Turkey time!

Hey gang, Alex here again! If you have been reading the past couple of blog posts, you have probably noticed that we in the Enrollment Center have been really busy lately. The Admissions Counselors have been traveling to fairs and school visits, and we return to a desk piled high with applications. This is an extremely great thing and has certainly made the fall fly by! Speaking of which, can you believe we are already coming to the end of November?! It being near the end of November, you know what that means…Mexican Revolution Day! Just kidding! (Even though Mexican Revolution Day is an actual holiday, don’t believe me? Google it.) Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We are all excited to take a step back from work/school and just spend time with family/friends and enjoy some good food. Thanksgiving break is a good time to collect yourself, mentally and physically before entering that home-stretch of December.

The Registration Packet

Since most of you young minds out there have the Thanksgiving holiday off from school, be sure to check your mailbox for some important information regarding Benedictine. For those of you who are admitted students, be sure to look out for the Registration Packet. This packet is being sent to admitted students only and contains some valuable information regarding the next steps in order to attend Benedictine University. The packet has a detailed time line of events and checkpoints that each student who is interested in attending Benedictine should review. It also has great information regarding placement exams, registration information, financial aid and additional scholarships admitted students can apply for!

After you’ve finished immersing yourself in food, be sure to take the time and look at the Registration Packet. Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks are a great time to get a start on the enrollment process at Benedictine. Think about it, you have two weeks to enjoy, why not spend one of those days completing your placement exams or filling out your scholarship applications! This way you can complete everything and simply enjoy being a senior for your final months. High School only happens once, so try to enjoy the most of it, rather than scrambling at the last minute to complete your enrollment. If you have any questions regarding the Registration Packet, feel free to contact your admissions counselor. If you have any questions regarding Mexican Revolution Day, please feel free to contact me. (Just kidding, go Google it.)

Who’s the Boss?

I’m sure nobody, not even people my age, get the reference this title is making to the oh-so entertaining (if not always on purpose) 80s sitcom featuring Tony Danza and a young Alyssa Milano (think ‘Charmed’).  It doesn’t matter if you don’t get the reference, though, because as tempting as it is to go on and on about how underrated Tony Danza is and how I feel like he has never gotten a real shot (come on Hollywood the guy is great) that’s not what this blog post is about. What I’m writing about today is how sweet it is to be the boss. 

You may be thinking I was just promoted or hired someone to work for me….nope.  I’m not the boss – you are.  Students, whether they know it or not, are in charge of everything around here.  I know, high schoolers, that sounds crazy right?  I’m sure you’re used to being given a schedule during the summer and having little to no input as to what classes you take.  Well guess what?  That is all about to change next year.  Ask any of your friends that are already in college and they’ll tell you they actually get to decide their own schedule. 

Here at Benedictine we are in the middle of academic advising for spring semester.  I know, I know it seems early but really it’s not at all.  Finals will be here before you know it and soon after will come spring semester.  As an advisor I’m here to guide college freshman toward taking the right classes to help them graduate as well as fulfill all of their major requirements.  What I don’t do is tell them what classes they will take.  Not only do students get to choose what classes they’re taking but what time too!  Did you hear (or read) that?!  They get to choose what time they go to class.  Imagine telling your high school guidance counselor that you prefer to start classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 am instead of 7:30.  Wouldn’t fly right?  Well around here I’d tell you to go for it.  Does that make me the best advisor ever?  I don’t know, it’s hard to say who is the best ever.  I mean, I could be in the running…oh sorry, once again not the point. 

The point is that this is definitely something to look forward to.  The best part isn’t even the whole picking the time thing.  The best part is choosing your own courses.  Of course we have some core courses  you have to take but you also get to make a lot of decisions on your own.  If you want to take Introduction to Logic, General Ethics, or Philosophy of Human Nature you’ll be allowed to.   You get to be in charge of your education.  It means a lot of freedom but also a lot of responsibility.  This idea can definitely be a big adjustment but trust me it is absolutely something that will benefit you as well as something you should be incredibly excited about.  Don’t believe me?  Why don’t you take a class on it and prove me wrong?

