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 Thursday,
Feb 1
posted by Nguyen
I hate to say “Break is over.” No
matter how eager I am to come back to Mac, I wonder if I will
step back to an abyss of work and more work. Still, it’s
exciting to see friends again after some time away. The snow
is not much thicker than when I left for winter break, which
makes me a little disappointed. The first two weeks of a semester
are often an adrenaline-running-high. I’m doing alright
in most of my classes right now, although there is a bigger
workload compared to last semester.
The Macalester campus is very liberal. One thing I can say
with confidence is that many people choose to do more than
one major, because they can’t settle on just one. I
see a range of interesting combinations of majors, some of
which seem virtually unrelated such as Math and Art. But then,
isn’t that the whole point of going to study at a liberal
arts college? Macalester students in my opinion are pretty
open about everything, and no matter what background you are
from, you can always fit in.
A Math professor recently asked my class about one very important
feature of studying at Mac. “What is the significance
of having a first-year course?” As a freshman, we take
a first-year course in the fall that is specially designed
to prepare us for the out time at Mac. Many students who take
the same first year course also live close to each other in
the same dorm. I took a course that did not give me that chance,
but what I have heard from other friends is that it is great.
They all got to know each other better, hanging out, helping
with class work on those very first days. The professor in
our first-year course is also our academic advisor, which
builds a good relationship. We have to write papers in the
first-year course, but it is made a lot easier because the
goal is to teach us step by step how to write a good college
paper. People from the library and information system also
came and directed us how to best utilize the facilities available
on campus.
In case you don’t read Mac Weekly news often, our Gym
complex has been demolishing since December. All indoor sports
have to take place inside a church and schools nearby. I don’t
really know if this is good or bad for you. On the one hand
you will have a new modern Gym complex (that costs 41 million
to build). On the other hand, the need-blind admission policy
was changed. Even so all admitted students are still fully
funded if they need financial aid. Come to think of it, Macalester
has a huge amount of financial aid given to students. You
still have a good chance to receive grants and scholarships
from the school. I took a walk around the admission office
recently and felt the helpful, hard working attitude of everyone.
Laurel and I are working on a web forum for admitted students
in late March, so get ready to ask Mac students questions
if you are admitted. I remember how it felt to wait for colleges
to reply: it’s crazy. Keep your spirits up; be prepared
for the unknowable to unravel. Let me tell you that there
are also a lot of professors applying for jobs at Macalester.
Once becoming a Mac student, we have the chance to help evaluate
potential professors through class demos, lectures and talks.
It makes us, the students, part of the circle of creating
the Mac community.
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