MICDS was fortunate to once again welcome young alumni back to visit with the reigning senior class. This year, the Class of 2023 heard from three college freshmen: Cate Cody ’22 is studying psychology and communications at Tulane University, Jackson Strelo ’22 is majoring in economics and minoring in data science at Davidson College, and Cecily Taylor ’22 studies agricultural science with a focus on conservation while minoring in Mandarin at Truman State University.
The three alumni took the stage in Orthwein Theatre and shared their experiences of being halfway through their freshman year of college. Director of College Counseling Matt Essman got the ball rolling by asking them to share how they were feeling one year ago when they were still seniors at MICDS and planning for their future.
One Year Ago
Taylor was busy applying to schools one year ago and didn’t quite know yet where she wanted to land. She thought she preferred small to medium colleges where she could easily get to know her professors. “I chose Truman because they have a really cool farm and I wanted to major in agricultural science,” she said. Now she has joined groups like the beekeeping club and the meteorology club and has taken advantage of resources like the school’s planetarium. She encouraged the audience to try a lot of different clubs once they get to college, and then drop the ones they don’t like. Cody admitted she was also indecisive this time last year. “It took visiting schools and thinking about ‘where do I want to be’ and considering what different schools have to offer,” she said. Ultimately, she chose Tulane because she liked the people she met there and felt in tune with the school’s vibe. “Trust your gut,” she told the seniors. Strelo knew he had already been accepted at Davidson this time last year, as he had applied early decision. “I knew I wanted a smaller school,” he explained, and, like Cody, referenced the vibe and how he felt when he had visited the campus. He has joined the sports analytics club and pre-law and pre-business societies and participates in intramural sports.
Academic Transitions
All three alumni spoke about how well MICDS prepared them for the transition to college-level academics, crediting the School’s rigorous writing program with helping them excel. “A lot of your peers won’t have gotten that structure while you already know it,” said Taylor. “It’s good to go in and relax in my English classes knowing my papers are structurally sound, so it’s very chill,” she added. “I can meet with my professors about other things.” Cody also mentioned that time management is crucial, and that students learn this well at MICDS. “It takes discipline to get through MICDS, so even though you have a lot of choices, you know you need to get your stuff done. Find a place on campus where you can study and be productive,” she advises. For her, it’s the library. Strelo said his strong writing skills have come in handy in his history class. “In college, you’ll be writing a lot of 500 to 1000-word essays. Right now you’re writing really long papers so downsizing might be hard at first, but you’ll get it.” He also recommended making time to meet with professors whether that’s taking advantage of office hours or scheduling one-on-one meetings.
Social Transitions
Taylor instructed the audience to remember that everyone going to college as a freshman doesn’t know anyone, or knows only a few people. “It’s important to remember that you’ll have friends you make the first few weeks, then more later in classes. You’ll find friendships in clubs,” she said. Cody also transitioned smoothly. “Everyone wants to get to know each other,” she said. “I’m really close to the people in my hall, and my roommate is one of my best friends. Talk to the people in your classes; you never know who you’ll meet. I met the guy who scored the winning touchdown in the big football game in one of my classes,” she said. She also shared that college offers the opportunity to meet people from all over the country and that everyone brings a different perspective to the table. “I know it feels stressful,” she said, “but you’ll be fine.” Strelo recommended using orientation and even pre-orientation resources as opportunities to meet new people. “There are people from 46 or 47 states at this one, small school,” he said. “There are lots of opportunities the first week, which is sometimes called Syllabus week, and has a pretty low workload. Just go out every day.” He also advises keeping your room door open for the first few days at least. “The more social people who you might want to be around and who can connect you with others will pop in and introduce themselves,” he said.
Off-Campus Activities
What do college freshmen do for fun off-campus? Taylor set the room laughing when she shared that in Kirksville, Missouri, “We have a Wal-Mart and that’s it.” She explained that going to college in a small town is a lot of fun in its own way. “Don’t be discouraged from small schools,” she said. “We make our own fun. You’ll figure out what to do.” Strelo agreed. His college is 20 minutes away from the nearest city, and without a car, he doesn’t go out a lot. “There is plenty to do on every college campus,” he said, “and there are always spontaneous things happening.” Cody’s experience is different, as she’s an affordable streetcar ride away from downtown New Orleans. She spoke of access to museums and a vibrant food scene. “I love to explore off campus,” she said. “On the streetcar, you’ll meet random locals, and the older people have really good stories about what New Orleans used to be like.”
Questions From Students
Essman opened up the floor for questions, and while the Class of 2023 was hesitant at first, they soon warmed up. The first question was about the timing of classes. All three students spoke about trying to avoid early morning classes. Taylor recommends 10 a.m. or later, to which Strelo agreed but added the caveat to not take classes too late in the afternoon or in the evening, as that will cut into valuable social time. It seems 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the sweet spot for college freshmen, although they all admitted that many freshman courses are scheduled at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m. Cody said, “I actually like morning classes because I like to get things out of the way,” she said. “If you’re tired, you can go to your 8 a.m. and then nap after.” They all agreed that the best policy is to know thyself: if you’re not a morning person, don’t sign up for morning classes. The trick is to register early before all the later classes fill. “If you think you’re a morning person,” said Strelo, “I’m sorry, but most likely you’re not.”
“Coffee is very important,” Taylor said. Cody nodded vigorously in agreement.