On the road again…

Hey there blog-followers! Alex here again, with another thrilling installment of the BU undergraduate blog. Now I realize it has been some time since you’ve heard from me, and there is a perfectly good reason for that. I have been on the road, traveling to various high schools and college fairs meeting students just like you! It’s that time of the year again, when all I see is the inside of my car and sometimes it really feels like I’m living out of it. My ipod has a permanent spot on my dashboard, McDonalds wrappers line my seats and there are numerous Benedictine brochures scattered around my back seat. It’s a dangerous life, but someone has to live it. Don’t believe me? Just check out the company car I drive around…

Please tell me you get this reference.

Some of you may have seen myself or other Freshmen counselors at fairs and high school visits, but if you haven’t then I highly encourage you to visit campus! Or if you can’t visit campus just yet, check out some of the remaining high school visits we have coming up: http://www.ben.edu/admissions/freshmen/visits_fairs.asp

We just had our Fall Open House at Benedictine over two weeks ago and we have some open houses geared towards specific majors coming in the following weeks. For all of you Business majors, Benedictine will be holding a Business Open House on Sunday November 15th from 12pm-2pm in the Krasa Student Center. This is a good opportunity for potential business majors to come out and meet with some of the professors, get a tour of campus and just see if Benedictine is the right fit for you. If you think this is something you might be interested in, feel free to RSVP here: http://www.ben.edu/admissions/events/businessoh.asp. Be sure to check back here later this week, as I will be posting information regarding the Science Open House as well.

Alright blog-followers it’s time for me to get back in my car, punch it to 88 MPH and head out to another college fair. Don’t forget to sign up for the Business Open House, because you know what they say…”There’s no business like Benedictine business!”

GaGa Gone Wild

Every year for Halloween there are a few costumes that you see everywhere.  There are good and bad versions.  Some people put a lot of effort into them and some people barely make an effort at all but at the end of the day they are all the same costume.  This year’s costume of choice was without a doubt Lady Gaga. 

I saw all kinds of Lady Gagas.  Short, tall, big, small.  The worst that I saw, though, were the men dressed as Lady Gaga.  I’m not sure if they were fans or if they just thought it was funny but I have to say either way I did not enjoy it.  I even heard that Perez Hilton dressed as Lady Gaga.  Here’s a hint guys:  if Perez Hilton is doing it you shouldn’t be. 

Even more than wondering why so many guys were dressed as Lady Gaga I wondered what she was dressed as.  If you think about it, so many people dressed up as her for Halloween because that’s how she dresses EVERY DAY.  My guess is that she threw on a T-shirt and jeans and dressed up as a normal human being.  I’m not sure how convincing she would be in that role but I still think it would be a great costume for her. 

So you may be asking yourself, “what did you go as, Matt?”  Well, I’ll make a deal with you.  If  I get ten people to comment and tell me what you were for Halloween then I’ll not only tell you what I was but I’ll post a picture of it next Tuesday.  So, you have one week and you better get to it.  See you next time!

I’m In Denial

I heard on the radio this morning that we are going to turn our clocks back an hour pretty soon.  Sure, this means that we get an extra hour of sleep that night which seems cool at first but after that one day is it really that cool?  I personally believe it’s not.  After that extra hour of sleep, which I admit is pretty great, a lot of bad things start to happen. 

It starts to get dark earlier and earlier and by December I don’t think the sun actually rises.  It starts to get extremely cold.  This is especially terrible when  you have to spend 10 minutes putting on layers at 6:00 am to take your dog on a walk.  And finally the snow comes.  Though, I guess the snow means snow days so it’s not totally terrible.  All of these things are depressing me so I am now living in a state of denial and enjoying all the fall has to offer before it’s gone.  Since I’m such a big fan of lists here are my top 5 things to enjoy about fall before it’s officially gone.

