The Truth About College Interview ft. Hannah Marie

Sorry for the break in blogging lately! Life has just gotten the best of me and I've barely had the time to eat, let alone, blog. But I'm back and today I have a super exciting collab post with my awesome Blogger Buddy, Hannah Marie! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to connect with other bloggers through the Blogger Buddies community and I am so excited that Hannah and I got paired up! Keep reading to see our The Truth About College interview and then head over to her blog to see my guest post talking all about my top picks for school supplies! Thanks again, Hannah!

Hi everyone! I’m Hannah Marie, a blogger over at www.mortevivere.wordpress.com. To tell you a little bit about me- I am a devout follower of God, I love reading and writing, and I play soccer! I’m also a junior in high-school. On my blog, you can find book reviews, posts about my faith, and my opinions on controversial topics. I’m so glad for this opportunity to be a guest on The Classical Alumna and ask Lizzie some questions about college! And I hope you guys enjoy reading this interview!

What is the hardest part about choosing a college?

Overthinking things. I wrote pro and con lists at least a hundred times when choosing my school. I was afraid I would make the wrong choice. But truly, you'll know in your heart which school is best for you and you will find your place there. 

Why did you choose the college you chose?

My biggest reasons for choosing the school I did were being close to home and having a great program for my major. I originally wanted to go away to school about 4 hours away, but then when I saw that they didn't have my major and I would have to piece something together.... college in my hometown started looking a lot better!

What do you think is the most important thing when it comes to picking a degree?

Pick something you are passionate about, but also be realistic! Don't major in US History if you don't want to be a high school teacher or work in a museum.

Do you think taking a gap year (a break year between high-school and college) is a good idea? Why or why not?

Personally, I am not a fan of gap years. Once you stop going to school, it is so much harder to try to go back. If you can't afford jumping right into a big university post high school or have no idea what you want to major in, attend community college and knock out your gen eds!

What is the most difficult part of transitioning from high-school to college?

FREEDOM. When you're in high school, you are waking up at the same time every day, you have no choice but to go sit in your classes from 8 to 4, and then you have a few hours after school that are usually consumed with homework, sports, clubs, meetings, work, or hanging out with friends. Your life is 100% planned out at all times, whether you realize it or not. When you get to college, no one is there to hold your hand and make sure you get to class on time, or that you're going to class at all. You pick when your classes are, so if you want to sleep in until 2pm every day, you can. The best way I beat the freedom plague was setting a schedule for myself everyday. Even if I didn't have class until 1pm, I still woke up at the same time everyday and drove to campus to work on homework or attend functions or hang out with friends. I didn't allow myself room for messing up.

What is the most exciting thing about going to college?

Finding yourself. When you get to college, you can become whoever it is you want to be. You don't have a reputation like you did in high school. When I got to college, my very first semester I joined a sorority. It was the very best thing I have ever done for myself and if I could do it again, I'd do it 100 times again. High school Lizzie would never have joined a sorority, but that's okay. College Lizzie is someone High School Lizzie would have looked up to and I think that's awesome.

What is your favorite studying tool?

I am the Flash Card Queen. I write down every fact that could be a test question and use the cards as such. Of course, I color code them for each unit, so that I can go back at the end of the semester and study for finals with the same cards.

What is the best way to meet new people and find encouraging community within a university?

Of course I think that the best way to meet new people and find your home on campus is to go greek. But really, just finding some sort of organization on campus to belong to is going to encourage you to branch out and find community.

For college, what is your preferred kind of board (dorm, apartment, house)? Why do you prefer that kind over the others?

This question is a little harder for me because I commuted all 4 years, but if I had moved to campus, I would have lived in an apartment. The houses around my campus are your typical college houses (AKA rundown) and most of my friends just constantly ran into problems with them. The apartments were always a little nicer and some came with nice amenities.

If you could give a piece of advice to highschoolers, who are preparing for college, what would it be?

Get involved. Go to the football games. Keep in touch with your friends from home, but push yourself to meet new people on campus. Utilize the library. Call your parents often. Take lots of pictures. Go to office hours. Don't procrastinate. Go to the gym. Enjoy every minute of college because it is truly the best four years of your life.

