Alumni Spotlight: Finding Balance

by Maria Elser

It is now my second year here at Mount St. Mary’s University. As I moved into school this past August, my outlook was far different from last year. No longer was I afraid of meeting new people. No longer was I afraid of intimidating college professors.

My first year had already taught me that peers are a lot friendlier than you might think and that college professors don’t bite. My freshman fears were no longer and now I was returning to school as a seasoned college student, eager and excited for a new academic year.

As a sophomore, I’ve experienced some of the perks of no longer being a first-year student. Housing is certainly one of those perks. While I did have a good random rooming experience last year, there is nothing quite like having your own room again.

This school year, I transitioned from sharing a single room with someone to living in a suite where my four suitemates and I each have our own bedrooms as well as a shared bathroom and a shared common room. For an introvert like myself, having my own room helps me to fully de-stress and relax as each day comes to a close.

While my introvert time has been key to unwinding, my suitemates and I still have many a laughter-filled night out in the common room either watching movies or studying together. Our common room walls are decorated with a picture board of memories from our past two years of friendship, a sticky note quote board with hilarious inside jokes, and a Troy Bolton tapestry (for all of you High School Musical fans out there). With the string of Christmas lights turned on and soft music playing from the speaker, this space has become my home away from home.

This downtime with my friends has become all the more valued as classes have intensified and grown more difficult this year. With each passing semester, my professors are challenging me to read more, write more, and grow more as a student as I am exposed to all new topics and materials.

This semester has been especially challenging as I am taking 19 credits when a full schedule is just 15. There have certainly been nights when I am up until 3 a.m. studying or reading for an upcoming class or test. And while these nights can be exhausting and stressful, these late nights do not go without reward. I am always growing, always learning, and always progressing toward my goal of becoming a teacher and novelist.

While the workload of classes has increased, my class subjects are now more tailored to my major. Most of my general courses are now out of the way, so I am able to take more classes that pertain to my interests and major. Being interested in the subjects that I am studying makes the homework light and sweet. Those 3 a.m. nights don’t seem so unbearable when I get to read books that have been on my “To-Read” shelf for years now.

But as I said before, my friends are a refuge from my sometimes-stressful workload. We remind each other that a 4.0 GPA is not the end-all be-all. Time spent with friends is more valuable – it’s  priceless, really. And the opportunity to hang out will never be quite the same as it is right now. Take just a few steps down the hallway and your best friends are right there to confide in, to laugh with, to grow with, and to love.

As I come to the close of my sophomore year at the Mount, I am immensely grateful for the people I have met and the experiences I have had. They aren’t kidding when they say that college flies by in a blink. These past two years dashed by faster than a college student late to class. I am already halfway through my undergraduate college experience and trying to savor every moment. Here’s to two more years!