1. Football – College or pro it doesn’t matter, there is nothing better than spending all day on the couch watching some pigskin.
2. Sweatshirts -  Does it get more comfortable than a worn-in hoodie?
3. Homecoming – Such a great time seeing old friends and for old people like myself pretending like you’re young again.
4. World Series – Nothing better than a game 7…except for the Yankees losing.
5. Pumpkins – More specifically pumpkin pie.  I literally can’t get enough.  Please, if anyone has extra bring some by!

So these are all of the things I’m going to enjoy before the “W” word arrives.  In fact, to try and reach full enjoyment, this Saturday I think I’ll throw on my favorite hoodie, pull up to a plate of pumpkin pie and plan my trip to next year’s homecoming while I’m flipping between college football and the World Series.  Now that sounds like sweet denial to me!

I tend to drop it like its hot.

Yes I do like to drop it like its hot, but mostly on the weekends, during the week its usually not that hot, but rather luke warm.

Summer has come to an end and classes have begun…at this point you might be wondering, what now? I can answer that question for you!

We at Benedictine University are having our annual Fall Open House on Sunday October 25 and If you have questions on any of our majors, the admissions process, or scholarships then my friend you should find yourself in our Krasa Student Center on that day at 12:00 p.m.

We will have representatives from all of our majors, Financial Aid, Residence Life, Student Activities, Athletics as well as our Admissions Counselors present for the event.  Any of these representatives will be able to answer any and all of your questions, which will in turn help make your transition into college much easier.

If you are interested in attending our Fall Open House you can RSVP online or call our Admission’s office at 630-829-6300.

Unpack these items now!

Ahoy avid blog readers! Alex here again, bringing you another thrilling blog! I know most of you incoming freshmen are getting excited (at least I hope so) to start school at Benedictine. I’m sure you found Matt’s “Top 5 List of Dorm Room Necessities” helpful, and I would like to add on to that with a list of my own.  So, without further ado…

“Top 5 Things You Should Leave at Home.”

1.Open Coil Items: Now this is a no-brainer for most of you, but you’d be surprised at the amount of people RA’s catch with open coil items. So what constitutes (yeah, good word usage) as an “open coil item” you might ask? Toasters, toaster ovens, halogen lamps, candles, incense..Etc. basically anything that is capable of starting a fire. As we all know, a fire in  the dorm will put a damper on anyone’s day–especially when you have to stand outside, at 2am, in the middle of December, while  the fire alarms are going off (no idea what I’m talking about? Believe me, you will). If you happen to bring an open coil item and do cause a fire, be prepared for a hefty fine!

2. Pets: Yet again, another no-brainer. I know that you’re dog Woofy might be all cute and cuddly–maybe he even fits into your book bag, but that’s not an excuse to bring him to the dorm. It’s against the rules for a reason. This includes all types of pets: dogs, cats, rodents, ferrets, snakes, monkeys, sloths, sea lions, it doesn’t matter. Some people are allergic to certain types of animals, and some people just aren’t “pet friendly.” So please, have some respect for your fellow dorm-mates and just leave the pets at home.

3. Your weird collections:

Roommate 1: “Hey man, check out my awesome earthworm collection!” roommate 2: (awkward silence).

We all know you have that certain collection that you’re uber (yet another good word) excited about. Turns out that maybe not everyone is as excited about that collection as you are. I’m not just speaking to the nerd crowd here (hey, it’s cool, I’m a huge comic book nerd) I’m talking to that girl that brings her entire shoe collection to school, or the guy that needs to litter his room with sports memorabilia. Just leave it at home or you’ll soon gain a reputation of being “that guy” or “that girl.”

4. Black light: Yes, this does include the trippy posters as well. We aren’t living in the 1970’s anymore, so don’t even think about putting those back lights up. Not only are they against dorm rules (it’s considered a halogen lamp, I looked it up), but no one wants to walk into a room full of Led Zeppelin and Grateful Dead posters. Side note: Those are two phenomenal (I’m on a roll with good words today/the word dropping continues!) bands and I encourage posters of said bands, just not black light posters. Let’s not get too cheesy here.

