and Onieda residence halls. And during the first week of classes it’s FREEEE. Both offer group exercise classes like yoga, lifting 101 and zumba!

Most importantly, the food!

There are so many options all over campus to grab a bite to eat so you won’t have to deal with a rumbling tummy.

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There are five dining centers across campus and they all have special quirks. Here are a few;

Cooper Dining Center- Smoothies for breakfast on certain days. Cooper also has an ice cream parlor serving delicious Perry’s Ice cream.

Pathfinder Dining Center- Quesadillas for lunch and ‘Kevin’s Grill’ for dinner where you can order burgers, phillies, grilled chicken, hot dogs and fries! Yum.

Mackin Dining Center-  Mackin is only open for dinner but serves diner style food that really hits the spot.

Whether or not you’re seeking a whole meal or just a snack between classes, there about 10 other cafes around campus. For all you coffee fanatics, Lake Effect Cafe in Penfield Library and F.A.N.S in the Marano Campus Center serve Starbucks coffee!

 

 

Well that’s all for this edition of my Laker Guide, I hope you will find some of this helpful as you begin your adventure here at SUNY Oswego!

Until next time!

-Shanna

 

 

 

Why I Chose Oswego

As I watch the Class of 2021 and Transfers Facebook group, I’ve noticed one of the most common things that I have been seeing lately within people’s posts is “I haven’t decided if I’m going to Oswego yet but…” In no particular order, here is a list of reasons why I decided to come to Oswego.

  1. Rejection
    1. Although this sounds like a bad way to start, Oswego was not always my number one choice. If someone were to go back in time and tell the high school version of myself that I would end up at a school four and a half hours north of home, I would have told them that they were nuts and I that was destined for a minimum of 60 degrees year round. Something to take away from this, if your top choice rejects you, although at the time it may feel like the end of the world, give your second choice a chance!
  2. Tours
    1. I applied to a total of four colleges, none of which I toured before applying which was probably a mistake but oh well! After getting rejected from my original top school, I started looking into Oswego more because that was the only other public school that I applied to besides my community college. I really did not like the idea of staying in my town for another two years and then transferring so I decided to go to admitted students day at Oswego. It was here that I toured the campus and really started to get the smallest gleam of excitement, which leads me to my next point.
  3. My mom
    1. My mom was really the push I needed to get me to commit to Oswego. I originally came into college as a Zoology major and at the time my class was the first class to use the new Shineman science building. The tour guide mentioned that a large portion of Zoology professors had their Doctorates and my Mom really liked that. I can still remember our conversation in the Campus Center auditorium where she convinced me that I should be thrown out of my comfort zone and commit to Oswego. If it wasn’t for my mom, I don’t know if I would have had the courage to move nearly five hours away from my house to a place where I did not know one single person.

Overall, I urge anyone who is considering Oswego to take a trip up here and really take a look at the campus in person and feel what it is like up here. I promise you will not regret it, I know I haven’t!

My (Continued) College Experience

For SUNY Oswego students, this week marks the completion of the fifth week of classes. As a Resident Assistant, I’ve always been of the mind set that for new students, if they complete the first six weeks of school without going home, then the rest of their time here will be a piece of cake. Of course there will be challenges, but there’s a dose of pride to be taken in the idea of being in a completely new environment and making it on your own there for a month and a half. That’s the test. Now, this semester has made that hard with so many days off, but the point still stands: if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere (okay, so maybe that’s not entirely true—I hear this thing called the real world is rough at times—but I digress).

For me, these first five weeks have been a whirlwind. Back in May, I didn’t even know if I would be here. I had just graduated from my undergrad experience right here at Oswego and was still up in the air about whether I wanted to continue my studies. I had gotten into my program of choice, Integrated Media and Social Networks—I studied Broadcasting and Mass Communication to get my Bachelor’s—and had already been hired as an RA again in the building where it all started, Cayuga Hall (the best building on campus). The pieces were there, I just had to figure out how I wanted to piece them together.

I had a few options: I could either come back and work towards an Advanced Certificate that would hopefully land me a better job once the year long program is complete. Or, I could stay at home and continue job searching in the hopes that something good (or just anything in general) will arise. After a long summer of contemplating these two options, I finally decided that returning to Oswego would be the best for me, to give me expanded experience within my field.

Looking back at a personal blog post I had written post-graduation, it’s funny to think that I was so torn back then. It now feels like I had never left and coming back to Oswego has felt so natural. Okay, so maybe some backstory might help. When I say “coming back” I don’t just mean coming back after graduating. During my final semester of senior year, I completed an internship in New York City with a film news website called Indiewire. I left a lot behind, including a lot of friends and responsibilities, in order to do this. So for me, the decision to come back to Oswego wasn’t even just about whether I would want to continue my studies or get a job, it was whether I’d want to continue my studies after being out of that mindset for an entire semester.

What’s the point I’m trying to make? For any new students who may be wondering whether they made the right decision or are feeling overwhelmed in these first few weeks, know that in the moment it may be hard, but if you stick with it, you’ll have a lot to look back on. Your future-self will look back on the good, the bad and the ugly, and probably laugh because your future self can’t imagine ever being that indecisive or worried. So know that it gets better and if those feelings ever arise, just ask yourself this: what would future-me think?

I already have four years here at Oswego under my belt and am looking forward to what this year will bring. I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything, even the bad times (there were plenty). It’s all because I don’t want future-me to look back and regret not taking full advantage of this place. For any new students, you’re going make a lot of memories here if you stick with it. A lot of them will be great, some of them will be bad, but all of it will be an experience.