The alumni also shared what their weekly class schedule looks like, including details like Taylor not having any classes on Thursdays last semester. She used those days to get caught up on homework. Strelo likes keeping his mornings clear to get work done before class, leaving a lot of time in the late afternoons and evenings for socializing. Cody said that she goes to the park and the library in her free time to study, and they all advised using off-hours to do laundry (for Strelo, that’s in the middle of the day, while for Taylor, it’s at 2 a.m.). Another note on laundry: Cody advises learning how to do it before going to college. She’s had to teach a few friends and said, “It’s embarrassing to be 18 and not know how to do laundry!”
What’s their average workload outside of class? Taylor said that, for her, it’s not too different than what she had at MICDS. “It’s not so much homework as a lot more studying,” she said. She agreed with Cody that finding a good place to study is essential. “I was struggling with studying at the beginning of the semester but once I found my spot, it became a lot easier,” she said. “MICDS prepares you really well for the workload.” Cody advised playing to strengths. “You have a lot more choice on when you want to do your work, so if you know yourself and when you’re most productive, you can work around that,” she said. She likes to make dinner plans with friends, and then head off to a study group after. Strelo noted that, unlike high school, most of the work for classes is done on your own. “For a lot of first and second-year classes, they’re strictly lectures so all the work you’re doing is outside of class,” he explained. He prefers to front-load his work, doing two to three hours per day so that toward the end of the week he has more flexibility. He tries to keep his weekends homework-free. “I’m not an advocate for going out all the time,” he clarifies. “Stay in some so you don’t get burned out.” Taylor said that doing a little bit of work every day makes a difference and that studying with friends makes it fun.
Roommates
All three alumni have very different experiences with their roommates. “My situation is complicated,” Taylor began. She allowed the college to randomly pair her with a roommate but discovered that they didn’t really get along. The roommate moved out, and now Taylor has the room to herself. “I wouldn’t worry about it, though,” she stressed. “You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, and you can always move. It’s no big deal. I have so many friends and am besties with my neighbors.” She regrets not giving herself and her roommate more time to get to know each other, instead going their separate ways early on. Cody’s roommate, on the other hand, is now one of her closest friends. She used a resource her school set up to get to know her roommate in the summer before the semester started. They talked over Instagram and Facetime and discovered they have a lot in common. “I didn’t think we’d be as close as we are,” she said. “It’s like an everyday sleepover. You’ll get to meet everyone in your hall, and I know a lot of people who don’t like their roommates but they can coexist and get along.” Strelo’s roommate is a two-season athlete, and he rarely sees him. “I have the room to myself a lot,” he said, “But when we’re together we get along pretty well.” Like Taylor, he’s close with his neighbors, spending time in their rooms and inviting them to his.
Food
The alumni were asked how much money they spend on food, and they were happy to share. All three go to colleges that require freshmen to be on a meal plan, but there is flexibility when it comes to eating. They can eat in the college dining halls or use their meal cards to purchase food at on-campus restaurants and kiosks. Cody shared, “Dining hall food isn’t always the best and you get tired of it. You’ll want to go eat somewhere else every once in a while.” She and her friends use DoorDash, and of course she has plenty of good restaurants a streetcar ride away in New Orleans. “Don’t spend all your money on food,” she cautions. “Budgeting is huge, and if you can have a job, that’s great, too.” Strelo admitted that he had gotten used to eating out with friends the summer before college started, and that bled into the first few weeks of the semester. “If you can have self control, which was hard for me, you’re not going to spend that much money,” he said. He also advised learning which meals are best at the dining hall; in his case, it’s breakfast. “Ration your dining dollars,” he said. “You learn that you’re a college student and you’re not bringing in a lot of money.” Strelo found a position that allowed him to work 12 hours a week, which was manageable and allowed him to stock his savings a bit.
The Last Semester of Upper School
“I’m sure you’ve heard of senioritis, and you may already have that,” Strelo said. “I had it the first couple weeks of senior year. Make time to really soak up your last semester. It was really fun. I hung out with my friends, and there are lots of opportunities to make the most of it and celebrate. Don’t get all caught up in work. Those of you in GAP and ALT classes, there are lots of papers so don’t get too behind. But say yes a lot to doing things, and spend as much time as possible with your friends. You really don’t know how much you’ll miss your high school friends when you go to college. Enjoy and make the most of it but don’t get too behind. You could have your admission rescinded if you don’t keep your grades up.”
Cody said, “Try not to be too stressed out. It truly is going to all work out, even if you don’t know where you want to go yet. I didn’t know until the very last second. There are a lot of people around you and you’ll find the right place and you’re never stuck anywhere. Socially, you should appreciate all the moments, and soak it all in. High school is really unique, and don’t be too scared of college.”
Taylor agreed. “Don’t stress about college, have fun, and don’t get behind on that ALT paper,” she said. “MICDS sets up really fun things to do, and I recommend saying yes to that. It’s fun to be around all your classmates and friends. It’s going to sad to leave but you’ll meet new people. Stay in touch. Connect over breaks. Everything will work out in the end. My sister transferred her sophomore year and loves her new school.”
Strelo ended with a great piece of advice for all students. “Don’t look at other people, and don’t look at where they go to school,” he said. “You’ll end up at a good college and you’ll have a lot of fun. Don’t go to a school just because of a name or expectation. Go to a school where you think you will be happy and you think you would not regret it.”
Many thanks to Cate Cody ’22, Jackson Strelo ’22, and Cecily Taylor ’22 for spending time with the Class of 2023, and good luck with the rest of your college journey!