And Finally….

5.Your Significant Other: Ok, settle down, I can feel the flames from your anger-filled eyes. Just hear me out. I think it’s a great thing to have a significant other while in college, even better if you were high-school sweethearts (more power to you), but here’s the thing, just like the pet issue, your roommate may have a problem with having your GF or BF there all the time.  Try and be considerate of your roommate. Put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if they had a loud/obnoxious friend over while you were trying to study for a test? Exactly. This suggestion doesn’t only apply to your GF or BF, it could be your best friend, brothers or sisters, or mom and dad. College is the time in your life to meet people and forge new friendships, don’t spend all of your time in a comfort zone. Go out and meet new people!

So there’s my list, take it with a grain of salt. It’s just a little street-knowledge from a recent Benedictine grad. College is a million things: fun, exciting, scary, nerve-wracking, new, refreshing and hard (to name a few). The transition from high school to college is much easier when you have helpful tips along the way. So stay tuned for the next couple of blogs, there will be more tips to help make your experience at Benedictine a great one!

Roommate 1: “Hey man, check out my awesome earthworm collection!” roommate 2: (awkward silence).

We all know you have that certain collection that you’re uber (yet another good word) excited about. Turns out that maybe not everyone is as excited about that collection as you are. I’m not just speaking to the nerd crowd here (hey, it’s cool, I’m a huge comic book nerd) I’m talking to that girl that brings her entire shoe collection to school, or the guy that needs to litter his room with sports memorabilia. Just leave it at home or you’ll soon gain a reputation of being “that guy.”

Party like its 1999.

I rocked the beard.

Yes that’s right, I am singing me some Prince at work…can’t get enough of a good thing.

Summer is winding down but don’t worry we will live it up at Welcome Weekend.

We are going to have some amazing entertainment at Benedictine University August 27 – August 30, so please come prepared to rock.

Welcome Weekend will consist of a double feature, outdoor-style movies showing two huge hit movies of the summer along with some comedy improv and magic that will blow your mind.  Now don’t let the word “magic” fool you.  This isn’t your Uncle Jack pulling rabbits out of his hat in your back yard on your 8th birthday type of stuff–this is full out knock your socks off, jaw-dropping, hovering in the air type of stuff.

We will end the weekend on Sunday with a Sunday Funday…need I say more? Well if you answered yes, (even though you shouldn’t have)  Sunday will consist of a welcome back/kick-off for returning and incoming students.  We will have a huge cookout, obstacle course, jousting (yeah, that’s right!), a photo booth, human Foosball, volleyball, and bags. Fun, yes or yes?

Well guys, I need to get back to work and keep living the dream with Prince playing in the background.

More Welcome Weekend details to come…don’t forget you can register for Welcome Weekend events at Benedictine’s Orientation site.

Dorm Rooms 101

     Okay, all of my advisees settle down. This is not a class we offer here at Benedictine, but maybe it should be.  For all of you that are going to be living on campus this fall you may or may not have started shopping for your dorm room but trust me it is a tougher task than it sounds.  A couple of weekends ago I was in Kentucky at my in-laws house when my sister-in-law showed me everything she had bought for her dorm room.  Just like all of you, she will be starting her freshman year this fall, and just like many of you will she bought WAY too much stuff.  There is absolutely no way she is going to fit the huge pile of dorm room accessories in her new home.  But she went to a home furnishing store (whose name I won’t mention) and fell in love with everything they offered for college students….including a “closet organizer” that was so big it would barely fit in a walk-in closet let alone a dorm room closet.  Keep in mind kids you’re not moving into the Hilton, it’s a dorm room!