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I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed doing it! Keep checking back through the month of August to see more from Hannah here at The Classic Alumna. What advice would you give high schoolers who are preparing for college this month? Let us know down in the comments!

xx

Sorority Showcase: 5 Reasons to Go Greek!

So, you've thought about going Greek? Maybe you know nothing about sororities and don't know if this is right for you, maybe you're only here because a friend is trying to talk you into rushing, or maybe this has been your dream since the first time you saw Legally Blonde. This week I am launching a brand new series titled Sorority Showcase to help ease the nerves and answer all the questions that come with going through recruitment. Check back each week for FAQs, tips and tricks, and more info on sorority life! Read below to find the first installment to the series which is 5 reasons you should go Greek!

 

Joining a sorority was the very best decision I have ever made and I would not be the person I am without it. I have narrowed down the thousands of reasons I came up with to why you should go Greek to my top 5. I hope this information helps you and leads you to the right decision. Joining a Greek organization is a huge step and will only change your life for the better. 

1. Support 

At the end of my junior year, I lost my grandma. In a matter of hours, my phone was freezing up from the 100's of texts I was getting from sisters offering their condolences, asking if they could bring food to my family and I at the hospital, or checking to see if my dogs had been taken care of. In the midst of all the hurt and pain I was feeling, I was overcome by the joy and gratitude I have for those girls. Another one of my sisters found out that her mom had been rediagnosed with breast cancer. It was truly amazing when a handful of sisters dropped what they were doing, skipped class, cancelled their dates for the weekend, pitched in their money, and drove the 6 hours to take that girl home so she wouldn't be going alone. The power of sisterhood is unlike anything I have ever imagined and even to this day, I am taken aback by how many woman I have to lean on. 

2. Realizing Your Potential 

Through my time in my chapter, I held two positions, was on numerous committees, attended leadership conferences, and was given opportunities I never could have dreamed of. I improved my GPA (tremendously) and became a person I was proud of. I did all of this because I had the push of my sisters who saw more in me than I did in myself. Through the eyes of my sisters, I realized my potential and realized that I could achieve more than I had been allowing myself to. I have gained knowledge and habits that I will carry with my into my professional life and truly believe that my success in life will be owed to my sorority. 

3. Community 

I didn't realize when I joined my chapter, I would also be joining a bigger family comprised of every Greek student at my school. I can't speak on how it is at other schools, but at my college, we all stick together. When my best friend and I went through recruitment, our hearts lead us to different places. I was afraid that I would never be able to hang out with her around campus anymore and that we would be expected to dislike each other. The very opposite actually happened. Not only did I gain my sisterhood, I gained "sisters" in her chapter. Girls that I studied with, sat together in class with, went to fraternity functions with, celebrated birthdays with-- none of which wore the same letters as me, but will always be in my heart as sisters. The community doesn't stop there. It's the norm on my campus to walk in the library and see faces from every Greek organization on campus sharing a table, quizzing each other before a big test, grabbing coffee together, and even going to the bar together. I love the community of Greek life on my campus because not only did I gain 100 sisters, I gained hundreds of new friends. 

4. Memories 

When I tell people that I was in a sorority in college, more times than not, they assume it was all about partying and boys. But really, it was about so much more than that. The memories come from road trips to DC for philanthropy events, carving pumpkins, dancing with my sisters at formal, concerts together, tailgating on game day, having the support of my boyfriend consistently through college, sisterhood retreats, getting my big, recruitment. The memories I hold on to the tightest are the ones that were so far from the "sorority scene". Everyone is right when they say that college is the best four years of your life, especially when you're sharing it with the right people. 

5. Family

This was the very last thing I was looking for, but the very best thing I got out of this. I plan on making another post dedicated to just bigs and littles, but in the meantime, I will say, there is no love I have experienced greater than the love I have for my big and for my little. These are my people. The ones I am accountable for, the one that has mentored me, the one that I have mentored. Through my big and little, I have become a better person. They are some of the most precious people in my life.

xx