Everything you ever wanted to know about college, but were afraid to ask

One of the activities we really wanted to have on campus was an "Ask the Experts" night when our Foundations students would throw questions out at our successful ASD peer mentors.  Sadly, that didn't happen.  Instead, we are posting the questions that your sons and daughters asked, along with answers written by Nick, one of our mentors. 

1.      How many classes do you have?  

This varies depending on how you set up your schedule. Generally speaking though, I have an average of 4 classes per term, which includes labs as individual  sessions.

2.      What time do your classes start?

Again, this varies depending on how I set up my schedule. Sometimes, your first class happens as early as 8 A.M or even as late as 6 P.M.

3.      How do you have time to do laundry with so few washers and driers?

 Generally, there isn’t an issue as everyone is in and out of the building throughout the day due to varying class setups. However, I wouldn’t advise doing it in the evening on the weekends. There is a general rush around this time

4.      How long do vacations last?

At Mercyhurst, not that long. Generally, Easter break is only from Thursday to Monday, while Christmas Break is often 2-3 weeks. In between terms is generally 10 days.

5.      Should I even be afraid of Jared the Res Life Guy?

 Why on earth should you be? He really doesn’t poke around you the whole time.  If you follow the rules, you’ll never meet him.

6.      Can you have the choice of sharing a dorm with a roommate or having one all to yourself?

Yes it is possible.

7.      Is it possible to get help about writing notes in class and studying for a test at the academic support office?

 I’d say yes, as those are what the Learning Differences  offices are primarily designed for.

8.      Alcohol Presence?

Not very obvious on campus, as anyone under 21 is prohibited from having alcohol. If there is a presence at all, it’s generally done indoors and pretty quiet.

9.      Finding respectable people to associate with.

That one you should figure out on your own. But if I have any suggestions that could help, its one simple word: SOCIALIZE.

10.   Is it possible to receive alternative assignments that still reflects what the teacher wants (i.e., instead of an essay, do a speech or act it out)?

Sadly, no. Most professors at college expect their students to complete their work as assigned. You can try to get this changed by talking to your teachers during office hours, but most likely, nothing will come of it.

11.   How are the professors?

At Mercyhurst, I’d say every professor I’ve ever had has been really great. While not always easy in terms of assignments and grading, they at least keep you interested in the course material.

12.   Is getting drunk and doing drugs the only social activity? Absolutely not! In fact, there countless activities every weekend provided by Student Life. Furthermore, there are clubs for interests such as Anime, History, Role-Playing, etc. In short, there’s quite a lot to do.

13.   Does Campus Police even enforce these rules?

 I’d say yes as whenever there are serious problems on campus, they get reported.

14.   Why does it cost so much?

 In the context of Mercyhurst, it’s because it’s a private institution in comparison to the more publicly funded universities and community colleges.

15.   Why is Warde so good but Mc Auley so bad?

Warde is simply a newer building with conveniences such as air conditioning, workout rooms, refrigerators, etc. Mc Auley is much older and thereby doesn’t have these features.

16.   Where do you go if your roommate locks you out?

Go straight to the AD on Duty or to  Police and Safety, simple as that.

17.   How much homework is each day?  Is it everyday?

Generally, most homework consists of assigned readings, but sometimes you might thrown short essays or responses. As for frequency, professors often expect that you have something done for each day.

18.   Do college kids ever fail on assignments and do professors even care to meet them to help them?

 Like in high school, there are times when a few students will fail on their assignments. Except when failures occur among the majority of the class, professors don’t come to you. In order to get help, you have to go to them.

19.   How many parties?

Plenty, though you have to be invited or part of a group to go to them.

20.   How many women?

Again, there’s a lot of them.

21.   Does freedom last “forever?”

If you’re talking about not being responsible with your actions and able to crawl back to your safe corner, then the answer is no. College will pass by quickly and you’ll soon have to prepare for adult life.

22.   How am I supposed to get so many assignments done when there are a lot of activities after class?

All I can say to that question is for you to manage your time in any way that will work.