  So, in the hopes that I’ll help some of you avoid the same fate, here is my top five list of dorm room necessities. Now, if any of your parents read this and ask why an academic advisor wouldn’t have anything on here about books or a laptop just tell them that it’s because that stuff will obviously be in there so we didn’t have to put it on the list…..they just might believe you.

1.  Headphones:  No I’m not talking about the tiny cool headphones we all rock with our ipods. I’m talking about the old school, embarassingly huge, make your neck sore if you wear them too long kind.  These can come in handy for everything from just listening to music while reading to drowning out your roomate who has been talking to his girlfriend for the last six hours straight…..trust me the bigger the better here.

2.  TV:  Now, there is no question that the next four years will be some of the busiest of your life and academics is your main priority (of course).  However, you will also be on the most bizarre sleep schedule you will ever experience.  When you don’t have to wake up until noon one day and at 7:30 the next you start to keep some pretty strange hours.  So what does that have to do with a TV?  Some of the most entertaining stuff  you will ever witness is on between 1 and 3 in the morning.  How can you learn all the benefits of the ShamWow if you don’t watch the half hour infomercial at 2:30 am? 

3.  Alarm Clock:  This one may seem pretty self explanatory but I wanted to put in on here for emphasis.  Why you ask?  Because there is no worse         feeling than this:  during finals week of your first semester rolling over in bed  to look at your clock and realizing that your exam started five minutes ago (yep that one is from personal experience).  As a matter, of fact you maywant to invest in two alarm clocks just in case. 

4.  Dry Erase Board:  Because you haven’t lived in a dorm yet this one may seem weird so just trust me.  And because I want to keep the privilege of writing this blog I’m not going to tell you why these are fun to have I’ll just say this…..put it outside of  your door now, thank me later.

 

5.  Pictures:  These help get you through the first few weeks of dorm life.  I don’t care who you are, you WILL be homesick at some point.  Don’t worry about it, after a few days it will pass and this will be home too.  Oh, and for those of you who are reading this and thinking “Ha, not me,” you’re wrong…..you too.  So stock up on the photos of mom and dad, brother and sister, all of your buddies and your girlfriend/boyfriend and put them up somewhere where they can remind you of home.  An added bonus:  as the year goes on you can add new photos from school and it becomes a cool collage. 

So, even though I’ve given you this list and warned you against walking out of a store with everything from the college/dorm room aisle I know it will happen to some of you.  That’s why I’m going to give you one more piece of advice, and this one goes for everyone.  Make sure you bring what’s going to make you comfortable because, believe it or not, in just a few short weeks this is going to be home.  We’ll see you soon and, as always, get in touch if you need anything!

Meet the BenCard.

So this is it.  Get used to seeing this, make it your friend, and don’t ever let it go.  This is your new student ID card.  I’m a pretty young guy but I’m going to make myself sound really, really old here…..ready?  These things are so much better than the cards we had when I was in school!  I am extremely jealous and if I can find one of you on campus that looks enough like me I just might take one of them.  Let’s compare the list of what the cards you all will be receiving can do compared to the card I had in school could do shall we?  This is a real list:

YOUR CARDS: 1.  Are library cards.  They give you access to electronic resources and check out materials at the campus library.

2.  Allow you to eat in the Krasa Center dining room, the Coal Ben and Kindlon Coffee Shop

3.  For those of you living on campus they get you into your dorms.

4.  Act as an ATM card if you activate it to become your U.S. Bank ATM card.

5.  Can be used as a PIN-debit card at the bookstore if it is linked to the U.S. Bank account.

MY CARD: 1.  Proved that, at some point, I was a student at the university (yep, we didn’t even have a year on there).

Needless to say you guys are lucky that you get these things and again I don’t care how old I sound….I can’t believe how far this stuff has come.  By the way, you may be laughing at me right now but trust me, even one year after you graduate you’ll find yourself using that phrase at some point.  It’s a scary thing when it happens!   For now, though, don’t worry about that just worry about not looking ridiculous in your ID picture.  Enjoy what’s left of your summer everyone and we’ll see you on campus soon!